The Letters About Literature deadline is now past. Thank you and good luck to all who entered!
About the Contest
Letters About Literature is a Library of Congress national reading/writing promotion program for students in grades 4-12. Students are asked to read a book, poem, or speech and write to the author (living or dead) about how the book affected them personally. You can learn more and read winning letters on the Library of Congress website.
Students compete in three age categories: Level 1 (grades 4-6), Level 2 (grades 7-8), and Level 3 (grades 9-12). At each age level, Wyoming winners will receive an Amazon gift card worth $150 for first place, $100 for second, or $50 for third.
Teaching Resources
Teachers, librarians, and homeschool parents should know there are resources available to them to guide their student participants.
- A video series has guidance for students on participating in Letters About Literature and writing their letters. Watch here
- The Letters About Literature Teaching Guide provides activities teachers can use to guide their students through the book discussion and letter-writing process. The guide addresses the LAL teaching strategies and ways in which the program can dovetail with curriculum for teaching reading and writing. Also included are worksheets for duplication and assessment checklists.
- An archived webinar for educators (Recording password: Letters123!) explores 25 years of best practices.
- Honor your students’ participation with personalized participation certificates that are easy to download and print.
Questions about Letters About Literature?
Contact Susan Mark, Wyoming State Library publications specialist, at susan.mark@wyo.gov or (307) 777-5915.