Letters About Literature Essay Contest: Past Winners

2007 Letters About Literature Competition
First Place Winners:

Level I (Grades 4-6)
Kate Wackett, Grade 6, Maplewood, Mounds Park Academy
Letter to Chris Crowe, author of Mississippi Trial, 1955 (2002)
Level II (Grades 7-8)
Anushua Bhattacharya, Grade 7, Woodbury, Lake Junior High
Letter to Betty Mahmoody, author of Not Without My Daughter (1987)
Level III (Grades 9-12)
Ericka Sell, Grade 12, Duluth, East High School
Letter to Chris Van Allsburg, author of The Polar Express (1985)

First runners up were:

Level I (Grades 4-6)
Allie Solensten, Grade 6, Woodbury
Letter to Lois Lowry, author of Gathering Blue (2000)
Level II (Grades 7-8)
Olivia Myszkowski, Grade 8, Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Junior High
Letter to Louise Fitzhugh, author of Harriet the Spy (1964)
Level III (Grades 9-12)
Stephanie Erlandson, Grade 9, Henning
Letter to Barbara Brooks Wallace, author of Peppermints in the Parlor (2005)

2006 Letters About Literature Competition
Read the 2006 winning Minnesota essays (in PDF format.)
First Place Winners:

Level I (Grades 4-6)
Melissa Thomey, Grade 6, Nativity of Our Lord School, St. Paul
a letter to Wilson Rawls, author of Where the Red Fern Grows (1961)
Level II (Grades 7-8)
Tucker Everett, Grade 7, Our Lady of Grace School, Edina
a letter to George Harrar, author of Parents Wanted (2001)
Level III (Grades 9-12)
Jeehyun Choi, Grade 11, St. Paul Academy and Summit School, St. Paul
a letter to Peter Hedges, author of What's Eating Gilbert Grape
**Jeehyun was also named a winner in the national competition.

First runners up were:

Level I (Grades 4-6)
Clinton Bembry, Grade 6, Westwood Middle School, Blaine
a letter to Christopher Paolini, author of Eragon
Level II (Grades 7-8)
Francesca Sifferlin, Grade 7, Our Lady of Grace School, Edina
a letter to Sharon Creech, author of The Wanderer
Level III (Grades 9-12)
Sara Hammann, Grade 11, Grand Rapids Senior High School, Grand Rapids
a letter to Katherine Paterson, author of Bridge to Terabithia

Second runners up were:

Level I (Grades 4-6)
Kiersten Morris, Grade 6, Burnsville
a letter to Esmé Raji Codell, author of Sahara Special
Level II (Grades 7-8)
Sanela Smaka, Grade 7, Minnetonka
a letter to Nancy Farmer, author of The House of the Scorpion
Level III (Grades 9-12)
Celeste Johnson, Grade 11, Pine Island
a letter to Charlotte Brontë, author of Jane Eyre

2005 Letters About Literature Competition
Read the 2005 winning Minnesota essays (in PDF format.)
First Place Winners:

Level I (Grades 4-6)
Laura Thompson, Grade 6, Bemidji Middle School, Bemidji
a letter to Dave Pelzer, author of A Child Called "It" (1995)
Laura was also named runner-up in the national competition.
Level II (Grades 7-8)
Stephen Kindt, Grade 8, Minnetonka Middle School West, Excelsior
a letter to Vince Lombardi, for his speech, "What It Takes to Be Number One" (1970)
Level III (Grades 9-12)
Aaron LaFave, Grade 12, Shattuck-St. Mary's School, Faribault
a letter to J.D. Salinger, author of The Catcher in the Rye (1951)

First runners up were:

Level I (Grades 4-6)
Samantha McClanahan, Grade 6, Westwood Middle School, Blaine
a letter to Chris Platt, author of Willow King (2002)
Level II (Grades 7-8)
Sydney Nyman, Grade 8, Minnetonka Middle School West, Excelsior
a letter to Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia (1995)
Level III (Grades 9-12)
Bryan Rudell, Grade 11, Elk River High School, Elk River
a letter to Tomie dePaola, author of Oliver Button is a Sissy (1979)

Second runners up were:

Level I (Grades 4-6)
Priscilla Mobosi, Grade 6, Westwood Middle School, Blaine
a letter to Gail C. Levine, author of The Two Princesses of Bamarre (2001)
Level II (Grades 7-8)
Asma Mohammed, Grade 7, Westwood Middle School, Blaine
a letter to Lensey Namioka, author of Ties That Bind, Ties that Break (1999)
Level III (Grades 9-12)
Dallas Bossort, Grade 12, Shattuck-St. Mary's School, Faribault
a letter to Jean Craighead George, author of My Side of the Mountain (1988)

2004 Letters About Literature Competition

First Place Winners:

Level I (Grades 4-6)
Holly Bolstad, Grade 6, Mounds Park Academy, Maplewood
a letter to Cat Bauer, author of Harley, Like a Person (2000)
Level II (Grades 7-8)
Muhammad Bilal Islam, Grade 7, Al-Amal School, Fridley
a letter to Richard Wormser, author of American Islam: Growing Up Muslim in America (2002)
Level III (Grades 9-12)
Anna Kunin, Grade 9, Cooper High School, New Hope
a letter to George Orwell, author of 1984 (1949)

2003 Letters About Literature Essay Contest Winners

First Place Winners:

Level I (Grades 4-6)
Sarah Lepley, Grade 6, Dakota Hills Middle School, Eagan
a letter to Sharon Creech, author of Walk Two Moons (1994)
Level II (Grades 7-8)
Madeline McCarty, Grade 8, Wayzata West Middle School, Wayzata
a letter to Todd Strasser, author of Give a Boy a Gun (2000)
Level III (Grades 9-12)
Caitlin Shaw, Grade 12, Benilde-St. Margaret’s School, St. Louis Park
a letter to Nevil Shute, author of On the Beach

Runners-Up:

Level I (Grades 4-6)
Saxon Dorshow, Grade 4, Tanglen Elementary School, Minnetonka
a letter to Margaret Haddix, author of Among the Hidden
Level II (Grades 7-8)
Rebekah Sather, Grade 8, home school, St. Paul
a letter to J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings
Level III (Grades 9-12) -tie
Melvina Ketter, Grade 9, Northview Junior High, Brooklyn Park
a letter to Pam Munoz Ryan, author of Esperanza Rising
Level III (Grades 9-12) - tie
Laura Kauffman, Grade 9, New Ulm High School, New Ulm
a letter to Orson Scott Card, author of Ender’s Game

Congratulations to Sarah Lepley who also placed among the top six at the national level in her age category.

State winners were selected by a panel of judges from Minnesota's literary arts community. Judges for the 2003 competition were Lisa Bullard, Patricia Johnston, Gwenyth Swain, Nancy Gruver, Heid Erdrich, Carolyn Holbrook, Leanne Zainer, Ph.D., Wendy Lee, Dave Wood, Marlene Hayman, Jessica Goff, and Rebekah Buchanan.

2002 Letters About Literature Essay Contest Winners

First-place winners:

Level I (Grades 4-7):
Emily Davis, Grade 5, Merritt Elementary School, Mt. Iron
a letter to Louise Erdrich, author of The Birchbark House
Level II (Grades 8-12):
Rebecca DeJarlais, Grade 12, Champlin Park High School
a letter to Kate Chopin, author of The Awakening

First runners-up were:

Level I (Grades 4-7):
Anna Fuglestad, Grade 4, Lincoln Learning Center, Willmar
a letter to Corrie ten Boom, author of The Hiding Place
Level II (Grades 8-12):
Joe Ehrich, Grade 10, Blue Earth Area High School
a letter to Elie Wiesel, author of Night

Second runners-up were:

Level I (Grades 4-7):
Heather Heaton, Grade 7, Plymouth Middle School
a letter to Martha Moore, author of Angels on the Roof
Level II (Grades 8-12):
Michelle Wong, Grade 8, Plymouth Middle School
a letter to AdelineYen Mah, author of Chinese Cinderella

State winners were selected by a panel of judges from Minnesota's literary arts community. Judges for the 2002 competition were Martha Davis Beck, Mary Casanova, Heid Erdrich, Adam Lerner, Kristin Tillotson, and Lupé Solis, Jr.

2001 Letters About Literature Essay Contest Winners

Level I (Grades 4-7):
Brittany Jaekel, Grade 6, Jackson Middle School, Champlin
a letter to Anne Frank
Level II (Grades 8-12):
Claire Shefchik, Grade 10, at Stillwater Area High School
a letter to Kevin Baker, author of Dreamland

State winners were selected by a panel of judges from Minnesota's literary arts community. Judges for the 2001 competition were Emilie Buchwald, John Coy, Christine Jax, Pamela Hill Nettleton, Joseph Skelly, and David Treuer.

2000 Letters About Literature Essay Contest Winners

Level I (Grades 4-7):
Amber Karjala, Grade 7, Shakopee Junior High
a letter to Eva Burke, author of "The Days of Cardboard Boxes" in Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul
Level II (Grades 8-12):
Michael Newland, Grade 8, Zimmerman Junior High
a letter to Caroline B. Cooney, author of Among Friends

State winners were selected by a panel of judges from Minnesota's literary arts community. Judges for the 2000 competition were Mary Anne Grossmann, Patricia Hampl, David Haynes, Pat Markie, Joe Nathan, and Ann Regan.