News Release

09/18/08
Call for Student Entries! Rhode Island Center for the Book at Providence Public Library Invites Rhode Island Students to Enter Library of Congress Contest Letters About Literature, 2009

The deadline is December 6, 2008 for Letters About Literature 2009, the national writing contest sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, in partnership with Target. Rhode Island students have been very successful in this contest over the past five years, with three National Winners and three National Honorable Mentions since 2003. In 2008, Gabrielle Sclafani of Barrington, was selected from over 59,000 entries as one of 12 national honorable mentions. She has donated her $1,000 grant award to the library at Windmill Street School in Providence. This year brings another opportunity for teachers, parents and librarians statewide to help their students gain state and national recognition for their writing. Gabrielle’s letter and other state winners and semifinalist letters are posted on the RI Center for the Book website.

To enter Letters About Literature (LAL), young readers write a personal letter to a favorite author, explaining how his or her work helped them see an aspect of the world—large or small—through new eyes. The books can be from any genre—fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic. By encouraging personal reader response and reflective writing, LAL encourages meaningful reading and helps to create and celebrate successful writers.

Each year, LAL awards more than 150 state-level prizes. Top Rhode Island entries will receive a gift certificate to a local book store and a $50 Target gift card. Additionally, the program selects six national winners, each of whom will earn for their community or school library a $10,000 Letters About Literature Reading Promotion Grant. Twelve national honorable mention winners will each earn for the community or school library of their choice a $1,000 grant.

Teachers and librarians can download the how-to-enter guidelines from the LAL Website. Teaching materials, including lessons plans, writing samples, and assessment checklists, are also available at this site. Letters About Literature supports national standards for teaching language arts & reading as recommended by the National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading Association.

Letters About Literature – 2009 is a project of the Rhode Island Center for the Book at Providence Public Library. Through a variety of programs and events, the Center promotes a passion for books among readers of all ages and backgrounds across Rhode Island. The Center for the Book was established in 1977 as a public-private partnership to use the resources of the Library of Congress to stimulate public interest in books and reading. For information about its activities and national reading promotion networks, visit www.loc.gov/cfbook.

Target Stores, along with its parent company Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT), gives back more than $2 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs.

Providence Public Library is committed to providing quality programming on a variety of educational topics. The views and opinions expressed therein are those of the individual presenters and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the Library. We welcome community members to work with us to provide free, thought-provoking events of interest.

A 130-year-old private, not-for-profit institution, Providence Public Library is dedicated to providing free educational, lifelong learning and enrichment opportunities for all, regardless of background, age or income.