Letters About Literature 2012-2013

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Letters About Literature (LAL) invites young readers in grades 4 – 10 to enter the 21st Annual LAL letter writing competition. The contest challenges young readers to write a personal letter to an author explaining how that author’s work somehow changed the readers’ view of their world.

LAL is a national reading and writing promotion program for young readers sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and presented in partnership with participating affiliate state centers for the book including the Alabama Center for the Book.

Students may enter the contest individually or through their school as a class project. The 2013 entry guidelines and entry coupons may be found on the Alabama Center for the Book’s website:

Alabama Center for the Book

Submission deadline is postmark January 11, 2013.

Teachers, librarians, and parents can download free teaching materials, including lesson plans, assessment checklists, and student writing samples by visiting the LAL website.

LAL awards prizes on both state and national level in three competition levels: Level 1 for children in grades 4 – 6; Level 2 for children in grades 7 – 8; and Level 3 for children in grades 9 – 10.

The Alabama Center for the Book will announce the state winners in April 2013. All semi-finalists, their families, and teachers will be invited to the Alabama Letters About Literature awards ceremony and reception to be held at The University of Alabama in the Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library. The three first place winners’ letters will be submitted for national judging.

National winners will receive a cash award of $1,000 and will be announced in May 2013.

The Alabama Center for the Book is the Alabama Affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book and is housed in the University of Alabama Libraries at the University of Alabama.