CT’s 2020 Letters About Literature Contest Finalists Announced

The Neag School of Education, in conjunction with the Connecticut Writing Project and the English Department at the University of Connecticut, are proud to announce the nine finalists for the state of Connecticut’s 27th annual Letters About Literature contest, a nationwide writing contest formerly sponsored by the Library of Congress for elementary, middle, and high school students.

This fall, Connecticut students in grades 4 through 12 submitted 416 letters. The 53 students listed here were selected for the final round, and all will receive certificates of honor for their accomplishment. The finalists included nine students, three of which were from Staples High School in Westport, Conn.

Level I (Grades 4-6)

• First Place: Nathan Ben-Ari, King Middle School, Peak by Roland Smith
• Honorable Mention: Molly Grove, King Middle School, Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
• Honorable Mention: Julia Lane, Macdonough Elementary School, Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

Level II (Grades 7-8)

• First Place: Caroline Holmberg, Franklin Elementary, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• Honorable Mention: Akosua Hansen, Mansfield Middle School, Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams

Level III (Grades 9-12)

• First Place: Scarlett Sladek, Staples High School, Nevermoor: The Tales of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
• Honorable Mention: Krish Shah, Notre Dame High School, A Song of Ice and Fire by George Martin
• Honorable Mention: Eliza Lang, Staples High School, Wonder by R.J. Palacio
• Honorable Mention: Sasha Maskoff, Staples High School, The Giver by Lois Lowry

Neag School of Education and UConn alumni, students and friends judged the 416 first round of submittals and pre-service teachers at UConn read and scored the submissions of the 53 semi-finalists in March and selected nine winners, three in the 4th to 6th grade level, two in the 7th and 8th grade level, and four in the 9th to 12th grade level. The first-place winners will each receive an award of $200; honorable mention winners will each receive an award of $100.

Read more about the contest. For questions, contact Doug Kaufman at douglas.kaufman@uconn.edu or Jason Courtmanche at jason.courtmanche@uconn.edu.