« Back to Letters About Literature
State Winners Letters About Literature 2009
Each year, six National and 12 National Honor letters are chosen from the tens of thousands of entries. National winners can name the library of their choice to receive a $10,000 award from Target, and the students receive a $500 Target GiftCard. National Honor winners can name a library to receive a $1,000 award from Target, and the students receive a $50 Target GiftCard.
| State | Level I | Level II | Level III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Dakotah Murphree, Birmingham. Wrote to Lois Lowry, author of “The Giver” | ** Cori Anne Mazer, Birmingham. Wrote to Lois Lowry, “The Giver” | Destiny Sharpe, Goshen. Wrote to Patricia McCormick, author of “Cut” |
| Alaska | Kanesia Price, Unalaska. Wrote to Hal Granum, author of “The Great Eagle Spirit” | Meryem Kugzruk, Fairbanks. Wrote to Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird” | Sophie Wiepking-Brown, Anchorage. Wrote to Anne Fadiman, author of “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” |
| Arizona | Lindsay Michelle Wood, Page. Wrote to Louisa May Alcott, author of “Little Women” | Stephanie Choi, Buckeye. Wrote to Sarah Dessen, author of “The Truth About Forever” | Beverly Horlacher, Queen Creek. Wrote to William Golding, author of “The Lord of the Flies” |
| Arkansas | Ashley Pigg, Searcy. Wrote to Ann Martin, author of “A Corner of the Universe” | * Eliza Dach, Bentonville. Wrote to Greg Mortenson, author of “Three Cups of Tea” | Shanna Kenyon, Jonesboro. Wrote to Thomas L. Friedman, author of “The World Is Flat” |
| California | Wonder Smith, Los Angeles. Wrote to Dr. Seuss, author of “The Sneetches” | ** Kailey McCoy, Temecula. Wrote to Blake E.S. Taylor, author of “ADHD and Me” | Sandra Kaddis, Downey. Wrote to Naguib Mahfouz, author of “The Palace of Desire” |
| Colorado | Steven Santoro, Aurora. Wrote to Sarah Henderson Hay, author of “For a Dead Kitten” | Kristen Scott, Arvada. Wrote to John Grogan, author of “Marley and Me” | Meghan Callahan, Centennial. Wrote to e.e. cumming, author of "I carry your heart with me" |
| Connecticut | * Clare Arlington Boyle, Newtown. Wrote to L. M. Montgomery, author of “Anne of Green Gables” | Cole Stabnick, West Hartford. Wrote to Lois Lowry, author of “Number the Stars” | Jennifer Ky, Hartford. Wrote to Theresa C. Vara, author of “Profligate with Love” |
| Delaware | Madeline Carlson, Clayton. Wrote to Trinka Hakes Noble, author of “Apple Tree Christmas” | Sarah Bailey, Middletown. Wrote to Robert Lipsyte, author of “Contender” | Martha-Raye Adjei, Hockessin. Wrote to Aesop, author of “The Old Man and Death” |
| District of Columbia | Evelyn Andrulis, Washington, DC. Wrote to Erin Hunter, author of the Warrior Series | Ian Greynolds, Washington, DC. Wrote to S. E. Hinton, author of “The Outsiders” | Tamira McLeod, Washington, DC. Wrote to Sharon Flake, author of “The Skin I’m In” |
| Florida | Alexandra Vazquez, Southwest Ranche. Wrote to Lurlene McDaniel, author of “A Rose for Melinda” | Fabio Carranza, Coral Springs. Wrote to Barbara J. Hall, author of “There is Greatness within You My Son.” | Natalia Juncadella, Miami. Wrote to Mitch Albom, author of “Tuesdays with Morrie” |
| Georgia | * Carolyn Propst, Atlanta. Wrote to Lisi Harrison, author of “The Clique” | Jordan Mooney, Ringgold. Wrote to Heather Brewer, author of “Eighth Grade Bites: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, Book 1” | Mattie Pickens, Lilburn. Wrote to William Shakespeare for his works. |
| Hawaii | Amber Dombroski, Kihei. Wrote to Frances Hodgson Burnett, author of “The Secret Garden” | Andrew Chang, Aiea. Wrote to Madeleine L'Engle, author of “A Wrinkle in time” | Lian Bossert, Honolulu. Wrote to John Hereshy, author of “Hiroshima” |
| Idaho | “No winner selected this year” | “No winner selected this year” | Halla Blair, Twin Falls. Wrote to Laurie Halse Anderson, author of “Speak” |
| Illinois | Julia Ilhardt, Glen Ellyn. Wrote to Nancy Farmer, author of “A Girl Named Disaster” | Rachel Baruck, Northbrook. Wrote to Jay Asher, author of “Thirteen Reasons Why” | Eryca Campbell, Petersburg. Wrote to Cherie Bennett, author of “Life in the Fat Lane” |
| Indiana | Jack Horn, Zionsville. Wrote to Deborah Wiles, author of “Each Little Bird that Sings” | Emily Beckman, Jasper. Wrote to Jodi Picoult, author of “My Sister’s Keeper” | Lacy Bush, Salem. Wrote to Natalie Babbitt, author of “Tuck Everlasting” |
| Iowa | Amanda Goldsmith, Des Moines. Wrote to Vicki Myron, author of “Dewey” | Kelsey Dennis, Ames. Wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of “Stargirl” | Elizabeth Mills, Johnston. Wrote to Francesco D'Adamo, author of“ Iqbal” |
| Kansas | Lauren Marie Hart, Overland Park . Wrote to Janet Lee Carey, author of “Wenny Has Wings” | Hannah Billings, Shawnee. Wrote to Cynthia Lord, author of “Rules” | Jordan Schaper, Olathe. Wrote to Pete Rose, author of “My Prison Without Bars” |
| Kentucky | Brooke C. Stivers, Florence. Wrote to Stephanie S. Tolan, author of “Listen” | Brooke Fox, Louisville. Wrote to Ben Mikaelson, author of “Petey” | Anna Meurer, Danville. Wrote to Mary TallMountain, author of “There Is No word for Goodbye” |
| Louisiana | * Reigner Kane, Lake Charles. Wrote to Brian Jacques, author of the “Redwall” series | Laura Perilloux, Vidalia. Wrote to Sue Monk Kidd, author of “The Secret Life of Bees” | Nicole Nwoha, Ruston. Wrote to Leslie Tisdale, author of “Better Than” |
| Maine | Lucy Sternbach, Camden. Wrote to Cynthia Lord, author of “Rules” | Elyce Oliver, Biddeford Pool. Wrote to Elie Weisel, author of “Night” | Kenyon Fraser, Litchfield. Wrote to James Loewen, author of “Lies My Teacher Told Me” |
| Maryland | * Cameron Fitzgerald, Severna Park. Wrote to Jack London, author of “White Fang” | Solon Snider, Severna Park. Wrote to Dara Horn, author of “The World to Come” | Madeline E. Holland, Bethesda. Wrote to Constantine Cavaty, author of “Ithaca” |
| Massachusetts | Dianne Lee, Newton. Wrote to Trenton Lee Stewart, author of “The Mysterious Benedict Society” | Sara Berliner, Hampden. Wrote to Anne Frank, author of “The Diary of Anne Frank” | Kelly Cormier, Harwich. Wrote to James Frey, author of “A Million Little Pieces” |
| Michigan | Valerie Reeves, Mancelona. Wrote to Erin Hunter, author of “Warriors: Dawn” | Daniel Harrison, Kalamazoo. Wrote to Ben Mikaelsen, author of “Touching Spirit Bear” | * Nilesh Raval, Saginaw. Wrote to Jhumpa Lahiri. Author of “The Namesake” |
| Minnesota | Hannah Klingberg, Blaine. Wrote to Patricia Reilly Giff, author of “Willow Run” | Margarita Rudenko, Minnetonka. Wrote to Jodee Blanco, author of “Please Stop Laughing At Me” | ** Amelia Leuer, St. Michael. Wrote to Linda Pastan, author of the poem “Caroline” |
| Mississippi | Isabella Kinder, Grenada. Wrote to Emily Dickinson, author of “Precious Words” | Chelsea A. Brooks, Brandon. Wrote to Pam Munoz Ryan, author of “Esperanza Rising” | Jamie Truhett, Little Rock. Wrote to Margaret Atwood, author of “The Handmaid’s Tale” |
| Missouri | Meredith Manda, Jefferson City. Wrote to Margaret Peterson Haddix, author of “Uprising” | Joyce Lin, Ballwin. Wrote to Charlotte Bronte, “Jane Eyre” | David Ayrton Lopez, Columbia. Wrote to Junot Diaz, author of “The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao” |
| Montana | Sara Craven, WhitefishWrote to Christopher Paolini, author of “Eragon” | Kira Means. Missoula. Wrote to Sarah Dessen, author of “The Truth About Forever” | Jessica Dringman, Billings. Wrote to Immaculee Ilibagiza, author of “Left to Tell” |
| Nebraska | Ashley Bowen, Bellevue. Wrote to Vicki Myron, author of “Dewey” | Maggie Vinton, North Platte. Wrote to Maureen Johnson, author of “Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes” | Drew Harsin, Blair. Wrote to Wilson Rawls, author of “Where the Red Fern Grows” |
| Nevada | Zoe Ondas, Las Vegas. Wrote to Christopher Pike, author of “Alosha” | MaShyla Lewis, Carson City. Wrote to Laurie Halse Anderson, author of “Speak” | Juchen Jin, Gardnerville. Wrote to Greg Mortenson, “Three Cups of Tea” |
| New Hampshire | Peyton Plante, Pembroke. Wrote to Lois Lowry, author of “Number the Stars” | Merisa Dion, Derry. Wrote to Allen Say, author of “Allison” | Heather Coen, Contoocook. Wrote to Martha Tod Dudman, author of “Augusta Gone” |
| New Jersey | Leigh Deitz, Montville. Wrote to Allan Zuyllo and Mara Bovsun, authors of “Survivors: True Stories of Children in the Holocaust” | Helen Solecki, South Orange. Wrote to Laurie Halse Anderson, author of “Fever 1793” | ** Joshua Tiprigan, Northvale. Wrote to Rudyard Kipling, author ofthe poem “If” |
| New Mexico | Benjamin Brewer, Albuqerque. Wrote to Gary Paulsen, author of “Hatchet” | Savannah Bustillo, Albuquerque. Wrote to Edgar Allen Poe for his poems as published in “Poetry for Young Readers” | Elisa Cedillos, Albuquerque. Wrote to Olive Ann Burns, author of “Cold Sassy Tree” |
| New York | Vanessa Lam-Tran, Poughkeepsie. Wrote to Jeanette Ingold, author of “Mountain Solo” | * Jared Dauman, Chappaqua. Wrote to President Barrack Obama about his speech at the 2004 DNC | Jamie Quinn, Chaffee. Wrote to Stephen Chbosky about “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” |
| North Carolina | ** Taaja Draughn, Windsor. Wrote to Sharon Draper, author of “Forged by Fire” | Claire Cooper, Raleigh. Wrote to Elie Weisel, author of “Night” | Tiffany Edwards, Kenly. Wrote to Melissa Champion, author of “Little Did We Know” |
| North Dakota | Cody Eisenbeisz, Fargo. Wrote to Margaret Peterson Haddix, author of “Found” | * Abby Tillotson, Bismarck. Wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of “Stargirl” | Elise K. Tuntland, Mandan. Wrote to Irene Gut Opdyke, author of “In My Hands” |
| Ohio | Trevor Levin, Cleveland. Wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of “Maniac Magee” | Emily Hansen, Berlin Heights. Wrote to Pam Munoz Ryan, author of “Becoming Naomi León”. | Hannah Weinberger, Pepper Pike. Wrote to Jonathan Safran-Foer, author of “Everything Is Illuminated” |
| Oklahoma | Robert Meszaros, Bartlesville. Wrote to Neal Shusterman, author of “Full Tilt” | Kellan Hostetler, Garber. Wrote to Christopher Paolini, author of “Eragon” | Maegan Womble, Oklahoma City. Wrote to Orson Scott Card, author of “Ender’s Game” |
| Oregon | Ammas Tanveer, Lake Oswego. Wrote to Carl Hiaasen, author of “Hoot” | * Erikka Potts, Portland. Wrote to Dave Pelzer, author of “A Child Called It” | * Y Thien Hoang, Portland. Wrote to Catherine Sager Pringle, author of “Across the Plains in 1844.” |
| Pennsylvania | Aidan Giles, Wyomissing. Wrote to Alfred Lord Tennyson, author of “The Charge of the Light Brigade” | Gregory Miller, Enola. Wrote to Gary Paulsen, author of “Hatchet” | * Xio Torres, Reading. Wrote to Randa Abdel-Fattah, author of “Does My Head Look Big in This?” |
| Rhode Island | Jazz Sussman Moss, East Greenwich. Wrote to Herge, author of the Tintin series | Reilly Hayes, Hope. Wrote to Stephen Colbert, author of “I Am America” | Rebecca Burgess, Providence. Wrote to Lori Gottlieb, author of “Stick Figure” |
| South Carolina | Lauren Humphrey, Kershaw. Wrote to Stephanie Tolan, author of “Listen” | Austin Holder, Greenville. Wrote to Ray Bradbury, author of “Fahrenheit 451” | John Daniel Costello, Pickens. Wrote to Bruce Coville, author of “Aliens Ate my Homework” |
| South Dakota | “No winner select this year” | Erica Endres, Watertown. Wrote to Natasha Friend, author of “Perfect” | Robert Francis, Brookings. Wrote to John Steinbeck, author of “The Grapes of Wrath” |
| Tennessee | **Caroline Hoskins, Memphis. Wrote to to Cynthia Lord, author of “Rules” | J.P.Tyner, Memphis. Wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of “Wringer” and “Crash” | Bowei Deng, Memphis. Wrote to Melba Patillo Beals, author of “Warriors Don’t Cry” |
| Texas | Sophie Muir, Houston. Wrote to Anne Frank, author of “Diary of a Young Girl” | Lydia Liu, Houston. Wrote to Amy Tan, author of “The Joy Luck Club” | * Xinyue Ye, Plano. Wrote to F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of “The Great Gatsby” |
| Utah | Alekh Chapman, Provo. Wrote to Lemony Snicket, author of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” | Nicki Nielsen, Sandy. Wrote to J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter Series | Lizz Graham, Tooele. Wrote to Loung Ung, author of “First They Killed My Father” |
| Vermont | “No winner selected this year” | “No winner selected this year” | “No winner selected this year” |
| Virginia | Jennifer Labovitz, Great Falls. Wrote to Barbara Park, author of “The Graduation of Jake Moon” | Charlotte Keeley, Charlottesville. Wrote to Julie Andrews Edwards, author of “The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles” | Michael Graham, Richmond. Wrote to Mitch Albom, author of “Tuesdays with Morrie” |
| Washington | Laura Claypool, Bellevue. Wrote to Sharon Creech, author of “Bloomability” | Austin Horjus, Vancouver. Wrote to Harper Lee, author of “To Kill a Mockingbird” | Michael Bouterse, Fox Island. Wrote to Sophie Scholl, author of “At the Heart of the White Rose” |
| West Virginia | Mitchell Winkie, Bridgeport. Wrote to L. Frank Baum, author of “The Wizard of Oz” | John Bolton, Grafton. Wrote to Dave Pelzer, author of “A Child Called It” | Taylor Landrie, Alderson. Wrote to William Faulkner, author of “The Sound and the Fury” |
| Wisconsin | Sal Sendik, Fox Point. Wrote to Louis Sachar, author of “Holes” | Hannah Vannieuwenhoven, Green Bay. Wrote to Scott Westerfeld, author of “Uglies” | Jennifer Leffel, Clintonville. Wrote to Lemony Snicket, author of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” |
| Wyoming | Anna Platt, Cheyenne. Wrote to Kate DiCamillo, author of “Because of Winn-Dixie” | Luna S. Wasson, Wilson. Wrote to Art Spiegelman, author of “Maus ” | Brendan Collins, Laramie. Wrote to Ben Mikaelsen, author of “Touching Spirit Bear” |
