« Back to Letters About Literature
State Winners Letters About Literature 2012
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.
Yellow indicates a national winner Green indicates a national honor winner
| State | Level I | Level II | Level III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Caleb Clarke, Spanish Fort, grade 6, wrote to Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid | Chenna Christoffer, Tuscaloosa, grade 8, wrote to S. E. Hinton, author of The Outsiders | Claudia Mitchell, Huntsville, grade 12, wrote to Gustave Flaubert, author of Madame Bovery |
| Alaska | Kayla Hay, Wrangell, grade xx, wrote to Ruth Minksy Sender, author of The Cage | Diana Lanni, Fairbanks, grade 8, wrote to Robert Service, author of The Three Voices | Heather Parsons, Fairbanks, grade 12, wrote to Isaac Asimov about multiple books he wrote |
| Arizona | Emma McCutchen, Phoenix, grade 6, wrote to Laura Numeroff, author of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie | Camron King, Phoenix, wrote to Hans Christian Anderson, author of The Red Shoes | Allison Hrabar, Tucson, grade 12, wrote to Diane Setterfield, author of the Thirteenth Tale |
| Arkansas | Margaret Lim, Searcy, grade 6, wrote to Sharon Draper, author of Out of My Mind | Abbie Beaver, Hot Springs, grade 8, wrote to George Orwell, author of Animal Farm | Chelsea Osademe, Pine Bluff, grade 11, wrote to Maya Angelou, author of the poem "Still I Rise" |
| California | Elena DeBré, Los Angeles, grade 6, wrote to Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird | Ian Tindel, Newhall, grade 8, wrote to Piers Anthony, author of On a Pale Horse | Ame Chang, Redding, grade 12, wrote to Arthur Conan Doyle, author of A Scandal in Bohemia |
| Colorado | Ainsley Borak, Littleton, grade 5, wrote to Kate DiCamillo, author of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane | Marley Loveman-Brown, Boulder, grade 8, wrote to Kay Thompson, author of Eloise | Hailey Smith, Lafayette, grade 12, wrote to Toni Morrison, author of Beloved |
| Connecticut | Gracie Bisgyer, Lebanon, grade 5, wrote to Peter Reynolds, author of The Dot | Jessica Dillon, Windsor, grade 7, wrote to Gary Paulsen, author of Hatchet | Danni Rini, Vernon, grade 11, wrote to Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Wintergirls |
| Delaware | Michael Jones, Aston, PA (attends school in DE and enter through school), grade 6, wrote to Andrea Warren, author of Surviving Hitler | Amanda Werbrich, Newark, grade 7,wrote to Patti Kelley Criswell, author of Stand Up for Yourself and Your Friends | Marissa Janicki, New Castle, wrote to Mary Oliver, author of the poem “The Journey” |
| District of Columbia | Tori Grifffen, Washington DC, grade 6, wrote to Jennifer L. Holm, author of Trouble with May Amelia | Daphne Wilhelm-Demekas, Washington DC, grade 7, wrote to Anne Frank, author of The Diary of Anne Frank | Alexandra Richardson, Washington DC, grade 9, wrote to Sara Shepard, author of Pretty Little Liars |
| Florida | Chloe Newell, Jacksonville, grade 6, wrote to Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games | Amanda Geary, Southwest Ranches, grade 8, wrote to Lola Jaye, author of By the Time You Read This | Angela Nicole Skidmore, North Lauderdale, grade 11, wrote to Amelia Atwater, author of In the Forests of the Night |
| Georgia | Tekyiah Sandford, Winder, grade 6, wrote to Sharon Flake, author of The Skin I'm In | Matthew Defino, Johns Creek, grade 8, wrote to John L. Parker, Jr., author of Once a Runner | Amber-Nicole Watty, Grantville, grade 12, wrote to Jay Asher, author of Thirteen Reasons Why |
| Hawaii | Summer Mead, Kaunakakai, wrote to James Dasher, author of The Maze Runner | Zachary Trevorrow, Honolulu, grade 8, wrote to Michael Pollen, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma | McKenna Davidson, Kailua Kona, grade 12, wrote to Wangari Maathai, author of Unbowed |
| Idaho | Brilynne Funderburg, Meridian, grade 6, wrote to Christopher Paolini, author of Brisinger (Inheritance series) | Connor Weller, Idaho Falls, grade 7, wrote to Gary Paulsen, author of Dog Song | Ben Shipley, Moscow, grade 10, wrote to Kate DiCamillo, author of The Tale of Despereaux |
| Illinois | Ben Gachpar, Northbrook, grade 6, wrote to Jane Yolen, author of The Devil’s Arithmetic | Kate Wardenburg, Frankfort, grade 8, wrote to Sharon Draper, author of Out of My Mind | Nadeen Shaban, Bridgeview, grade 11, wrote to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. about his “I Have a Dream” speech |
| Indiana | Amanda Mitrovich, Fishers, grade 5, wrote to Kate DiCamillo, author of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane | Dominic Rossi, Zionsville, grade 7, rote to Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs | Paw Soe, Fort Wayne, grade 10, wrote to Cynthia Kadahota, author of Kira-Kira |
| Iowa | Waytt Johnson, Des Moines, grade 6, wrote to S. E. Hinton, author of The Outsiders | Bekah Bass, Cedar Falls, grade 7, wrote to J. K. Rowling about her Harry Potter series | Diana Zhang, Ames, grade 11, wrote to Catherynne Valente, author of The Orphan’s Tales |
| Kansas | Bailey Jackson, Lakin, grade 5, wrote to Ann Haywood Leal, author of Also Known as Harper | Abigail Taylor, Iola, grade 8. Author’s name and book title withheld by request of Ms. Taylor. | Kylie Burnham, Augusta, grade 9, wrote to Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series |
| Kentucky | William Pumphrey, Shelbyville, grade 6, wrote to Wilson Rawls, author of Where the Red Fern Grows | Amina Shale, Louisville, grade 8, wrote to Terry Dykstra, author of This Little Light of Mine: Letters to my Grandchildren | Dahntel Newsome, Louisville, grade 11, wrote to Sanyika Shakur, author of Monster: Autobiography of an L. A. Gang Member |
| Louisiana | Ella Frantzen, Lafayette, grade 5, wrote to Fred Gipson, author of Old Yeller | Imogen Hoffman, Gretna, grade 7, wrote to Avi, author of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle | Lea Trusty, Saint Rose, grade 12, wrote to Jane Austen, author of Pride and Prejudice |
| Maine | Leigh Brooks, Brooklyn, grade 6, wrote to Tamora Pierce about multiple books she wrote | Patience Rousseau, Lewiston, grade 7, wrote to Ann Martin, author of the Main Street series | Sarah Huber, Scarborough, grade 10, wrote to Ann M. Martin, author of the Main Street series |
| Maryland | Jisoo Choi, Ellicott City, grade 6, wrote to Joan M. Wolf, author of Someone Named Eva | Claire Jenkins, Olney, grade 7, wrote to Watty Piper, author of The Little Engine That Could | Adam Antoszewski, Baltimore, grade 11, wrote to Hermann Hesse, author of Siddhartha |
| Massachusetts | Mira Plante, Middleton, grade 4, wrote to Rick Riordan, author of The Lightning Thief | Javon Taylor, Cambridge, grade 8, wrote to Rick Riordan, author of The Lightning Thief | Annie Schnitzer, Boston, grade 10, wrote to Elie Wiesel, author of Night |
| Michigan | Haley Powell, Farmington Hills, grade 6, wrote to Lemony Snicket, author of A Series of Unfortunate Events | Tucker Drew, Bloomfield Hills, grade 8, wrote to Magnus Enzensberger, author of The Number Devil | Kate Stanloski, Allegan, grade 12, wrote to J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series |
| Minnesota | Grace Hoagland, Montrose, grade 6, wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of Maniac Magee | Will Kaback, St. Louis Park, grade 8, wrote to Cornelia Funke, author of Inkheart | Alexandra McLaughlin, Minneapolis, grade 12, wrote to Tim O’Brien, author of The Things They Carried |
| Mississippi | Kennedy Rodgers, Gautier, grade 5, wrote to Rachel Renee Russell, author of Dork Diaries | Camryn Cabral, Pearl, grade 8, wrote to Allyson Condie, author of Matched | Courtney Sims, Natchez, grade 12, wrote to Saphire Fulton, author of Push |
| Missouri | Carson Fink, Springfield, grade 5, wrote to Andrew Peterson, author of On the Edge of the Sea of Darkness | Alison Tielking, Creve Coeur, grade 8, wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of Stargirl | Izaak Mohling, Jerico Springs, grade 11, wrote to Betty Smith, author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn |
| Montana | Ella Hanson, Conrad, grade 6, wrote to Jean Merill, author of The Toothpaste Millionaire | Sarah Ward, Big Fork, grade 8, wrote to Katherine Hannigan, author of Ida B. | Jaylen Country, Poplar, grade 10, wrote to Sophocles, author of Oedipus the King (pp 6-7) |
| Nebraska | Ethan Vanneman, Lincoln, grade 6, wrote to Gary Paulsen, author of The Legend of Bass Reeves | Marin Harrington, Omaha, grade 7, wrote to Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help | Arash Hamidi, Omaha, grade 11, wrote to Maya Angelou, author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings |
| Nevada | Alex Lopez, Las Vegas, grade 6, wrote to John Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas | Morgan Gaddis, Las Vegas, grade 8, wrote to Sue Lueck Carlson, author of the poem “God’s Grace Abounds” | Jessica Rearich, Las Vegas, 12, wrote to Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower |
| New Hampshire | Jaden Carrier, Hollis, grade 6, wrote to David Lubar, author of My Rotten Life, Nathan Abercrombie Accidental Zombie | Isabelle Todd, Durham, grade 8, wrote to Natsha Friend, author of Perfect | Christopher Maloney, Manchester, grade 12, wrote to Christopher Paolini, author of Eragon |
| New Jersey | Daniel Biimyrzaeva , Hamburg, grade 6, wrote to Wilhelm, author of The Revealers | Jennifer Park, Demarest, grade 8, wrote to Katherine Paterson, author of Jacob Have I Loved | Ida Behreini, Bayonne, grade 9, wrote to Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games |
| New Mexico | Nyah Trujjillo, Albuquerque, grade 5, wrote to Lois Lowry, author of Number the Stars | Kayleigh Warren, Espanola, grade 8, wrote to Sherman Alexie, author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian | Clarisa Anello, Albuquerque, grade 11, wrote to Dr. Seuss, author of Fox in Socks |
| New York | Anisha Kasi, New City, grade 5, wrote to Brian Selznick, author of Wonderstruck | Melissa Helm, Getzville, grade 8, wrote to Jodi Picoult, author of Handle with Care | Robert Glover, Port Crane, grade 12, wrote to Margie Palatini, author of Piggie Pie! |
| North Carolina | Evan Muir, Clemmons, grade 5, wrote to Eleanor Davis, author of The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook | Ruthie Morton, Saluda, grade 7, wrote to Shel Silverstein, author of The Giving Tree | Alex White, Newton, grade 10, wrote to Walter Payton, author of Never Die Easy |
| North Dakota | Braxtyn Braun, Dickinson, grade 4, wrote to Patricia Polacco, author of Pink and Say | Anna Hantke, Bismarck, grade 7, wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of Smiles to Go | Allison Keller, Bismarck, grade 12, wrote to Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games |
| Ohio | Erica Langan, Cincinnati, grade 6, wrote to Emily Dickinson about her poem “I’m Nobody, Who Are You?” | Natalie Keyes, Columbus, grade 7, wrote to Isaac Asimov, author of Eyes Do More than See | Audrey Coble, Gahanna, grade 12, wrote to Chuck Palahniuk, author of the Fight Club |
| Oklahoma | Grace Emerick, Jenks, grade 6, wrote to C. S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia | Payton Roberts, Rush Springs, grade 8, wrote to Craig Conrad, author of Unstoppable | Rachel Wood, Warr Acres, grade12, wrote to Homer about his work The Odyssey |
| Oregon | Sinead Pyle, Ashland, grade 6, wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of Stargirl | Ella Beaver, Portland, grade 8, wrote to A.A. Milne, author of Winnie the Pooh | Lucia Hadella, Talent, grade 12, wrote to Derrick Jensen, author of A Language Older than Words |
| Pennsylvania | Joey Feffer, State College, grade 6, wrote to Robert Frost, author of “The Road Not Taken” | Emma Casey, Allentown, grade 8, wrote to Rick Riordan, author of The Lightning Thief | Jordyn Donnelly, Newville, grade 9, wrote to Jodi Picoult, author of My Sister’s Keeper |
| Rhode Island | Violet Shakers, Greenville, grade 5, wrote about The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous | Jack Troiano, Barrington, grade 7, wrote to Jon Krakauer, author of Where Men Win Glory | Rachael Minassian, Cranston, grade 9, wrote to Adam Bagdasarian, author of Forgotten Fire |
| South Carolina | Mikayla Zwerdling, Greenville, grade 6, wrote to Dan Brown, author of The DaVinci Code | Gina Joerger, Simpsonville, grade 7, wrote to Chris Crowe, author of Mississippi Trial 1955 | Kristyn Robinson, Greer, grade 10, wrote to Elizabeth Gaskell, author of North and South |
| South Dakota | Tammy Stahl, Tabor, grade 6, wrote to Hilda Stahl, author of Sadie Rose and the Outlaw Rustlers | Sofia Haan, Sioux Falls, grade 7, wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of Stargirl | Annie S. Piekkola, Belle Fourche, grade 12, wrote to J. D. Salinger, author of The Catcher in the Rye |
| Tennessee | Haley Wright, Murfreesboro, grade 6, wrote to Edgar Allen Poe, about his o]poem “Annabel Lee” | Kara Delbridge, Murfreesboro, grade 8, wrote to Margaret Wise Brown, author of Goodnight Moon | Daniel Zuo, Memphis, grade 11, wrote to Theodore Geisel, author of The Cat in the Hat |
| Texas | Garrett Morris, Flower Mound, grade 6, wrote to Micchael Hingson, author of Thunder Dog | Margaret Clement, San Antonio, grade 7, wrote to Elinor Pinczes, author of A Remainder of One | Caroline Meyerson, Bellaire, grade 12, wrote to Shel Silverstein, author of The Giving Tree |
| US Virgin Islands | No winners selected this year | No winners selected this year | No winners selected this year |
| Utah | Emily Langie, Sandy, grade 5, wrote toLemony Snicket, author of The Bad Beginning | Everest Fang, Cottonwood Heights, grade 8, wrote to Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air | Jessica Morrill, Riverton, grade 12, wrote to J.K. Rowling for her series of Harry Potter books |
| Vermont | Carleigh Baird, Waitsfield, grade 6, wrote to Erin Hunter, author of Into the Wild | Chayla Hotch, Brattleboro, grade 7, wrote to Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird | Abigail Storm, Brattleboro, grade 12, wrote to Tamora Pierce about her body of work |
| Virginia | George Lorenze, McLean, grade 6, wrote to Maya Angelou, author of the poem “On the Pulse of Morning” | Jonathan Corbin, Palymra, grade 7, wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of Wringer | Kolleen Metzger, Vienna, grade 11, wrote to Brian Jacques, author the Redwall series |
| Washington | Clare Doran, Seattle, grade 6, wrote to Jamie Ford, author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet | Samantha Smith, Port Townsend, grade 8, wrote to Julie Ann Peters, author of Keeping You a Secret | Oliver Reed, Spokane, grade 10, wrote to William Ernest Henley, author of Invictus |
| West Virginia | Darius Atefat-Peckham, Huntington, grade 5, wrote to Mark Doty, author of Dog Years | Ryan Kirby, Grafton, grade 8, wrote to Reggie “Fieldy” Arviz, author of Got the Life: My Journey of Addiction, Faith, Recovery, and Korn | Lee Mendenhall, Wheeling, Grade 12, wrote to Drew Brees, author of Coming Back Stronger |
| Wisconsin | Paige Neumeyer, Green Bay, Grade 6, wrote to Ruth Krauss, author of A Carrot Seed | Charlie Mellin, Milwaukee, grade 7, wrote to Carli Hiaasen, author of Hoot | Laura Wetzel, Stevens Points, grade 12, wrote to Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist |
| Wyoming | Grace Nightengale, Laramie, grade 6, wrote to Dan Pobolocki, author of The Nightmarys | Bailey Guernsey, Gillette, grade 7, wrote to Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games | Sarah Shafer, Big Piney, grade 10, wrote to David McCasland, author of Eric Liddell: Pure Gold |
