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State Winners Letters About Literature 2013
Three National, three National Honor and three National Honorable Mention letters (one in each level) were chosen from the tens of thousands of entries.
Yellow indicates a National Winner Green indicates a National Honor Winner Red indicates a National Honorable Mention Winner
| State | Level I | Level II | Level III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Anna Kate Lembke, Birmingham, wrote to J. K. Rowling about the Harry Potter series | Aniekan-Abasi D. Ruffin, Montgomery, wrote to poet Langston Hughes about “Who You Callin’ Colored?” | Evon Ballard, Montgomery, wrote to S. E. Hinton, author of The Outsiders |
| Alaska | Isabel Powers, Anchorage, wrote to Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games | Isabel Powers, Fairbanks, wrote to Margaret McCullen, author of Source of Light | Donalen Bower, Soldotna, wrote to Patricia McCormick about her novel Cut |
| Arizona | Name withheld pending permission | Name withheld pending permission | Name withheld pending permission |
| Arkansas | Priya Thelapurath, Bentonville, wrote to Jack Gantos, author of Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key | Brooke Fraser, Searcy, wrote to Margaret Peterson Haddix, author of Among the Hidden | Noah Ford, Searcy, wrote to Carl Deuker, author of Gym Candy |
| California | Emily Folkner, Fontana, wrote to Nancy Tillman, author of Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You | Matilda Lin Berke, Pasadena, wrote to Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club | Claire Fieldman, Danville, wrote to Jay Asher, author of Thirteen Reasons Why |
| Colorado | Hillary V. Schiff, Colorado Springs, wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of Stargirl | Lauren Moss, Boulder, wrote to Katie McMenamin about her poem “Into the River” | Faith McKenna, Salida, wrote to Ken Kesey about One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest |
| Connecticut | Non-participating state; no awards given | Non-participating state; no awards given | Non-participating state; no awards given |
| Delaware | Katherine Tamesis wrote to Suzanne Collins, author of Mockingjay | Tanisha Cox, Newark, wrote to James Adoff, author of Names Will Never Hurt Me | Janice Scott wrote to Khaled Hosseini, author of A Thousand Splendid Suns |
| District of Columbia | Alessandra Selassie wrote to Laura Ingalls Wilder about her book Little House in the Big Woods | Ife Calhoun wrote to the authors of The Pact | Diana Hla wrote to Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture |
| Florida | Trishala Kumar, Pembroke Pines, wrote to Yann Martel, author of Life of Pi | Kaylee Ayres, Cape Coral, wrote to Laura Myracle, author of Thirteen—The Winnie Years | Emelita Pupo, Miami, wrote to Ralph Ellison, author of The Invisible Man |
| Georgia | Delaney Moody, Duluth, wrote to Carl Hiaasen about Hoot and his other novels | Avery Herman, Atlanta, wrote to Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird | Chris Anderson, Snellville, wrote to Mayu Shinjo, author of Ai Ore |
| Hawaii | Neah Tassill, Honolulu, wrote to Theodore Taylor, author of The Cay | Katelyn Butcher, Wailuku, wrote to Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games | Casey Asaoka, Honolulu, wrote to Graham Salisbury, author of Under the Blood Red Sun |
| Idaho | Victor Smith, Meridian, wrote to Madeleine L’Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time | Kenadi Swendsen, Middleton, wrote to Kathryn Erskine, author of Mockingbird | Hannah Mahoney, Viola, wrote to authors of all books about her appreciation for literature |
| Illinois | Rose Yuanhong Benas, Naperville, wrote to Stephen W. Mosher, author of A Mother’s Ordeal: One Woman’s Fight Against China’s One-Child Policy | Abigail Rockford, Springfield, wrote to Shermain Joy Lipao about Hope Behind the Shadows of Pain | Emily Waller, Hudson, wrote to Laura Ruby, author of The Wall and the Wing |
| Indiana | Clara Voskuil, Bloomington, wrote to R. J. Palacio, author of Wonder | Nicole Hentrup, Jasper, wrote to Alex Haley, author of Roots | Victoria Lincourtm, Crawfordsville, wrote to Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird |
| Iowa | Aditya Desai, Johnston, Wrote to R. J. Palacio, author of Wonder | Pam Chander, Des Moines, wrote to Suzanne Supple, author of Artichoke’s Heart | Gabrielle Hartman, Muscatine, wrote to Khaled Hosseini, author of A Thousand Splendid Suns. |
| Kansas | Non-participating state; no awards given | Non-participating state; no awards given | Non-participating state; no awards given |
| Kentucky | Summer Mohamed, Glendale, wrote to Gail Carson Levine, author of Fairest | Leila Abou-Jaoude, Lexington, wrote to Katherine Patterson, author of Bridge to Terabithia | Meg Hancock, Paducah, wrote to S. E. Hinton, author of The Outsiders |
| Louisiana | Alexis Laster, Arcadia, wrote to Gary Paulsen, author of Hatchet | Story Frantzen, Lafayette, wrote to John Bul Dau, author of Lost Boy, Lost Girl: Escaping Civil War in Sudan | Catherine Dunlap, Walker, wrote to C. S. Lewis, author of The Magician’s Nephew |
| Maine | Lauren Paradise, Portland, wrote to J. K. Rowling about her novel A Casual Vacancy | Emma Forthofer, Southwest Harbor, wrote to Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower | Maura Perry, Cumberland, wrote to Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower |
| Maryland | Jordan Rose, Chestertown, wrote to Ben Carson, author of Gifted Hands | Elizabeth Macksey, Baltimore, wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of Stargirl | Courtney Sipes, Chestertown, wrote to Jay Asher, author of Thirteen Reasons Why |
| Massachusetts | Dalton Vassallo, Hingham, wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of Stargirl | Rebecca Holloway, Sharon, wrote to John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars | Matt Hemeon, Harwich Port, wrote to Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird |
| Michigan | Kathleen Carroll, Grosse Point Farms, wrote to Joan Bauer, author of Almost Home | Austin Langlinais, Mattawan, wrote to Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird | Ana Mohr, Traverse City, wrote to Shannon Hale, author of Forest Born |
| Minnesota | Sadie Oster, Chaska, wrote to Watty Piper, author of The Little Engine That Could | Sophia Kurowski, Victoria, wrote to Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451 | Amy Sawyer, Shakopee, wrote to Stephen Chobsky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower |
| Mississippi | Maria Kaltchenko, Tupelo, wrote to Charlotte Bronte, author of Jane Eyre | Hannah Saizan, Pass Christian, wrote to Meg Haston, author of How to Rock Braces and Glasses | Annie Hsu , Gulfport, wrote Thomas Hughes, author of Tom Brown’s Schooldays |
| Missouri | Aria Bell, Springfield, wrote to Jordan Sonnenblick, author of After Ever After | Ahmed Elhadi, Columbia, wrote to Alexander Dumas, author of The Count of Monte Cristo | Katheryn Robbins, California, wrote to Kurt Vonnegut, author of Slaughter House Five |
| Montana | Zoe Wilson, Missoula, wrote to Robert McCloskey, author of Blueberries for Sal | Natasha Slotnick, Missoula, wrote to Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird | Name withheld pending permission |
| Nebraska | Sydney Miller, Lincoln, wrote to Sharon Draper, author of Out of My Mind | Shannon Chinn, Omaha, wrote to Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451 | Young-Joon Park , Elkhorn, wrote to Arthur Miller about his play Death of a Salesman |
| Nevada | Briana Virella, Las Vegas, wrote to Kazu Kibuishi, author of Amulet | Brian Lee, Las Vegas, wrote to Mike Lupica, author of Summer Ball | Nikki Hamada, Gardnerville, wrote to Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston, authors of Farewell to Manzanar |
| New Hampshire | Elizabeth Ross, Nashua, wrote to Rick Riordan, author of Son of Neptune | Jillian C. Perriello, Meridan, wrote to Nicholas Sparks, author of The Last Song | Madeline Brown, Lebanon, wrote to Stephen Crane, author of The Red Badge of Courage |
| New Jersey | Jenna Glinko, East Hanover, wrote to Harvey Araton, author of Driving Mr. Yogi | Gavin Lifrieri, Fort Lee, wrote to Sharon Creech , author of Love That Dog | Jennifer Park, Demarest, wrote to An Na, author of A Step From Heaven |
| New Mexico | Arielle Moosman, Ramah, wrote to Dr. Seuss, author of The Lorax | Stella Sandel, Farmington, wrote to Judy Blume, author of Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret | Sarah Ecton, Moriarty, wrote to Nora Baskin, author of Almost Home |
| New York | Kylie Ohmi, New York, wrote to Jerry Spinelli about his book, Love, Stargirl | Kalo Tally, Mount Tremper, wrote to Gary Paulsen, author of The Beet Fields | Seth Calk, Trumansburg, wrote to Katherine Paterson, author of Bridge to Terabithia |
| North Carolina | Zoe Grace Vestal, Apex, wrote to Cynthia Lord, author of Touch Blue | Emma Morris, Rougemont, wrote to Jodi Picoult, author of My Sister’s Keeper | Melissa Burroughs, Charlotte, wrote to Sarah Dessen, author of Just Listen |
| North Dakota | Non-participating state; no awards given | Non-participating state; no awards given | Non-participating state; no awards given |
| Ohio | Abigail McNaughton, Cleveland, wrote to Armstrong Perry, author of Call It Courage | Haya Saadeh, Olmsted Falls, wrote to R. J. Polacio, author of Wonder | Caroline Clauson, Xenia, wrote to Ralph Waldo Emerson about “A Nation’s Strength” |
| Oklahoma | Kelsie Dent, Enid, wrote to Ruth White, author of Belle Prater’s Boy | Gus Kmetz wrote to Terry Prachett, author of Going Postal | Tyana Patterson, Patterson, wrote to Julie Anne Peters, author of Define Normal |
| Oregon | Lucy Dyal, Lake Oswego, wrote to Lois Lowry, author of The Giver | Sylvani Starchild-St. Clair, Eugene, wrote to Suzanne Collins, author of Mockingjay | Chelsea C. Lin, West Linn, wrote to Amy Chua, author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother |
| Pennsylvania | Michaela L. Cameron, Shippensburg, wrote to John F. Wukovits, author of The Importance f Anne Frank | Sophia Paterno, State College | Taylor Grace Bean, Harborcreek, wrote to Laura Halse Anderson, author of Wintergirls |
| Rhode Island | Sokeara Sanford, Wickford, wrote to R. J. Polacio, author of Wonder | Elena Serrano, Barrington, wrote to Alex Haley and Malcolm X, authors of The Autobiography of Malcolm X | Alllison Paul, Pawtucket, wrote to Amy Chua, author of The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother |
| South Carolina | Zauria Manigualt, Columbia, wrote to Eoin Colfer, author of Supernaturalists | Emily Grace Cannon, Anderson, wrote to Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird | Aidan Baxter-Ferguson, Spartanburg, wrote to L. A. Meyer, Bloody Jack |
| South Dakota | Non-participating state; no awards given | Non-participating state; no awards given | Non-participating state; no awards given |
| Tennessee | Ansley Stamper, Memphis, wrote to R. J. Polacio, author of Wonder | Ariel Asher, Murfreesboro, wrote to Orson Scott Card, author of Ender’s Game | Tela Taylor, Memphis, wrote to Kristin Cashore, author of Fire |
| Texas | Neha Gopal, College Station, wrote to Debbie Spring, author of Breathing Soccer | Rachel Boles, Austin, wrote to Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief | Grace Mitchell, Pecos, wrote to Karen Kingsburg, author of Unlocked |
| Utah | Emilie Garcia, Sunset, wrote John Grogan, author of Marley, a Dog Like No Other | Courtney Isom, Sandy, wrote to Tony Abbott, author of Firegirl | Paul Oliver, Lake City, wrote to Bryce Courtney, author of The Power of One |
| Vermont | Non-participating state; no awards given | Non-participating state; no awards given | Non-participating state; no awards given |
| Virginia | Abigail Zhang wrote to Carolyn Keene, author of The Phantom of Pine Hill | Christine Wang, Chantilly, wrote to Gene Luen Yang, author of American Born Chinese | Kathryn DuHadway wrote to Lois Lowry about her novel Number the Stars |
| Washington | Cora Tessaro, Seattle, wrote to Eric Schlosser, author of Chew on This | Julia Batson, Bainbridge, wrote to Randa Abdel-Fattah, author of Ten Things I Hate About Me | Jordyn Tonkinson, Brush Prairie, wrote to Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain |
| West Virginia | Kennah Salmons, Crum, wrote to Lois Lowry, author of Number the Stars | Mckenzi Olonko, Princeton, wrote to James Patterson, author of Witch and Wizard: The Gift | Althea Wheaton, Science Hill, KY, wrote to John Green, author of Looking for Alaska |
| Wisconsin | Olivia Van Hammond, Appleton, wrote to Madeline L’Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time | Katie Branigan, Mequon, wrote to Gail Carson Levine, author of Fairest | Katie Stremcha, Eau Claire, wrote to J. K. Rowling author of The Harry Potter series |
| Wyoming | Kaitlyn Hazen, Encampment, wrote to Kevin Henkes, author of Chrysanthemum | Elizabeth Chambers, Jackson, wrote to J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit | Adrian Cunningham, Cheyenne, wrote to Lisa McMann, author of Cryer’s Cross |
