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2017 State Winners
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 winner of the National Prize; Blue indicates winner of a National Honor Award.
| State | Level I | Level II | Level III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Julia Fleming, Arab, wrote to Blaine Harden, author of Escape from Camp 14: One Man’s Remarkable Odyssey From North Korea to Freedom in the West | Zoe McCrear, Mount Olive, wrote to Maya Angelou, author of the poem “Still I Rise” | Micah Williams, Montgomery, wrote to Harper Lee, author of Go Set a Watchman |
| Alaska | Abigail McMahan, Anchorage, wrote to Sharon M. Draper, author of Out of My Mind | Sophie O’Brien, Wrangell, wrote to Grace Lin, author of Where the Mountain Meets The Moon | Abigail FitzGibbon, Sitka, wrote to Shira Glassman, author of The Second Mango |
| Arizona | Jolie Cowing, Gilbert, wrote to Dr. Seuss, author of The Sneetches | Isabel Love, Phoenix, wrote to R. J. Palacio, author of Wonder | Nicole Gehret, Chandler, wrote to Jhumpa Lahiri, author of The Namesake |
| Arkansas | Winston Bounsavy, Rogers, wrote to Margaret Peterson Haddix, author of Among the Free | Lacambria Thompson, Blytheville, wrote to Sharon Flake, author of The Skin I’m In | Maggie Xu, Jonesboro, wrote to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of The Little Prince |
| California | Anika Bastin, Sunnyvale, wrote to Avi, author of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle | Nishita Belur, Santa Clara, wrote to Johanna Spryri, author of Heidi | Kyle Wang, Saratoga, wrote to Junot Díaz, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao |
| Colorado | Emilie Zofia, Denver, wrote to Pam Muñoz Ryan, author of Esperanza Rising | Elliotte Muir, Boulder, wrote to Tyler Hamilton, author of The Secret Race | Lainey Orr, Littleton, wrote to Franz Kafka, author of “The Metamorphosis” |
| Connecticut | Casey Campellone, Vernon, wrote to John Lewis, author of March |
Hope McCann, Windsor, wrote to Sharon Draper, author of Out of My Mind | Maggie Veronesi, Andover, wrote to Erich Maria Remarque, author of All Quiet on the Western Front |
| Delaware | Natalie Lewis, Camden, wrote to Malala Yousafzai, author of I Am Malala | Trent Sapna, Lewes, wrote to Ray Lewis, author of Ray Lewis: I Feel Like Going On | Lucas Cook, Wilmington, wrote to Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird |
| District of Columbia | Campbell McHale, District of Columbia, wrote to Sharon Draper, author of Copper Sun | Timia Shaffer, District of Columbia, wrote to John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars | Lekable Abul, District of Columbia, wrote to Frederick Douglass, author of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass |
| Florida | Danae Rose Georgiadis, Doral, wrote to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of The Little Prince | Julia Gonnello, Jupiter, wrote to Jandy Nelson, author of I’ll Give You The Sun | Gabriela Blanco, Miami, wrote to George Orwell, author of Animal Farm |
| Georgia | Jack Wagreich, Atlanta, wrote to Roland Smith, author of Peak | Grace Schultz, Alpharetta, wrote to Stan Lee, author of various Marvel Comics series | Jennifer Zhao, Alpharetta, wrote to Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, author of Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window |
| Hawaii | Alyss Valerio, Kailua, wrote to James Patterson, author of I Funny: A Middle School Story | Milia McCoy, Honolulu, wrote to Garth Stein, author of Art of Racing in the Rain | Mia Kuromaru, Honolulu, wrote to Elie Wiesel, author of Night |
| Idaho | Chief Allan, Coeur d’Alene, wrote to George Orwell, author of 1984 | Harrison B. Baker, Post Falls, wrote to Howard Schultz and Rajiv Chandrasekaran, author of For Love of Country | Sabrina Zerrade, Boise, wrote to Chinua Achebe, author of When Things Fall Apart |
| Illinois | Veronica Regelbrugge, Sugar Grove, wrote to Wendy Mass, author of A Mango Shaped Space | Josie Arnold, Mettawa, wrote to Jennifer Niven, author of All the Bright Places | Keeley Logsdon, Petersburg, wrote to Kathryn Stockett author of The Help |
| Indiana | Nithya Murthy, Fishers, wrote to Gloria Whelan, author of Listening for Lions | Yael Cohen, Indianapolis, wrote to Malala Yousafzai, author of I Am Malala | Bronwynn Woodsworth, Indianapolis, wrote to Ivan V. Lalić, author of the poem “Places We Love” |
| Iowa | Josie Boyle, Peosta, wrote to Katherine Paterson, author of The Same Stuff as Stars | Luke Strawn, Clive, wrote to James Dashner, author of The Eye of Minds | Hannah Huang, Ames, wrote to Betty Smith, author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn |
| Kansas | Geesha Jayasuriya, Lenexa, wrote to Norton Juster, author of The Phantom Tollbooth | No state winner selected this year | No state winner selected this year |
| Kentucky | Lily Jasper, Shelbyville, wrote to S. E. Hinton, author of The Outsiders | Christopher Martin, Mt. Washington, wrote to Roald Dahl, author of The BFG | Deeya Patel, Hopkinsville, wrote to F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby |
| Louisiana | Zelia Lurch, New Orleans, wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of Stargirl | Olivia Bell, New Orleans, wrote to Ingri and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire, authors of D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths | Jessica Xu, Metairie, wrote to Daniel Keyes, author of Flowers for Algernon |
| Maine | Macy Young, York, wrote to Jacqueline Woodson, author of Brown Girl Dreaming | Digby Roberts, South Portland, wrote to Bill Konigsberg, author of Openly Straight | Grace Roberts, South Portland, wrote to Charles Bukowski, author of The People Look Like Flowers At Last |
| Maryland | Tori Delaine Johnson, Bowie, wrote to Natasha Tarpley, author of I Love My Hair! | Salihah Aakil, Silver Spring, wrote to Warsan Shire, author of the poem “Ugly” | Angela Estavillo, Nottingham, wrote to Richard Lewis, author of The Killing Sea |
| Massachusetts | Owen Fitzpatrick, Hopkinton, wrote to Charles Dickens, author of A Christmas Carol | Nick Williams, Marblehead, wrote to Jay Asher, author of Thirteen Reasons Why | Oliver Bentley, Brookline, wrote to Cristina García, author of Dreaming in Cuban |
| Michigan | Claire Juip, Grosse Pointe, wrote to R. J. Palacio, author of Wonder | Maria Cheriyan, Farmington Hills, wrote to Ruta Sepetys, author of Salt to the Sea | Kathryn Marentette, Middleville, wrote to Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace |
| Minnesota | Ava Kaydea, Richfield, wrote to Hilary McKay, author of Lulu and the Hamster in the Night | Charlotte Morrison, Hopkins, wrote to Judy Blume, author of Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret | Chava Bouchard, Bloomington, wrote to Judy Blume, author of Forever |
| Mississippi | Aislynn McCarron, Brandon, wrote to Gayle Forman, author of If I Stay | Kate Dickerson, Starkville, wrote to Sarah Thebarge, author of The Invisible Girls | Skyler Turner, Ecru, wrote to Alex Sanchez, author of The God Box |
| Missouri | Hadley Marion Cline, Maryville, wrote to Beth Vrabel, author of Pack of Dorks | Sam Opinsky, Chesterfield, wrote to Sharon Draper, author of Out of My Mind | Brice Jansen, Leopold, wrote to Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the Little House series |
| Montana | Jessica Lynn Kelly, Dillon, wrote to Ed Dodge, author of Dau | Alexandra Madsen, Great Falls, wrote to Marina Gessner, author of The Distance From Me To You | Danika Firth, Missoula, wrote to Chris Colfer, author of Land of Stories |
| Nebraska | Caleb Hamilton, Falls City, wrote to John David Anderson, author of Minion | Ethan Morrow, Omaha, wrote to Andy Weir, author of The Martian | Matthew Heaney, Omaha, wrote to Theodore Gray, author of The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom of the Universe |
| Nevada | Elise Choi, Las Vegas, wrote to Kate Douglas Wiggin, author of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm | Charlotte Thaler, Las Vegas, wrote to Rupi Kaur, author of Milk and Honey |
Apoorva Chauhan, Las Vegas, wrote to Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower |
| New Hampshire | Isabella Reichard, Brookline, wrote to Esther Earl, author of This Star Won’t Go Out | Megan McLaughlin, Hollis, wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of Stargirl | Kaiden Gilbert, Alton, wrote to Gary Paulsen, author of Harris and Me |
| New Jersey | Mark Leschinsky, Mahwah, wrote to Lisa Genova, author of Still Alice | Corinne Coakley, Pennington, wrote to Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain | Julia Dobel, Kenilworth, wrote to Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief |
| New Mexico | Raven Callaway-Kidd, Santa Fe, wrote to Holly Schindler, author of The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky | Natashia McDonald, Folsom, wrote to John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars | Rebekah R. Hildebrant, San Miguel, wrote to Rick Riordan, author of The Lightning Thief and The House of Hades |
| New York | Odelya Bergner-Phillips, New York City, wrote to Lois Lowry, author of Number the Stars | Mika Langel, Great Neck, wrote to Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451 | Madison Mangogna, Great Neck, wrote to Etunia Bauer Katz, author of Our Tomorrows Never Came |
| North Carolina | Elizabeth Blair, Charlotte, wrote to Raquel J. Palacio, author of Wonder | Sage Rowe, Mills River, wrote to Cheryl Willis Hudson, author of Bright Eyes Brown Skin | Benjamin S. Warlick, Black Mountain, wrote to Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed |
| North Dakota | Lola Dendy, Bismarck, wrote to Kristin Levine, author of The Lions of Little Rock | Ashlynn Mitzel, Bismarck, wrote to J. K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Alaijah Reiswig, Minot, wrote to Ellen Hopkins, author of Impulse |
| Ohio | Qiwen Wu, Cleveland, wrote to Thanhha Lai, author of Inside Out and Back Again | Alexander (“Xander”) Shaffer, Canton, wrote to Rick Riordan, author of The Lightning Thief | Sandy Shen, Solon, wrote to Arthur Miller, author Death of a Salesman |
| Oklahoma | Jake Stalb, Tulsa, wrote to R. J. Palacio, author of Wonder | Jose Duarte, Oklahoma City, wrote to Jack London, author of The Call of the Wild | Madison Gwartney, Hammon, wrote to Tamara Ireland Stone, author of Every Last Word |
| Oregon | Rishab Jain, Portland, wrote to Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma | Bridget McMurray, Portland, wrote to Gloria Whelan, author of Homeless Bird | Anita Ruangrotsakun, Portland, wrote to Victor Hugo, author of Les Misérables |
| Pennsylvania | Lydia Floreck, Gettysburg, wrote to Susan Cain, author of Quiet Power | Madison A. Kelleher, Montoursville, wrote to Robert Munsch, author of Love You Forever | Hailey Cross, Scottdale, wrote to James Hurst, author of “The Scarlet Ibis” |
| Rhode Island | Kendal Bazerman, Barrington, wrote to R. J. Palacio, author of Wonder | Arya Patel, Bellingham, wrote to Carli Lloyd, author of When Nobody Was Watching | A. Steinmetz, Cranston, wrote to Leigh Bardugom author of Six of Crows |
| South Carolina | Emma Tiberian, Mount Pleasant, wrote to Rodman Philbrick, author of Freak the Mighty | Emily Yi, Greenville, wrote to Sharon Creech, author of Walk Two Moons | Madeline G. Wilder, Winnsboro, wrote to F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby |
| South Dakota | No state winner selected this year | No state winner selected this year | No state winner selected this year |
| Tennessee | Sari Richmond, Memphis, wrote to Malala Yousafzai, author of I Am Malala | Sofia Tomov, Knoxville, wrote to Margot Lee Shetterly, author of Hidden Figures | Eva Winfrey, Memphis, wrote to Michelle Levy, author of Not After Everything |
| Texas | Celina Prieur, Dallas, wrote to Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time | Cynthia N. Onyiorah, McAllen, wrote to Jodi Picoult, author of Nineteen Minutes | Isabel Hu, League City, wrote to Barbara Kingsolver, author of The Poisonwood Bible |
| Utah | Molly Friedman, Park City, wrote to Karen Levine, author of Hana’s Suitcase | Kylee Vandecar, Draper, wrote to John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars | Elizabeth Love, Salt Lake City, wrote to Walt Whitman, author of the poem “A Child Said, What Is the Grass?” |
| Vermont | Cariah Rosberg, Middlesex, wrote to Dave Ramsey, author of The Total Money Makeover | Eva Frazier, Hinesburg, wrote to Anne Frank, author of The Diary of a Young Girl | Maggie Kirby, Montpelier, wrote to Emma Cline, author of The Girls |
| Virginia | Fatima Mouslik, Arlington, wrote to Anne Frank, author of The Diary of Anne Frank | Jocelyn Yee, Ashburn, wrote to Jane Austen, author of Sense and Sensibility | Samantha Lynn Kiss, Chesapeake, wrote to David Levithan, author of Boy Meets Boy |
| Washington | Mia Widrow, Olympia, wrote to Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of Little House on the Prairie | Annabelle Melton, Amboy, wrote to John Green, author of Looking for Alaska | Julia Wang, Sammamish, wrote to Rudolfo Anaya, author of Bless Me, Ultima |
| West Virginia | Kiersten Lauerman, Hurricane, wrote to John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars | Annabelle Blosser, Wheeling, wrote to Julie Murphy, author of Dumplin’ | Sydnie Knafla, Charles Town, wrote to Jay Asher, author of Thirteen Reasons Why |
| Wisconsin | Allison Frangiskakis, Wausau, wrote to Jennifer A. Nielsen, author of A Night Divided | Abbey Scott, Oostburg, wrote to Geri Vistein, author of I Am Coyote | Olivia Fox, La Crosse, wrote to Barbara Kingsolver, author of The Poisonwood Bible |
| Wyoming | Connor Klindt, Afton, wrote to Robin Waterfield and Kathryn Waterfield, authors of Who Was Alexander the Great? | Kris Balstad, Thermopolis, wrote to J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series | Arundathi Nair, Laramie, wrote to Yassmin Abdel-Magied, author of Yassmim’s Story |
