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2019 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 | Edith Kaplan, Mountain Brook, wrote to Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, author of The War That Saved My Life | Landon Perdue, Montgomery, wrote to Ethan Canin, author of A Doubter's Almanac | Anna Carden, Pelham, wrote to Celeste Ng, author of Everything I Never Told You |
| Alaska | Rylee Novak, Kenai, wrote to Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series | Aicha Kisena, Soldotha, wrote to John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars | William Deering, Anchorage, wrote to Patrick F. McManus, author of the short story “Other Than That, Bostich” |
| Arizona | Makenzie Gutierrez, Chandler, wrote to Tiffany Papageorge, author of My Yellow Balloon | Jeston Zenko, Chandler, wrote to L.M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables | Raelyn Dickinson, Mesa, wrote to R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder |
| Arkansas | Olivia Crum, Searcy, wrote to Kevin Henkes, author of Chrysanthemum | Anna Killins, Searcy, wrote to J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series | Gabrielle Thurman, Pottsville, wrote to Jeanne DuPrau, author of City of Ember |
| California | Neetra Chakraborty, San Ramon, wrote to Alex Gino, author of George | Salma Siddiqui, Los Altos, wrote to Sharon Draper, author of Blended | Julia Green, Santa Rosa, wrote to Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close |
| Colorado | Josie Warren, Littleton, wrote to R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder | No state winner selected this year | Marlena Nava Chorn, Longmont, wrote to Anthony Doerr, author of All the Light We Cannot See |
| Connecticut | Lauren Zhang, Darien, wrote to Ruta Sepetys, author of Salt to the Sea | Sarah Chandler, West Hartford, wrote to Cassandra Clare, author of Clockwork Angel | Geena Kim, Simsbury, wrote to Paul Kalanithi, author of When Breath Becomes Air |
| Delaware | Noah Ramos, Wilmington, wrote to Linda Sue Park, author of A Long Walk to Water | Name Withheld | Caitlin Duffy, Wilmington, wrote to Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea |
| District of Columbia | Ilaria Luna, Washington, wrote to Marsha Skrypuch, author of Stolen Child | Christina Dodd, Washington, wrote to Malala Yousafzai, author of I Am Malala | Max Heimowitz, Washington, wrote to Becky Albertalli, author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda |
| Florida | Oscar Conklin, Newberry, wrote to Beeck Jochen, author of Boeing: Commercial Aircraft Since 1919 | Abigail Cochran, Boca Raton, wrote to Rupi Kaur, author of Milk and Honey | Madison Thompson, Lake Worth, wrote to Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give |
| Georgia | Chas Arnold, Atlanta, wrote to R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder | Olivia Reeder, Roswell, wrote to Rainbow Rowell, author of Fangirl | Alexis Lyle, Stockbridge, wrote to Shane Koyczan, author of the poem “When I Was a Kid” |
| Hawaii | Xander Sanchez, Honolulu, wrote to Theodore Gray, author of The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe | Julia Visaya, Honolulu, wrote to Jenny Han, author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before | Kelci Hooker, Kailua, wrote to Karen Fortunati, author of The Weight of Zero |
| Idaho | No state winner selected this year | Madelyn Connor, Meridian, wrote to R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder | Brynn Barber, Boise, wrote to Tamara Ireland Stone, author of Every Last Word |
| Illinois | Ava Smithwick, Huntley, wrote to Robert Munsch, author of Love You Forever | Sharanya Rao, Hawthorn Woods, wrote to Ali Benjamin, author of The Thing About Jellyfish | Amatullah Mir, Hickory Hills, wrote to Sana Amanat and G. Willow Wilson, authors of the Ms. Marvel series |
| Indiana | Miguel Sebastian, Peru, wrote to Jennifer Nielsen, author of A Night Divided | Yael Epstein, Carmel, wrote to Ayaan Hirsi Ali, author of Infidel | Andrew Roets, Cedar Lake, wrote to Jennifer Cook O'Toole, author of The Asperkid's (Secret) Book of Social Rules: The Handbook of Not-So-Obvious Social Guidelines for Tweens and Teens with Asperger Syndrome |
| Iowa | Olivia Vande Berg, Iowa City, wrote to Lauren Wolk, author of Wolf Hollow | Johnnie Each, Cedar Rapids, wrote to C.S. Lewis, author of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | Lars Andersland, Cedar Rapids, wrote to Bill Watterson, author of The Essential Calvin and Hobbes |
| Kansas | Eddie Strahan-Anderson, Overland Park, wrote to Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series | No state winner selected this year | Grace Wilson, Olathe, wrote to Carrie Young, author of The Wedding Dress |
| Kentucky | Ryan McAfee, Louisville, wrote to Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, author of Making Bombs for Hitler | No state winner selected this year | Nick Schumacher, Louisville, wrote to Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |
| Louisiana | Annika Roberson, New Orleans, wrote to Orson Scott Card, author of Ender's Game | Phoenix Chapital, New Orleans, wrote to Barack Obama, author of Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance | Donovan Turpin, Ruston, wrote to J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series |
| Maine | Maya Faulstich, Yarmouth, wrote to Pam Muñoz Ryan, author of Echo | Zach Vanni, Cumberland, wrote to Marie Lu, author of the Legend series | Yoonseo Lee, Cape Elizabeth, wrote to J.D. Salinger, author of The Catcher in the Rye |
| Maryland | Anthony Charles, Bowie, wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of Maniac Magee | Clara Winkel, Leonardtown, wrote to Portia Nelson, author of the poem “Autobiography in Five Short Chapters” | Esther Kim, Potomac, wrote to Franny Choi, author of the poem “Choi Jeong Min” |
| Massachusetts | Evan Fitzpatrick, Hopkinton, wrote to Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld, authors of Exclamation Mark! | Bezawit O'Neill, Brookline, wrote to Enid Blyton, author of The Faraway Tree | Maya Flowers, Lunenburg, wrote to H.P. Lovecraft, author of the poem “On the Creation of Niggers” |
| Michigan | Sela Losier, Grosse Pointe Farms, wrote to Lynda Mullaly Hunt, author of Fish in a Tree | Emily Liao, Novi, wrote to Amy Chua, author of Battle Hymn of the Mother Tiger | Emily Chung, Milan, wrote to Cynthia Kadohata, author of Kira-Kira |
| Minnesota | Margo Sadler, Eagan, wrote to Margaret Peterson Haddix, author of Among the Hidden | Makayla Persaud, Blaine, wrote to Sharon Huss Roat, author of How to Disappear | Ren Stokesbary, Eagan, wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of the Stargirl series |
| Mississippi | Brody Morgan, Brandon, wrote to Susan Barton, author of the The Barton Reading and Spelling System series | Norah Bruce, Oxford, wrote to Frank Cottrell-Boyce, author of Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth | Victoria Byrd, Gautier, wrote to Maya Angelou, author of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings |
| Missouri | Marin Schaub, Kansas City, wrote to Joan Bauer, author of Hope Was Here | Christopher Liu, Chesterfield, wrote to George Orwell, author of Animal Farm | Audrey Jennings, St. Louis, wrote to Veronica Roth, author of the Divergent series |
| Montana | Lina Sturman, St. Ignatius, wrote to Leon Leyson, author of The Boy on the Wooden Box | Madelena Preston, Fairfield, wrote to Bill Wallace, author of Beauty | Parker Peddicord, Missoula, wrote to Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis |
| Nebraska | Payton Boyer, Alliance, wrote to Michael Rubens, author of Bad Decisions Playlist | Ruby Cunningham, Omaha, wrote to Ishmael Beah, author of A Long Way Gone | Gage Boardman, Waterloo, wrote to Becky Albertalli, author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda |
| Nevada | Robert Chondro, North Las Vegas, wrote to Norton Juster, author of The Phantom Tollbooth | Ellie Lakatos, Las Vegas, wrote to Maya Angelou, author of the poem “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” | Gavin Markovic, Las Vegas, wrote to Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird |
| New Hampshire | Sofia Bergskaug, Brookline, wrote to Sharon Draper, author of Out of My Mind | Madelyn Bergen, Milford, wrote to Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Wintergirls | Nilaani Pazhaniappan, Nashua, wrote to Jennifer Niven, author of All the Bright Places |
| New Jersey | Hannah Castiglione, Chester, wrote to Liz Kessler, author of the Emily Windsnap series | Stevie Sanderson-Bowden, Pennington, wrote to Natalie Babbitt, author of Tuck Everlasting | Rebecca Kilroy, Basking Ridge, wrote to Brian Selznick, author of The Marvels |
| New Mexico | Galen Yane, Albuquerque, wrote to Gordon Korman, author of Schooled | Rowaina Alaini, Albuquerque, wrote to Margarita Engle, author of Enchanted Air | Emily Freeman, Tijeras, wrote to Ned Vizzini, author of It's Kind of a Funny Story |
| New York | Roman Peterson, New York, wrote to William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies | Thea Millenson-Wilens, Mount Tremper, wrote to Gayle Forman, author of If I Stay | Elon Collins, Mt. Vernon, wrote to Morgan Jerkins, author of This Will Be My Undoing |
| North Carolina | Annika Deedy, Summerfield, wrote to William Ernest Henley, author of the poem “Invictus” | Ruby Blue, Weaverville, wrote to Ray Bradbury, author of the short story “The Veldt” | Huda Haque, Morrisville, wrote to Sharon Draper, author of Out of My Mind |
| North Dakota | Jillian Lemer, Bismarck, wrote to Lois Lowry, author of Number the Stars | Julia Presteng, Grafton, wrote to C.S. Lewis, author of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | Jared Bartels, Wahpeton, wrote to Mike Lupica, author of Travel Team |
| Ohio | Evan Kotick, Seville, wrote to Michael Lewis, author of The Blind Side | Leon Wright, Ashville, wrote to Ellen Wittlinger, author of Parrotfish | Tejal Pendekanti, Westlake, wrote to Gloria Anzaldúa, author of the essay “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” |
| Oklahoma | Man Zo, Tulsa, wrote to Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, author of The War That Saved My Life | Ethnie Henderson, Oklahoma City, wrote to Soman Chainani, author of The School for Good and Evil | Tierra Ortiz, Tulsa, wrote to Thalia Chaltas, author of Because I Am Furniture |
| Oregon | Upasya Swarna, Portland, wrote to Sherman Alexie, author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian | Kate Hawley, Corbett, wrote to Karen Hesse, author of Letters From Rifka | Allie Bayer, Boring, wrote to Sarah J. Maas, author of the Throne of Glass series |
| Pennsylvania | Aaron Concepcion, Pittsburgh, wrote to Jonah Winter, author of Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates | Ireland McDyre, State College, wrote to Kameron Hurley, author of The Geek Feminist Revolution | Amaya Dressler, Littlestown, wrote to Marya Hornbacher, author of Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia |
| Rhode Island | Audrey Adams, Providence, wrote to Aaron Becker, author of Journey | Sarah Caldwell, Providence, wrote to Judy Schachner, author of Skippyjon Jones | Gabriella Cunha, Cranston, wrote to R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder |
| South Carolina | Colin Winkler, Spartanburg, wrote to K.A. Holt, author of House Arrest | Josie Miller, Mamor, wrote to Francisco X. Stork, author of The Memory of Light | Danielle Marks, Lexington, wrote to Upile Chisala, author of soft magic |
| South Dakota | Rebekah Sharples-Schmidt, Wakonda, wrote to Mary Pope Osborne, author of the Magic Treehouse series | Andrew Sharples-Schmidt, Wakonda, wrote to C.S. Lewis, author of The Screwtape Letters | No state winner selected this year |
| Tennessee | Ilana Gunther, Bell Buckle, wrote to Cynthia Kadohata, author of Kira-Kira | Celia Poag, Memphis, wrote to Cherie Bennett and Jeff Gottesfeld, authors of A Heart Divided | NaTivia Esson, Memphis, wrote to Nayyirah Waheed, author of the poem “Salt” |
| Texas | Asha Blewett, Plano, wrote to Deborah Ellis, author of Moon at Nine | Danielle Weatherwax, Dallas, wrote to Sarah J. Maas, author of the Throne of Glass series | Evelyn Wilson, Houston, wrote to John Green, author of Turtles All the Way Down |
| Utah | Amelia Conner, Salt Lake City, wrote to Francesca Cavallo, author of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls | No state winner selected this year | Eleda Bryan, Lehi, wrote to Rupi Kaur, author of The Sun and Her Flowers |
| Vermont | India Danyow, Brandon, wrote to Robie H. Harris, author of It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex and Sexual Health | Katherine LeVine, East Dorset, wrote to Jerry Spinelli, author of the Stargirl series | Charlotte Bodin, Middlesex, wrote to Madeline Miller, author of The Song of Achilles |
| Virginia | David de Costa, Alexandria, wrote to Cammie McGovern, author of Just My Luck | Lucy Rowe, Richmond, wrote to Scott Westerfeld, author of Uglies | Stephanie Annis, Woodbridge, wrote to Daniel Keyes, author of Flowers for Algernon |
| Washington | Naomi Ries, Medina, wrote to Lois Lowry, author of Number the Stars | Paige Pinion, Seattle, wrote to Avi, author of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle | Colton Schons, Spokane, wrote to Paul Murray, author of Skippy Dies |
| West Virginia | Name Withheld | Clare Seibert, Wheeling, wrote to Shel Silverstein, author of The Giving Tree | Name Withheld |
| Wisconsin | Elli Johnson, Green Bay, wrote to John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars | Mansi Peters, Schofield, wrote to J.K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Lauren Buffington, Hartland, wrote to Jandy Nelson, author of I'll Give You the Sun |
| Wyoming | Padmalakshmi Ramesh, Laramie, wrote to R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder | Saimaa Widi, Cheyenne, wrote to Olivia Vella, author of the poem “Why Am I Not Good Enough?” | Arundathi Nair, Laramie, wrote to Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist |
