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Letters About Literature Essay Contest for Grades 4-12,
1998 Winners

Level One Winner:
Anthony Ramirez's Letter to Patricia Beckham and Marietta Biddle About Their Book Dyslexia Training Program Student's Book

Level Two Winner:
Andrea Kennedy's Letter to Alan Lightman About His Book Einstein's Dreams

List of 1998 Winners and Semi-Finalists

Andrea Kennedy, a ninth-grade student at Bedford Jr. High School in Bedford, and Anthony Ramirez, a sixth-grade student at Oliveira Middle School in Brownsville, were the 1998 Texas winners in the Letters About Literature Contest sponsored by the Library of Congress’ Center for the Book, Weekly Reader Corporation, the Texas Center for the Book at the Dallas Public Library, and Texas Association of School Librarians.

Andrea, the Level 2 winner, and Anthony, the Level 1 winner, wrote letters to authors of books that had somehow changed their lives. The two read their letters at the meeting of the Texas Association of School Librarians in San Antonio on April 2.

Andrea Kennedy’s letter was to author Alan Lightman about his book Einstein’s Dreams. Anthony Ramirez’s letter was to Patricia Beckham and Marietta Biddle, authors of the Dyslexia Training Program Student's Book, and to those who developed the Scottish Rite process for learning to read. Andrea’s essay revolved around the philosophical questions raised in the book, while Anthony’s essay told of how the book helped him learn to read despite his dyslexia.

Each winner received a $100 prize, as well as the trip to San Antonio to present the essays. First runner-up in the Level 1 division was Willa Kramer of Dripping Springs who wrote her letter to Cynthia Voight about the book The Runner.

Texas had the largest number of entries in the country in the 1998 Letters About Literature Contest. In grades 4-7, there were 1,668 entries and in the 8-12 grade level, there were 516 entries. See the complete list of 1998 Winners and Semi-Finalists.

For more information, contact Marcia Trent, Texas Center for the Book, 214-670-7818.

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