1900 Kanawha Blvd

Funding for this project is provided by the Library Services and Technology Act administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the West Virginia Library Commission.

1900 Kanawha Blvd. E.

Charleston, WV 25305

Telephone: 304.558.3978 or 800.642.9021

Fax: 304.558.1612

FOR RELEASE:

12:00 p.m. EDT, Monday

September 1, 2008

Lori Smuthkochorn

Communications–Public Information Specialist

West Virginia Library Commission

(304) 558-2534 / lori@wvlc.lib.wv.us

West Virginia Center for the Book Announces a Call for Student Entries in National Reading and Writing Contest

State and National Winners Will Be Selected; National Winners Will Earn a $10,000 Reading Promotion Grant for Their Community or School Library

Charleston, W.Va. – Have you ever read a book that changed your life? Has some author’s words touched you in such a personal way, altering how you view your world or yourself? If so, the Library of Congress wants to hear all about it!

Letters About Literature is a national reading and writing promotion program for young readers in grades 4 through 12, sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in partnership with Target and sponsored locally by the West Virginia Center for the Book. To enter, readers write a personal letter to an author, explaining how his or her work changed their view of the world or themselves. Young readers can select authors from any genre—fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic.

Judges representing each state center for the book will select the top essayists in the state on three competition levels: Level I for young readers in grades 4 through 6; Level II for grade 7 and 8 readers, and Level III, for readers in grades 9 through 12. Entries will be assessed on three criteria: content, or the writer’s achievement in addressing the contest theme; exposition, or the writer’s use of language skills; and voice, the writer’s style and originality of expression.

Top honors on the state level each receive a cash award as well as a $50 Target GiftCard. Each state winner will then advance to the national competition. A panel of judges for the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress will then select six national winners (two per competition level) and 12 national runners-up (four per competition level). Each national winner will receive a $500 Target

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West Virginia Center for the Book Announces a Call for Student Entries

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GiftCard. In addition, they will win a Reading Promotion Grant of $10,000 for their school or community library. National winners will be instrumental in deciding how the library funds will be spent. The 12 national runners-up will win a $100 Target GiftCard, plus they will win a Reading Promotion Grant of $1,000 for their school or community library.

“To be able to give such a generous gift to his or her hometown or school library is an empowering experience for a young person,” said Catherine Gourley, L.A.L.’s national project director. “The goal of these grants is not only to recognize our young readers but also to bring personal reading experiences to other young people across the country.”

L.A.L. is one of the Center for the Book’s most successful literacy programs for adolescents. Last year, more than 55,000 young people from across the nation entered the competition. “Yes, we do read every one of those letters!” Gourley insisted. “Some are very moving, very personal. The competition is pretty stiff.” Letters that summarize the plot or are nothing more than fan letters are eliminated during the first round of judging, Gourley explained.

Deadline for entries is December 6, 2008.

To obtain the required entry coupon and a copy of the “how to enter” guidelines, young readers can contact lori@wvlc.lib.wv.us, visit the West Virginia Center for the Book website, www.wvcenterforthebook.lib.wv.us, or the Letters About Literature webpage at the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/letters. L.A.L. also offers free teaching materials to schools, libraries and home school partnerships, including lesson plans, blackline masters, writing samples and assessment checklists. These, too, are available by contacting the program director at lal@epix.net.

Target Stores, along with its parent company Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT), gives back more than $2 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs

The Center for the Book was established in 1977 as a public-private partnership to use the resources of the Library of Congress to stimulate public interest in books and reading. For information about its activities and national reading promotion networks, visit www.loc.gov/cfbook.

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West Virginia Center for the Book Announces a Call for Student Entries

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About the West Virginia Center for the Book www.wvcenterforthebook.lib.wv.us

Established in 2001 as an affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, the West Virginia Center for the Book celebrates the rich literary heritage of West Virginia through its projects and programs. It is hosted by the West Virginia Library Commission in partnership with the West Virginia Humanities Council and is located in Charleston, West Virginia.

For additional information about the program in West Virginia, contact WVCFTB Coordinator Karen Goff at 304-558-3978.

About the West Virginia Library Commission http://librarycommission.lib.wv.us

The mission of the West Virginia Library Commission is to promote, assist, and support the development of effective and efficient library services that ensure all citizens in the state access to the highest quality library services and information resources to meet their needs.

For further information, please contact: Karen Goff, Library Development/Communications Director at the West Virginia Library Commission, 1900 Kanawha Blvd. E., Charleston, 1.800.642.9021 option #2 or 304.558.3978.

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