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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">The 2009 Letters
About Literature reading and writing contest has begun!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center">Download the
guidelines/entry coupon at: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><a href="http://www.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/pdf/lal-2008-entry-guidelines.pdf">http://www.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/pdf/lal-2008-entry-guidelines.pdf</a>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, in
partnership with Target Stores and in cooperation with affiliate state centers
for the book, invites readers in grades 4 through 12 to participate in Letters
About Literature, a national reading-writing contest. To enter, readers
write a personal letter to an author (living or dead) explaining how that
author's work changed the student's way of thinking about the world or themselves.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I'm attaching the guidelines and entry form for you to
download and print for the students you work with. The deadline is <b style=""><span style="color: red;">December 6, 2008</span></b>.
Contest details, teachers' resources, and past winning letters are
available at: <a href="http://oregon.gov/OSL/LD/youthsvcs/aboutlit.shtml" title="http://oregon.gov/OSL/LD/youthsvcs/aboutlit.shtml">http://oregon.gov/OSL/LD/youthsvcs/aboutlit.shtml</a>.<span style=""> </span>Remember, one of the six 2008 national
winning letters was written by a 6<sup>th</sup> grader from <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>.<span style=""> </span>Be sure that you share it with your students
to give them an idea of what a national winning letter is like.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b style="">OREGON</b></st1:place></st1:State><b style=""> PRIZES<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Semi-finalists:</b><span style=""> </span>$10 bookstore gift card (last year there were
91 semi-finalists).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Honorable Mentions:</b>
$250 Oregon College Savings Plan scholarships and $25 bookstore gift cards
(last year there were 11 honorable mentions).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Runners-up:</b><span style=""> </span>$250 Oregon College Savings Plan scholarships
and $50 cash (there are always 3 runners-up).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Winners:</b> $500
Oregon College Savings Plan scholarships, $100 cash, $50 Target GiftCard, and
their letters move on to the national competition (there are always 3 winners).</p><p class="MsoNormal">_______________________________________________________________________________________________<br></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The State Treasurer has joined the Oregon Reading
Association, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Oregon</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> for the Book,
OASL, CSD, and OYAN as a cosponsor. Local cosponsors help spread the word
and encourage participation in Letters About Literature, and provide the prizes
for <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place>'s
winners, runners-up, honorable mentions, and semi-finalists. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>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</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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.<span style=""> </span>For information about its activities and
national reading promotion networks, visit <a href="http://www.loc.gov/cfbook">www.loc.gov/cfbook</a>.<b style=""><u><o:p></o:p></u></b></p>
<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"> Katie Anderson, Library Development Services<br>* Youth Services Consultant * Oregon Center for the Book Coordinator *<br> Oregon State Library, 250 Winter St. NE, Salem, OR 97301<br> katie.anderson@state.or.us, 503-378-2528</div></body></html>