4 Local Students Pen Winning Thoughts to Writers

After reading a book, have you ever wanted to tell the author how his or her words changed your life?

Four Anne Arundel County students will be honored as Maryland finalists on April 13 during the CityLit Festival at the Enoch Pratt Free Library for their entries into the Letters About Literature contest, according to a news release.

The Anne Arundel County area school finalists are:

St. Anne's School of Annapolis

• Ian Partman — Margaret Peterson Haddix, Among the Free
• Will Pavlick — Mike Lupica, Million-Dollar Throw
• Victoria Cronin — Catherine Fisher, Incarceron

Broadneck High School

• Mary Buckingham — Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Letters About Literature is a state and national writing contest that encourages young readers in grades 4-10 to respond to an author through a letter expressing how that author and book changed their worldview and themselves.

This year, nearly 50,000 students competed nationwide with 1,768 of them hailing from Maryland. First-place winners on the state level receive a cash award and advance to the national competition in April.

A panel of judges for the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress selects one national winner per competition level, each of whom will receive a $1,000 cash prize. A second place winner will be selected for each competition level as well and will receive a $150 cash prize.