January 2016

Jacklyn Moon, Grade 11, Northern Valley Regional High School Teacher:  Brian Hanson-Harding Letter written to Linda Sue Park, author of When My Name Was Keoko   Dear Linda Sue Park, As the children of then recent Korean immigrants, my sister Jessica and I spent a great deal of our childhood trying to fit in. Accordingly, we refused any toys that had read more

Shannon Ferrie, Grade 8, Columbia Middle School, Berkeley Heights Teacher:  Donna Marcy Letter written to Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple   Dear Alice Walker, Unwanted and left alone with no visible bruises to be shown.  This is the result of verbal abuse.  A person’s heart is left with a combination of low self-esteem and self-pity.  It is something read more

Catherine Lee, Grade 6, Thomas R. Grover School, West Windsor Teacher: Toni Russo Letter written to Karen Hesse, author of Witness Dear Karen Hesse, I had always envisioned the world as a sharp contrast of good and bad. To me, there were strict divisions between light and dark: on one side of the earth stood the benefactors, brave people who read more

LEVEL III    - FIRST PLACE in New Jersey and NATIONAL HONOR WINNER IN LEVEL III Ida Behreini, Grade 9, High Tech High School, North Bergen, NJ sent in by her teacher, Joan Marie Bellotti Dear Suzanne Collins and Katniss Everdeen, I am far from a brave person. In fact, I'm the type of girl who is sometimes scared of her own read more

LEVEL II  - FIRST PLACE Jennifer Park, Grade 8, Demarest Middle School, Demarest, NJ sent in my her teacher, Dana Cherna November 21, 2011 Dear Katherine Paterson, From the beginning of my educational career, I have stood in the shadow of my near perfect older brother. The year I entered Kindergarten, he was already the middle school's golden boy.  The year read more

LEVEL I   - FIRST PLACE WINNER Daniel Biimyrzaeva, Grade 6, Hamburg Public School, Hamburg, NJ sent in my her teacher, Pam Dean December 1, 2011 Dear Mr. Wilhelm, I feel like you wrote The Revealers just for me.  When I was reading your book, I really liked your characters.  Every character made me think about different things in my life.  Elliot read more

First Place:  Su Jin Lee, Grade 10, Dream Acts Academy, Cresskill, NJ Teacher:  Brian Hanson-Harding Letter written to Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club Dear Amy Tan, Ever since I was in fourth grade, my mom has always been telling me to practice more, study more, and play less.  I remember one day when I had finished playing read more