Every year, the Library of Congress Center for the Book holds a prestigious student-writing contest called “Letters About Literature” where students in grades 4 through 12 are invited to write about a book that has had a lasting influence on them.

The Maine Humanities Council facilitates the state level judging, and this year, Lacey Brune, a sixth grader at the Center for Teaching and Learning in Edgecomb, has won first prize in the state, writing about Cece Bell's graphic novel “El Deafo.”

Brune’s letter will represent Maine for the national prize announced in late May by the Library of Congress and was chosen from over 1,000 letters sent in by Maine students.

Brune will receive $100 and the opportunity to compete at the national level. Fellow CTL student, Katie Sanborn, was a semi-finalist — one of five chosen from the state's many entries. 

The purpose of the competition is to allow students to express the impact that their reading has had on their lives, and reflect on the multiple ways that literature can affect our views of the world, ourselves, and how we treat each other. Letters About Literature pushes students to make meaningful connections with the books they read.

Glenn Powers, the fifth and sixth grade teacher at CTL, points out that his students read an average of forty books a year, which is almost eight times the average that a typical student reads per year. This habitual reading develops critical, connected, and reflective readers.  It shows in their ability to write about books, which the Library of Congress has recognized.

For more information about CTL’s program, please visit www.c-t-l.org.