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Audrey Keranen, Iowa City, Reads Her Award Winning Letter at National Book Festival
Audrey was one of six national winners of Letters About Literature
Audrey Keranen
September 29 was a beautiful day on the Mall in Washington DC for the 2007 National Book Festival. For Iowa City 11th grader Audrey Keranan, it was perfect. Audrey was one of six national winners of the 2007 Letters About Literature program who read her letter to a standing room only crowd.
Audrey, her father and younger sister were treated to all-expense-paid trip to the nation's Capitol. According to Audrey's Dad, Dan, it was a fascinating time.
Audrey wrote a letter to Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner. The following is an excerpt.
“Mr. Hosseini, if it hadn’t been for your novel, I would not be where I am today. Your book was eye-opening, to use a cliché with all possible seriousness, and it awoke me to other opportunities. At the summer institute, I was able to visit a mosque, examine artifacts, pluck at instruments, and sample foods from the other side of the world. I would never have attempted to do any of these things had your novel not haunted me for months after turning the last page.”
More photos of Audrey.
Letters About Literature is a national reading and writing program for youth in grades 4 through 12. Students write to a favorite author—past or present—describing how an author’s work changed the readers’ views of the world or themselves. Readers respond to the book they’ve read by exploring the personal relationship between themselves, the author and the book’s characters or themes.
Nationally, there were more than 56,000 letters entered in the contest. In Iowa, 1,921 students participated. Letters About Literature is sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress; the Iowa Center for the Book, State Library; and Target Stores. The program is also supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.