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Awards Ceremony Held for Iowa LAL Winners

Fourteen students, their families, teachers and friends gathered at the State Library on April 25 to read their letters and receive their awards for the 2008 Letters About Literature program.

Awards Ceremony Held for Iowa LAL Winners

Students attending the 2008 LAL Awards Ceremony with Ann Marie Janke of Target Stores

The fifth annual Iowa Letters About Literature program was a phenomenal success this year.  Not only did 1,394 Iowa students enter in the national competition, 37 were semifinalists at Level I, 38 at Level II and 26 at Level III.  Iowa's top three winners in each level were Sarah Startz, Level I (Johnston Middle School); Laura Wang, Level II (Cedar Rapids Middle School); and Mythili Prabhu, Level III (Ames High School).

At the awards ceremony, Iowa State University English Professor Debra Marquart, a prolific writer, spoke to the students saying, "I never feel so comfortable, happy, and at home, as when I am in the presence of great readers!  So thank you all for being here and thank you, to the LAL winners, for your phenomenal efforts to make connections with the emotions, observations, and thought-provoking ideas that all writers try to work into the fabric of their books."  (Marquart's speech)

Robin Martin, chair of the Iowa Center for the Book Advisory Committee, greeted the guests and introduced Ann Marie Janke, vice president of Guest Systems at Target Stores in Minneapolis.  The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, in partnership with Target Stores, are the national sponsors of the program.

All of the students' teachers present were also introduced.

The following are the 2008 winners.  Click on their names to read their letters.  See photos of the students.

Level I:

Level II:

Level III: