Iowa Letters About Literature 2007 Winners

Nationwide, over 56,000 students entered the 2007 Letters About Literature contest.

There were 1,921 entries from students in Iowa.

• 768 from students in grades 4 through 6
  
• 769 from students in grades 7 and 8
  
• 384 from students in grades 9 through 12

The Letters About Literature national office read all 56,000 entries and returned semifinalist letters to each state. In Iowa there were 47 semifinalists at Level I, 40 at Level II, and 34 at Level III.

Three panels of judges read and discussed the Iowa semifinalist letters and selected the winners.

2007 Iowa Letters about Literature winners

Level I

• 1st place:  Quinn Severs
  Book:  The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom
  School: St. Francis of Assisi School, West Des Moines
  Grade: 5
• 2nd place:  Tricia Shi
  Book:   Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata
  School:  Westridge Elementary School, West Des Moines
  Grade: 6
• 3rd place:  Hannah Soyer
  Book:  A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
  School:  Summit Middle School, Johnston
  Grade: 6
• Honorable Mention: Ruth Finley
  Book: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
  Town: Des Moines
  Grade: 6
• Honorable Mention: Danni L. WebbMausbach
  Book: Nighttime is Just Daytime with Your Eyes Closed by Mark Lowry
  School: St. Pius X School, Urbandale

Level II

• 1st place:  Cole Rhatigan
  Book:  Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech
  School:  Franklin Middle School, Cedar Rapids
  Grade  8
• 2nd place:  Maddie Hemesath
  Book:  Define ‘Normal by Julie Anne Peters
  School:  Franklin Middle School, Cedar Rapids
  Grade:  8
• 3rd place:  Gracie Deery
  Book:  The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
  School:  Notre Dame Junior High School, Burlington
  Grade:  7

Level III

• 1st place:  Audrey Keranen
  Book:  The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
  Town:  Iowa City
  Grade:  11
• 2nd place:  Asked name to be removed.
  
• 3rd place:  Nadia Hlebowitsh
  Book: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
  Town: Iowa City
  Grade: 10
• Honorable Mention: Clare Roth
  Book: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
  Town: Des Moines
  Grade: 9

• Honorable Mention: Matt Runde
  Book: Luckiest Man by Jonathon Eig
  School: Wahlert High School, Dubuque
  Grade: 12