Hello, Ms. Alison here! Do you know about the Library of Congress Letters About Literature program? This is a writing contest for students in grades 4-12 happening now! Winners will earn prizes of $100 for first place, $50 for second place, and $25 for honorable mentions. There are different grade levels for the competition and you can find out more here. Entries are due January 11, 2019.
The main idea is to write a letter to an author - living or dead - explaining how his or her work changed your view of yourself and your world. In honor of the contest, I thought I'd share 5 authors whose work has influenced my life.
Chrysanthemum was my all time favorite book as a little kid. I love Kevin Henkes' writing style and illustrations. Something about seeing those adorable little mice deal with anxiety (looking at you, Wemberly!), big events (hello, Lilly!), and self esteem (hi, Chrysanthemum) hit home for me as a young reader and it continues to resonate as an adult.
“Today was a difficult day. Tomorrow will be better”
Oh, Kate DiCamillo, every book you write makes me cry and I love it. I appreciate her philosophy that kids' book should be a little sad. The littmus lozenges from Because of Winn Dixie introduced to me to the word melancholy and gave me the words to capture the sweetness and sadness of growing up. When I read this as a 12 year old, it rocked my world. It still does.
“I lay there and thought how life was like a Littmus Lozenge, how the sweet and the sad were all mixed up together and how hard it was to separate them out. It was confusing.”
Growing up when I did, I don't think I could overlook the impact of Harry Potter on my life. Harry turned 11 and got his letter to Hogwarts the same eyar I turned 11 (still waiting for my letter though). No other book has been worth waiting in a line at midnight to buy my copy and spending the weekend of my high school graduation frantically reading between celebrations to find out how it all would end the way that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows did.
“Because that’s what Hermione does,” said Ron, shrugging. “When in doubt, go to the library.”
― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
I read House of the Spirits in one of my favorite classes in college. That class, and that book, opened by eyes to the world outside of my own bubble. It sparked my interest in learning about other places in the world through reading and travel.
There have been so many great books that I've read recently in my adult life, but one that I keep remembering is The Hate U Give. This book (the author's first!) forced me to imagine being in someone else's shoes and to examine my own inner biases and prejudices.
“What's the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn't be?”
― Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give
That's my list! I hope you start thinking of authors who have influenced you and consider entering this writing contest!
Chrysanthemum was my all time favorite book as a little kid. I love Kevin Henkes' writing style and illustrations. Something about seeing those adorable little mice deal with anxiety (looking at you, Wemberly!), big events (hello, Lilly!), and self esteem (hi, Chrysanthemum) hit home for me as a young reader and it continues to resonate as an adult.
No comments:
Post a Comment