SPRINGFIELD — Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White is urging students in grades 4-12 to enter the 2020 “Letters About Literature in Illinois” — a statewide reading and writing competition.
“Letters About Literature in Illinois” invites students to read a book of their choice and write a letter to the author about how the work changed their life or view of the world. Students can enter on their own or through their schools, libraries or other youth organizations.

“Every year, thousands of students in Illinois enjoy participating in this inspiring competition,” said White. “Anyone who has read letters from the previous competitions can see how literature inspires and touches the lives of our young people. I encourage all our students to take part in ‘Letters About Literature in Illinois’ and I hope their participation inspires a lifetime of reading.”
There are three levels of participation: Level 1 for grades 4-6, Level 2 for grades 7-8 and Level 3 for grades 9-12. All finalists, semi-finalists and honorable mentions will receive certificates mailed to the schools in mid-May in time for end of the year awards ceremonies.
One statewide winner will be selected for each level and receive a $200 cash award. Teachers of the winning students will receive a $100 cash award to purchase books for their school library. Winners and teachers will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Springfield.  
The deadline to enter the competition is Monday, Dec. 16, 2019, for all competition levels. State winners will be announced in April 2020. For additional information about the competition, contact Bonnie Matheis at 217-558-2065 or bmatheis@ilsos.net. Information is also available at http://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/center_for_the_book/.