Local Puyallup Student Named National Winner of Letters About Literature Contest Sponsored by Target and the Library of Congress

 

Minneapolis (June 4, 2008) – Reading can enrich a child’s life by freeing the imagination, sparking creativity and developing intellectual curiosity. Through reading, McKenzie Dent, a sixth grade student who currently attends Zeiger Elementary School, has been named one of six national winners in the annual Letters About Literature contest sponsored by Target and the Center for the Book in conjunction with the Library of Congress. In honor of McKenzie, Target will donate a $10,000 library reading grant to the library of the newly-completed Glacier View Junior High School which she will attend next Fall. In addition, McKenzie will receive a $500 Target GiftCard.

 

"Books and reading have a powerful impact on children, helping to expand their creativity and build a foundation for life-long learning and success," said Laysha Ward, vice president, community relations, Target. "As part of our commitment to support early childhood reading, Target is proud to sponsor the Letters About Literature program as a way to raise awareness of the importance of reading and the value that books bring to the lives of children everywhere."

 

The Letters About Literature program invites readers in grades 4-12 to write a letter to an author, past or present, who inspired them or altered their view of the world or of themselves. McKenzie’s letter, written to Alice Mead, author of “Soldier Mom,” a story of an eleven-year-old girl whose mother is forced to leave her son and daughter behind when she is deployed at the beginning of the Persian Gulf War, was one of six winning letters chosen from nearly 60,000 entries. She was selected as the state’s first place winner by the Washington State Library, an affiliate of the national center in the Library of Congress. Each state winner received a $50 Target GiftCard as an award for their appreciation of reading, in addition to a cash award provided by the affiliate state Center for the Book. The 12 national runners-up were awarded a $100 Target GiftCard and, in addition, Target awarded a reading promotion grant of $1,000 to their school or community library.

 

McKenzie’s letter to Mead addressed how difficult it has been for her since her father, who is in the military, was deployed to war and how she was able to relate to Mead’s main character, Jasmyn, in "Soldier Mom."

 

"Though Jas has her mom gone, and I have my dad gone, we both know what it feels like to have such an important role in your life not being filled. No one else in this world can understand the kind of pain that the soldier and his/her family are going through, unless they have had the same exact situation in their life. Others will say "Oh, I’m so sorry" and “Is there anything that we can do to help?" But, the truth is: they don’t understand and there is no way or thing that they can do or use to replace my dad or Jas’s mom."

 

Zeiger Elementary School in Puyallup will host a special award ceremony on Monday, June 9, to acknowledge McKenzie as a national Letters about Literature contest winner. The event will take place at Zeiger Elementary School at 1:45 p.m.

 

"Research shows that children gain a greater understanding of what they have read when they are encouraged to reflect and respond through writing," said John Y. Cole, director of the Center for the Book. "With Target’s continued support of programs like ours that encourage a lifelong love of reading, we are confident that more American children will be avid young readers for years to come."

 

The Letters About Literature program has three competition levels: upper elementary, middle school and secondary, with state and national winners at each level. The program aims to encourage young readers to explore their thoughts and feelings about a book and then express that response in a creative and unique way. As a sponsor of the program, Target recognizes the integral role reading plays in shaping a child’s future and is proud to support programs that aim to foster a life-long love of reading among children at an early age.

 

 Letters About Literature is an annual program of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, which was established in 1977 to stimulate public interest in books and reading.

 

The Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution, with more than 130 million items in most languages and formats. The Library of Congress serves the U.S. Congress and the nation both onsite in its 21 reading rooms on Capitol Hill and through its award-winning Web site at http://www.loc.gov.

 

Target is the primary partner of Letters About Literature. For more information about the 2007-2008 contest's national and state winners and to learn more about next year's Letters About Literature program--beginning in early fall 2008--log onto http://www.loc.gov/letters. Interested children and teachers can also contact the Washington State Library for more information on the state’s Letters About Literature program.

 

 

Minneapolis-based Target serves guests at 1,613 stores in 47 states nationwide by delivering today’s best retail trends at affordable prices. Target is committed to providing guests with great design through innovative products,in-store experiences and community partnerships. Whether visiting a Target store or shopping online at Target.com, guests enjoy a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to thousands of unique and highly differentiated items. Since 1946, the corporation has invested five percent of itsincomein the communities it serves. Target (NYSE:TGT) gives more than $3 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Target partners with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs.