<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail-m_7281483327975605621WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)">“</span>Letters About Literature in Illinois<span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)">”</span> is an annual statewide reading and writing program that 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.<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">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.<span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)">  </span>One Illinois winner will be selected for each level and receive a $200 cash award.   Teachers/Librarians of the winning students will receive a $100 cash award to purchase books for their school/public library. <u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>HOW TO ENTER<u></u><u></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Written submissions will be accepted for all ages until the entry deadline of December 15, 2020. <span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>To enter by mail</u></b>, attach a completed entry form <span style="letter-spacing:0.3pt">to </span>each entry and mail to:<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Letters About Literature<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Competition Level (indicate Level 1, 2 or 3 on the envelope)<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Illinois Center for the Book<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">300 South Second Street<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Springfield, Illinois  62701<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u>To enter by e-mail</u></b>, send a message with the subject line: LAL, Competition Level (Indicate Level 1, 2 or 3), School Name and City.  Attach a copy of your letter and the required entry form by the deadline and send to: <a href="mailto:islcomps@ilsos.gov" target="_blank">islcomps@ilsos.gov</a>.<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">We anticipate winners to be announced in May 2021.<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>ADDITIONAL RESOURCES<u></u><u></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Other information about the program is available at the <a href="http://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/center_for_the_book/letters.html" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext">Letters About Literature page</span></a> of the <a href="https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/center_for_the_book" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext">Illinois Center for the Book website</span></a> including:   <u></u><u></u></p><p class="gmail-m_7281483327975605621MsoListParagraph" style="margin:0in 0in 2.3pt 25.75pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><u></u><span style="font-family:Symbol;color:dimgray">·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">        </span></span><u></u><span style="color:dimgray"><a href="https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/ldl36.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(1,74,151)">Entry Form and Guidelines</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="gmail-m_7281483327975605621MsoListParagraph" style="margin:0in 0in 2.3pt 25.75pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><u></u><span style="font-family:Symbol;color:dimgray">·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">        </span></span><u></u><span style="color:dimgray"><a href="https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/center_for_the_book/letters-faq.html" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(1,74,151)">Frequently Asked Questions</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="gmail-m_7281483327975605621MsoListParagraph" style="margin:0in 0in 2.3pt 25.75pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><u></u><span style="font-family:Symbol;color:dimgray">·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">        </span></span><u></u><span style="color:dimgray"><a href="https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/center_for_the_book/pdfs/lal-ccss.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(1,74,151)">Letters About Literature Supports Common Core State Standards</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="gmail-m_7281483327975605621MsoListParagraph" style="margin:0in 0in 2.3pt 25.75pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><u></u><span style="font-family:Symbol;color:dimgray">·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">        </span></span><u></u><span style="color:dimgray"><a href="https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/ldl37.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(1,74,151)">Letters About Literature Supports National Language Arts and Reading Standards</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="gmail-m_7281483327975605621MsoListParagraph" style="margin:0in 0in 2.3pt 25.75pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><u></u><span style="font-family:Symbol;color:dimgray">·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">        </span></span><u></u><span style="color:dimgray"><a href="https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/ldl38.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(1,74,151)">Teacher/Student Checklists</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="gmail-m_7281483327975605621MsoListParagraph" style="margin:0in 0in 2.3pt 25.75pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><u></u><span style="font-family:Symbol;color:dimgray">·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">        </span></span><u></u><span style="color:dimgray"><a href="https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/center_for_the_book/pdfs/lal-teaching-guide.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(1,74,151)">Teaching Guide</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="gmail-m_7281483327975605621MsoListParagraph" style="margin:0in 0in 2.3pt 25.75pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><u></u><span style="font-family:Symbol;color:dimgray">·<span style="font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;font-stretch:normal;font-size:7pt;line-height:normal;font-family:"Times New Roman"">        </span></span><u></u><span style="color:dimgray"><a href="https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/news/2020/october/201022d1.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(1,74,151)">Secretary of State Press Release Inviting Students to Enter</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">We look forward to your participation.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Bonnie Matheis, Coordinator<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Illinois Center for the Book<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Illinois State Library<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Gwendolyn Brooks Building<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">300 South Second Street<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Springfield, Illinois 62701<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Office: 217-558-2065<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Fax: 217-782-1877<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:bmatheis@ilsos.gov" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext">bmatheis@ilsos.gov</span></a><u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Jesse White, Secretary of State and State Librarian<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/center_for_the_book/home.html" target="_blank"><span style="color:windowtext">https://cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/center_for_the_book</span></a><u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>************************************************<br>Disclaimer - This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and contain privileged or copyright information. You must not present this message to another party without gaining permission from the sender. If you are not the intended recipient you must not copy, distribute or use this email or the information contained in it for any purpose other than to notify the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State.</p><p>If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately, and delete this email from your system. Any views expressed in this message are those of the individual sender, except where the sender specifically states them to be the views of the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State.</p><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><strong><font color="#0000ff" face="verdana,sans-serif"><br></font></strong></div><div><strong><font color="#0000ff" face="verdana,sans-serif">Leslie Forsman</font></strong></div><div><strong><font color="#0000ff" face="Verdana">Pre-K through12th grade Librarian</font></strong></div><div><strong><font color="#0000ff" face="Verdana">Education to Careers Instructor</font></strong></div><div><strong><font color="#0000ff" face="Verdana">Quest Instructor</font></strong></div><div><strong><font color="#0000ff" face="Verdana">Triopia CUSD #27</font></strong></div><div><strong><font color="#0000ff" face="Verdana">2204 Concord Arenzville Road</font></strong></div><div><strong><font color="#0000ff" face="Verdana">Concord  IL  62631</font></strong></div><div><strong><font color="#0000ff" face="Verdana">217-457-2281, x1033</font></strong></div><div><strong><font color="#0000ff" face="Verdana"><a href="mailto:lforsman@triopiacusd27.org" target="_blank">lforsman@triopiacusd27.org</a></font></strong></div><div><strong><font color="#0000ff" face="Verdana"><font color="#ff00ff" style="background-color:rgb(0,255,255)">"Hey, you live where the books are!" </font></font></strong></div><div><strong><font color="#0000ff" face="Verdana"><font color="#ff00ff" style="background-color:rgb(0,255,255)">(from a preK student who saw me outside of school).</font></font></strong></div><div><font color="#ff00ff" face="Verdana" style="background-color:rgb(0,255,255)"><br></font></div><div><font color="#ff00ff" face="Verdana" style="background-color:rgb(0,255,255)"><img src="https://drive.google.com/a/triopiacusd27.org/uc?id=1czoclsvGwJhm8fkjjQ_v7kmJvWwazUYz&export=download" width="96" height="60"></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>