Writing Contest Finalists!
Comfort Elementary School has some
writers who are showing strong aptitude, having been placed as finalists in the
“Letters About Literature” Contest. The contest, which is entered yearly by
4th and 5th grade Alpha students, has some powerful
sponsors: the Library of Congress, Texas Center for the Book at the Dallas
Public Library, and Texas Association of School Librarians. Whew!
Students are challenged to write a
letter to a favorite author, living or dead, explaining why that author’s
books have found an important place in their young lives. There were more than
3,000 entries in the 4th to 6th grade division, so to have
been selected as a finalist is high honor indeed.
The students are Dax Wright in the
4th grade, and 5th graders Kody Davis, Will Gaines, and
Michaela Marquart (second year as a finalist!) Their letters follow this
article.
As you read them, you will notice
that the elusive quality we identify as “voice”, is present in each letter.
A must for intriguing personal narrative, this trait of strong writing is
difficult for young students to identify in their own work, but we all know it
when a composition has it. Voice reveals the writer’s personality and has the
appeal of a pudgy spotted pup sitting on a porch step. It engages and charms us,
and we begin to empathize with the writer.
In the following letters, voice
will easily be recognized as one student comments upon the challenge of being
the youngest of three brothers, while another discusses the responsibility of
being the oldest and a babysitter for four younger sisters!
We find voice in the missive of one who sees similarities between herself
and characters in her favorite book series. Finally, this essential component of
good writing nails the final letter, as the writer explains his fondness for an
early reader series, which launched his journey to advanced reader.
Please know that these four finalists were plucked from a score of other wonderful letters written by CES Alpha students. Each one penned his/her entry with dedication, and as their teacher, I affirm all persistent efforts. Well done, young friends!
Click on a name to read the essay
Dax
Wright-Gr. 4 Kody Davis-Gr. 5
Will Gaines-Gr. 5 Michaela
Marquart -Gr. 5
