Laura Claypool, a sixth-grader at Tillicum Middle School, has been named one of Washington’s three 2008-09 Letters About Literature champions.

She was honored by Secretary of State Sam Reed and State Librarian Jan Walsh in a ceremony at the State Capitol on Friday, April 3.

The contest encourages students in grades 4-12 to write a personal letter to an author, explaining how his or her work shaped their perspective on the world or themselves. Students can write about works of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry.

Laura Claypool is the Level I (grades 4-6) champ. She wrote her letter to Sharon Creech about the book “Bloomability.” She is the daughter of Jim and Frances Claypool of Bellevue.

Laura read her letters aloud during an earlier ceremony Friday in front of her family and Walsh.

This year’s contest received entries from 2,379 Washington students. In addition to the three champions, those in attendance out of the contest’s 167 semifinalists at all three grade levels (including the 29 honorable mentions) were recognized in front of their families, Reed and Walsh during the main ceremony in the Legislative Building’s Rotunda.

“Letters About Literature not only encourages students to read,” Walsh said. “It allows students to express how books influence and shape all of our lives. The champions and semifinalists make me, as the Washington State Librarian, proud of the students in our state.”

National winners will receive a $500 Target gift card and a $10,000 grant for their public library or school library.

This is the fourth year that the State Library and the Office of Secretary of State have sponsored the competition as part of Washington Reads. The project is also sponsored by the Center for the Book, Library of Congress and Target stores.

The State Library is a division of the Office of Secretary of State.