Student Writing Contest: Read! Write! Win!

Readers in Grades 4–12 are invited to write a letter to the author of a favorite book, expressing how the book affected them personally.

Three Contest Levels:

Grades 4–6

Grades 7–8

Grades 9–12

Cash Prizes will be awarded to the student writers of the top three letters in each level.

First Place: $500

Second Place: $250

Third Place: $100

First place winners will select their school library or public library to receive a cash prize of $1,000!

Contest entries will be accepted beginning Oct. 15, 2021. The deadline to submit is Dec. 17, 2021, at 5 p.m.

Please review the Official Rules before entering. Entries by or for students younger than the age of 13 must be submitted with a completed, signed and uploaded  Permission Form.

Read Instructions for Students or  Instructions for Teachers for directions on entering the contest.

View Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for more information.

My Favorite Book is open to residents of Oklahoma. Students must be in grades 4 through 12 during the 2021–2022 school year. Entries will be accepted online starting Oct. 15, 2021, and the deadline for all submissions is Dec. 17, 2021, 5 p.m. (CST). There will be three (3) Levels of Competition: Level 1: Grades 4–6, Level 2: Grades 7–8, Level 3: Grades 9–12. Students select a fiction or nonfiction book, book series, essay, or short story that they have read and about which they have strong feelings.

Note to teachers—Please do not assign a particular work to students; rather, allow students to choose a piece of literature that speaks to them personally. Students write a personal letter to the author of their selected book or short story explaining how the work changed the student’s view of themselves or their world. The letter’s aim is not to flatter the author, summarize the piece of literature, or serve as a book report; rather, the letter creates a conversation with the author in which the student expresses thoughts, feelings, and/or ideas inspired by the author’s writing, as well as its impact on the student’s life. Students should write honestly and from their own perspectives of the world. Entries must use no fewer than 400 words and no more than 800 words. Entries must include: a date, greeting, body of the letter, closing salutation, student’s name/signature. Note: These elements will be included in the entry’s word count. Do not include a return address on your letter. Entries must be submitted via the online submission platform by Dec. 17, 2021, 5 p.m. (CST). Details for submission may be found at libraries.ok.gov/my-favorite-book. Entries by or for students younger than the age of 13 without a completed, signed, and uploaded permission form are ineligible and will be discarded. The permission form is also available at libraries.ok.gov/my-favorite-book.

Terms of Use Each entry a) must be the original creation of the submitting student, b) must be previously unpublished and cannot have been submitted to any other competition, c) must not infringe upon or violate the rights of any third party, and, d) by the act of submission, warrants and represents that the student (and parent/legal guardian of student is a minor) fully and completely conforms to the stated requirements for entry. No other form of participation other than as stated in these Official Rules is valid. An announcement of winners will include the names of honored students, their ages, schools and cities. A winning student’s parent/legal guardian will be contacted for permission to publish the letter. All submitted entries become the sole property of the Oklahoma Center for the Book in the Oklahoma Department of Libraries and will not be acknowledged or returned. The Oklahoma Center for the Book suggests that students keep a copy of their letter. Limit one (1) entry per student. Per online submission guidelines, students younger than the age of 13 as of Oct. 15, 2021, must obtain and upload a hand-signed permission from parent/legal guardian to be eligible for entry. This form may be downloaded at libraries.ok.gov/my-favorite-book. Entries by/for students younger than the age of 13 without a signed, completed, and uploaded form are ineligible and will be discarded. Judging Entries are subject to multiple rounds of judging based on a scoring guide and contest rules. Decisions by judges are final and binding in all judging matters. It is the responsibility of the educator or individual submitting nominations to evaluate the submission materials and take appropriate action if the materials contain any expressions of the intent to self-harm, depression or other sensitive subjects. The educator or submitting individual should follow the policies of their school or educational institution in handling such matters or contact the appropriate local resources to follow up with the student and, if appropriate, with the student’s parents or legal guardians, as the local policy and confidentiality guidelines permit. Submitting educators and individuals agree, by submitting materials to My Favorite Book that they have reviewed the materials for this purpose and taken appropriate action. Prizes First-, second-, and third-place prizes will be given in each level. First-place winners receive $500; second-place winners receive $250; and third-place winners receive $100. The winners will be honored at a My Favorite Book awards ceremony in May 2022. The first-place winner in each competition level will select their school library or public library to receive a $1,000 cash prize. Winners will be posted in May 2022 at libraries.ok.gov/my-favorite-book.

For further submission details or questions, please consult the FAQ available at libraries.ok.gov/my-favorite-book or email
eat0@eau0eav0eaw0.