Chicago Tribune

A future astronaut, a daughter healing from loss win top honors from Library of Congress

Akosua Haynes, 10, wrote a letter to Margot Lee Shetterly, author of "Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race," letting Shetterly know her book solidified Akosua's decision to become a NASA astronaut.

Rylee Paige Johnson, 13, wrote a letter to Gabrielle Zevin, author of "Elsewhere," thanking Zevin for helping her heal after the sudden death of her mother.

The letters - each a thing of beauty - were part of a Library of Congress writing contest that invites fourth- through 12th-graders to write to authors and let them know the impact of their work. Close to 47,000 students from across the United States entered this year's contest, which began a

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Chicago Tribune

Chicago Tribune2 min read
Review: ‘Time For Doing Something Has Passed’ A Deadpan Sex Comedy
A margin in the pages of her own life so far, the thwarted 33-year-old work-in-progress played by writer-director-editor Joanna Arnow has a name (Ann), and plenty of interests, notably musicals such as “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Les Miserables.”
Chicago Tribune2 min read
US Dept. Of Education Launches FAFSA Support Strategy With Deadline For Federal Aid Inching Closer
The U.S. Department of Education announced additional steps on Monday to support the many students and their families who are in the process of completing the overhauled Free Application for Federal Student Aid after a shaky relaunch and complicated
Chicago Tribune4 min read
Michael Phillips: An Ode To Failure — Some Classic Movies Were Flops When They First Came Out
Know that phrase “the numbers don’t lie”? It’s a lie. The numbers lie constantly. With the movies, as with every creative medium in which visionaries must cross the six-way intersection of greed, exploitation, risk, reward, art and commerce, it’s a m

Related Books & Audiobooks