Current LAL Awards

Massachusetts Center for the Book is pleased to announce the winners of Letters About Literature 2025

Level I (Grades 4 through 6)

First Place:
Sasha Kosmina, Grade 6, Star Academy, Wellesley, wrote to Cynthia Kadahota about Kira-Kira

Second Place:
Ronan Morrison, Grade 6, Lexington Montessori, Lexington, wrote to Sharon Draper about Out of My Mind

Honorable Mentions:
Evangeline Dyke, Vinal Elementary, Norwell
Marie Ferrell, Ambrose Elementary, Winchester
Emma Ghandi, Ambrose Elementary, Winchester
Alon Nagli, Lander-Grinspoon Academy, Northampton
Jai Sathiraju, Holy Name Parish School, West Roxbury
Lua Spencer, Lynch Elementary, Winchester
Efraim Weinbarber, Lander-Grinspoon Academy, Northampton

Level II (Grades 7 and 8)

First Place:
Melissa Balla, Grade 8, Marblehead Veterans Middle School, Marblehead, wrote to Naomi Shihab Nye about the poem "Kindness"

Second Place:
Esha Jana, Grade 7, Hopkinton Middle School, Hopkinton, wrote to Supriya Kelkar about American as Paneer Pie

Third Place:
Layth Boulon, Grade 8, Sarah W. Gibbons Middle School, Westborough, wrote to Cormac McCarthy about Blood Meridian

Honorable Mentions:
Rafeef Alrasheed, Al-Noor Academy, Mansfield
Meryem Bakirci, Al-Hamra Academy, Shrewsbury
Sofia Celli, Marblehead Veterans Middle School, Marblehead
Asher Gillin, Sarah W. Gibbons Middle School, Westborough
Yahia Sorour, Al-Noor Academy, Mansfield
Ashwin Tadakamalla, Sarah W. Gibbons Middle School, Westborough
 Torrent Westfall, Four Rivers Charter School, Greenfield

Level III (Grades 9 through 12)

First Place:
Sanya Nadeem, Grade 11, Montrose School, Medfield, wrote to Malala Yousafzai about I Am Malala

Second Place:
Nick McArdle, Grade 9, Belchertown High School, Belchertown, wrote to Laurie Halse Anderson about Speak

Third Place:
Yujia Wang, Grade 11, Arlington High School, Arlington, wrote to Gene Luen Yang about American Born Chinese

Honorable Mentions:
Sylvia Caparrotta, Norwood High School, Norwood
Rachel Dunn, Montrose School, Medfield
Viviana Lebel, Algonquin High School, Northborough
Maya Raheb, Homeschool, West Brookfield

Commonwealth Judges in the 2025 Program
Diane Costagliola, director of the Sandwich Public Library; Kip Wilson, a Mass Book Awards Honors author and library technician at Concord Carlisle High School; Julia Sullivan, youth services librarian at the Chelmsford Public Library. Screeners from Simmons University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Smith College assisted in the program as well.