Above: Level 2 (Grade 7-8) winner Shireen Valasagandla with author Andrea Davis Pinkney.
At the Letters About Literature Texas awards ceremony on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, held at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas during the Texas Library Association 2025 Annual Conference, student winners from across the state were honored. Award-winning children’s author Andrea Davis Pinkney gave the keynote address.
The three first-place winners each read their letters aloud to the audience and received their awards. (Click the links below to read their winning letters.) Each first-place winner was given a certificate and $300, as well as an additional $300 for their school library.
Lily Qiu of Addison, Greenhill School, wrote to Kelly Yang, author of Front Desk.
Shireen Valasagandla of Round Rock, Ridgeview Middle School, wrote to Jessie Diggins, author of Brave Enough.
Kayla Padilla of Mission, PSJA Collegiate School of Health Professions, wrote to Michelle Zauner, author of Crying in H Mart.
Level 1 (Grade 4-6) winner Lily Qiu with her certificate, presented by Center for the Book Coordinator Michele Chan Santos.
Pinkney, the author, praised the students in her address.
“You have arrived with a wealth of letter-writing surprises, and you have filled us with so much joy. You have crafted letters that tell an unforgettable story,” Pinkney said. “It’s from so many of us who see you, hear you, cheer you, celebrate you, who you truly are—that is what we celebrate. A constellation of voices igniting the world. You are worthy of this. Because you sparkle, and you shine.”
Next, Pinkney shared the personal stories behind her newest book, And She Was Loved: Toni Morrison’s Life in Stories. It’s a picture book about legendary author Toni Morrison, illustrated by Daniel Minter. Pinkney worked as an editor for Morrison many years ago, and they were close friends.
Later, Pinkney signed copies of her book, Loretta Little Looks Back: Three Voices Go Tell It, and posed for photos with the winning students.
Level 3 (Grade 9-12) winner Kayla Padilla with Andrea Davis Pinkney.
In the Letters About Literature Texas competition, students read a book, poem, short story, or other written work and write a letter to an author—living or dead—explaining how his or her work changed their view of themselves or the world.
Hundreds of students entered from across the state, and the level of competition was high. There were three categories of competition: grades 4-6, grades 7-8, and grades 9-12.
You can find a full list of the winners here.
The Texas Center for the Book will open the 2025-2026 Letters About Literature competition this fall.