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Writer-to-Writer Challenge, Part IV
What is the Writer-to-Writer Challenge? Adult literacy learners of the California Library Literacy Services are invited to read a book, any book. It can be fiction or non-fiction, written at any level, and can be a book-on-tape. They then write a letter to the author describing how the book changed their lives.
This year 188 adult learners entered the Challenge from 43 library literacy programs all over California. Their letters, based on their writing skill levels, were divided into four categories: Emerging, Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced. There are two rounds of judging: In the first round a panel of librarians and literacy specialists carefully selected the finalists in each category. In the second round, groups of learners reviewed the finalists' letters and picked the winner and runners-up in each category.
The letters of the winners will appear as a Four-part Series, concluding with part four with a letter from the "Emerging" winner, who wished to remain anonymous:
Anonymous
Alhambra Civic Center Library
Dear Anne Frank,
Your story touched my heart! Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl was sad and painful to hear (on tapes). Tears came to my eyes as I listened and realized my past life was sad and painful too!
You were a young girl hiding in Amsterdam to escape the Nazis in World War II. But for me - living in North Korea - I was a child running away from Communism during the Korean War.
My mother passed away when I was five. About two years later, I was escaping to South Korea with my father and a bunch of people - refugees. We were hiding in caves, behind bushes, crossing mountains and rivers, sometimes with shots passing close to our heads and sides.
My father carried me on his back across water and when my feet were sore and tired. I had no shoes! In some villages, there were camps. We stayed in tents, and they gave us a ball of rice and a "pill" of salt to eat.
Once my father was taken away by soldiers with guns to become part of the North Korean Army, but he escaped at night. Then, we went farther south by boat, train, and, at last, walking across a frozen fiver to a safe place in South Korea.
We both had strong and brave fathers, Anne. They protected us. You were not happy to be missing school. I liked school too, but went for just a short time in second grade. After the war my father remarried. My step-mother and father had three children and needed me to help care for them, cook, carry water, feed farm animals, and do other farm work; but I wanted to go to school!
I married an American soldier when I was 23. I am lucky to be an American citizen now and learning English at Alhambra Library in California.
You were such a smart girl, Anne - a very smart girl! I feel bad about you dying in the concentration camp; but, I say, "Thank you!" to God for saving my life and giving us your book to read.
Thank you again!
Anonymous
Submitted to California Libraries by:
Alan Archer
President, CLA Literacy Interest Group
Posted on February 18, 2010 9:52 AM | Permalink