Massachusetts Center for the Book
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 21, 2025
Northampton, Massachusetts—Massachusetts Center for the Book (MCB) was pleased to celebrate a quarter century of its flagship program for young people, Letters About Literature (LAL), at a May 20 awards ceremony at the State House. This statewide personal and reflective writing initiative invites students from Grades 4 to 12 to read a book of their choice, reflect on it, and write a personal letter to the author, explaining the impact this work has had on them.
In welcoming the audience of twenty-five students and their families, legislators, teachers, and members of the library community, MCB Executive Director Courtney Andree praised the 2025 honorees, remarking that their letters represent the top percentage point of submissions received, revealing “a depth of emotional understanding, honesty, and maturity.” In their letters to authors, students addressed a range of issues that they are now facing, including struggles to overcome discrimination, displacement, loneliness, and bullying.
Representative Lindsay Sabadosa (First Hampshire) provided the legislative welcome in the Great Hall, taking up the example of beloved Massachusetts writer Louisa May Alcott. She noted that, “For Alcott, books were familiar friends—they made her feel safe in a world that was full of uncertainty.” Sabadosa congratulated the students “for reading voraciously, for being committed to learning more about the world that surrounds [them], and for sharing [their] experiences.”
This year, a special guest joined students for the festivities—Newbery Honoree and Mass Book Award winner Rajani LaRocca, who spoke about the books that continue to inspire her and how she has learned to balance her dual passions for medicine and writing.
For a complete list of the 2025 LAL Honorees, please visit https://www.massbook.org/current-awards.
This year’s competition was judged by Diane Costagliola, director of the Sandwich Public Library; Julia Sullivan, youth services librarian from the Chelmsford Public Library; and acclaimed YA author and Concord-Carlisle High School library technician Kip Wilson. They were supported by a team of screeners from the Simmons University School of Library and Information Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Smith College.
About the Massachusetts Center for the Book
Massachusetts Center for the Book (MCB) is a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring a love of reading, honoring the rich literary culture of the Commonwealth, promoting unrestricted access to books and libraries, and fostering literacy and learning. Founded in 2000, MCB is charged with developing, supporting, and promoting cultural programming to advance the cause of books, libraries, and reading in Massachusetts. As the designated Commonwealth affiliate of the Library of Congress, the Center runs youth and family literacy programs, like the Reading Challenge and Letters About Literature; represents Massachusetts at the National Book Festival; operates the Massachusetts Book Awards and Mass Kids Lit Fest; and partners with community organizations on literary initiatives and events, big and small, across the state.