The state winners of the fifth annual Letters about Literature essay contest will be honored at the Hawaii Center for the Book's Award Ceremony at the Hawaii State Library at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 19. The public is invited to attend the ceremony to meet the State winners and runners-up.

Sarah Jenkins, a 5th grader at Akaula School on Molokai, Ben White, a 7th grader at Le Jardin Academy, and Roy Franco, an 11th grader at Kamehameha Schools, will read aloud their winning essays in the library's main lobby. A reception in the courtyard will follow.

The three winners were selected from 61 state semifinalists in the national contest, which is sponsored by the Center for the Book of the Library of Congress and Target stores.

Entrants wrote a personal letter to an author explaining how his or her book affected the student's perception of life.

Students competed in three levels: Level I for children in grades 4 through 6, Level II for grades 7 and 8, and Level III for grades 9 through 12. Hawaii's winning entries will be sent to the national competition in Washington, D.C., which will be held in May.