Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White is urging students in grades 4-12 to enter the 2012 “Letters About Literature” contest, a national reading and writing competition sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and the Illinois Center for the Book in partnership with Target.

There are three levels of participation: Level I for grades 4 through 6, Level II for grades 7 and 8, and Level III for grades 9 through 12. State winners receive a $50 Target gift card and the opportunity to advance to the National level. Entries must be postmarked by January 6, 2012. State winners will be announced in May 2012. For more information about the competition, contact Bonnie Matheis at 217-558-2065 or bmatheis@ilsos.net. For more information about the contest, visit www.illinoiscenterforthebook.org.