Sasha Kosmina, a sixth grader from Acton, was the first place winner in the Grade 4-6 category of the Letters About Literature competition. Sasha and the other winners were honored in a ceremony at the Massachusetts State House on May 20.
The annual Letters About Literature competition is sponsored by the Massachusetts Center for the Book. Students in grades 4-12 are invited to read a book of their choice, reflect on it, and write a personal letter to its author, explaining the impact this work had on them.
Sasha was recognized for her letter to author Cynthia Kadohata about the book, Kira-Kira. At the awards ceremony, Sasha read her submission aloud to the audience and received a cash prize. According to a summary from the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, “Kira kira is a Japanese phrase that means ‘glittering, shining.’ And for the book’s not-yet-12-year-old Katie Takeshima, it is her older sister, Lynn, who helps her see the magic of their lives as they face the harshness of growing up in 1950s small-town Georgia. When Lynn falls mysteriously ill, Katie must learn to find all that is shining and good in her life, both for herself and those around her.” Sasha attends Star Academy in Wellesley, and lives in Acton.
Kim Kastens is an Associate Editor for the Acton Exchange, and writes on a variety of topics.