PORTLAND – Several area students recently received awards from the Maine Humanities Council honoring their winning letters for the 2005 national student essay contest, Letters About Literature.

Letters About Literature is a national reading and writing program sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in partnership with Target Stores.

Area students who made semifinalist or received honorable mention listed below:

Auburn: Joe Griswold, honorable mention, Edward Little High School; Britney Mitchell, semifinalist, ELHS; Danielle McConnell, seminfinalist, ELHS; Deacon Lasagna, semifinalist, ELHS; Esther Schlotterbeck, semifinalist, ELHS; Michael Muise, semifinalist, ELHS; Shayna Johnson, semifinalist ELHS.

Livermore Falls: Kelsea Searles, honorable mention, Livermore Falls Middle School; Thomas Ventrella, semifinalist, LFMS; Haldon Bernard, semifinalist, LFMS; Kathrynn Lake, semifinalist, LFMS; Stephanie Owens, semifinalist, LFMS.

Readfield: Ben Fulner, semifinalist, Readfield Elementary; Emma Olson, semifinalist; Sarah Adams, semifinalist, Readfield Elementary.