For many students, reading a story ends with the final page. For a group of freshmen, it became the start of something more: an opportunity to reflect, write and share personal stories to a statewide audience.

The Letters About Literature contest, run by the Massachusetts Center for the Book, invites students across the state to write personal letters to the authors of books that have impacted them. Open to students 4th through 12th, the competition involves literary analysis and personal reflection by asking writers to connect a text to their own lives in a meaningful way. Entries are judged statewide, with top winners recognized at a State House ceremony and the first-place student advancing to the national level.

The high school’s own freshmen were among those recognized this year. Freshman Scout Gieseke earned first place in Massachusetts and will advance to the national competition this spring, while freshman Eve Park placed second. Additional students were also honored, including freshmen Hannah Li and Luke Perez-Lawrence, who received honorable mentions: finalists Connor Frey, Joy Grady, Zoe Kawkabani, Audrey Lin and Amelia Lo Proto; and semifinalists Sophia Chai and Laurenz Lam.

English teacher Alison Whitebone has incorporated the contest into her curriculum for years. She said the assignment stands out because of how it blends personal voice with analysis.

“It’s a combination of a personal letter and an analytical piece,” Whitebone said. “It’s more meaningful than just writing a regular analytical essay.”

Gieseke wrote about “To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee, which follows Scout Finch as her lawyer father defends a Black man who was falsely accused of raping a white woman. She structured her letter as a comparison between herself and the character, and focused on finding hope through difficult experiences.

“My name comes from the book’s protagonist, Scout Finch,” Gieseke said. “I’ve always had a deep connection to the book. Being named after her, I’ve been compared to her, especially by my mom, for being brave. It’s always held a nice place in my heart.”

Whitebone said that this kind of personal connection is what often makes submissions stand out.

“Vulnerability [is important],” Whitebone said. “Taking a risk and sharing their personal experience and connecting it to the author, opening your heart, there’s bravery and courage in that.”

Park wrote about “Pachinko” by Mijin Lee, a historical fiction novel following the story of a multigenerational family in Korea. According to Park, writing her letter helped her better understand her own identity.

“Being Korean, [“Panchinko”] felt like a lesson because it feels like it’s being passed down from family to family and I just felt very connected to it,” Park said. “When I got the opportunity to write a letter to the author of the book, it just made sense to me. It felt good to express my gratitude.”

According to Whitebone, writing for an audience beyond the classroom plays a key role in that experience.

“We do several writing contests in my class,” Whitebone said. “Writing for an external audience is really important. This forces students to stop and reflect. You can write something beautiful, but you become a better person too.”

Park said that the writing process was challenging, especially when trying to balance personal experience with analysis.

“The most challenging part was trying to write it in a way that felt connected to the book and not getting carried away in the anecdotes,” Park said. “I had a lot of ideas going into this, and trying to figure out how to get them all connected in a way that made sense in one essay was challenging.”

Throughout the process, Park said she grew more confident in being personal in her work.

“I learned that it’s okay to put yourself into your work. Before that, when I would write analytical things, it would be very focused on the book and it was detached,” Park said. “But now I know it’s more okay to put yourself into your writing. It gave me a boost of confidence.”

Gieseke said she did not expect her letter’s victory, but she thinks her success came from focusing less on technical perfection and more on authenticity.

“[Winning] really represents hope, just like my paper. I had no faith in this letter. I was proud of it, but I didn’t think it would win,” Gieseke said. “Winning proved to me that I can do anything I set my mind to. It also showed me that not everything has to be super analytical. My letter wasn’t technically perfect, but it was raw and real, and that’s all it needed to be.”