Arya Sheikh, a freshman at Lake Washington High School, is a semifinalist in Washington State’s Letters about Literature contest. The Letters about Literature contest is sponsored by the Secretary of State, and encourages young readers in grades 4-12 to read a book and write a letter to the author about how the book changed their view of the world or themselves. Students can write about works of fiction, nonfiction or poetry.

Sheikh read the book “Boy21” then wrote a letter to its author, Matthew Quick. In his letter, Sheikh pointed out how the struggles described in the book made him grateful for his own family, and how it encouraged him to persevere to achieve the goals he wanted.

“After reading Boy21, I realized some very important and sad truths about the world…” Sheikh wrote. “I got a feeling that I should be more grateful about the people I have around me that I have now and may not have later on in my life, like my parents, grandparents, and other close relatives who are older than me and most probably will die before I do. I notice that most of the people around me want the best for me, like my teachers and family.”

The Washington State winners will be announced on or before April 15, and an awards ceremony for the state champions, runners up, and honorable mentions will take place on May 15.