BOSTON – Senator Michael O. Moore (D-Millbury) welcomed the Kilroy family from Upton to the State House on Thursday to recognize the accomplishments of Julia Kilroy, who received an Honor Award for her participation in the 2016 Letters About Literature competition.

Letters About Literature is a reading and writing contest for students in grades 4-12. Students are asked to read a book, poem or speech and write to the author (living or dead) about how the book affected them personally. Tens of thousands of students from across the country enter Letters About Literature each year that are judged on state and national levels.

Julia, an eighth grade student at the Whitinsville Christian School, submitted a letter to Ben Carson after reading his autobiography Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story. As an Honor Award recipient, Julia’s letter ranked within the top 1 to 2% of submissions.

“This accomplishment would not be possible without a considerable investment of time and effort,” said Sen. Moore. “I congratulate Julia on receiving this recognition and extend my wishes for her continued success throughout her academic career.”

The Letters About Literature program is administered locally by the Massachusetts Center for the Book. Additional information about the competition is available on the Center’s website, http://massbook.org/.