Callum Green, a New Palestine Intermediate School sixth-grader, shows the book he wrote his winning essay on after his English teacher Trent Farmer (right) encouraged him to enter the Indiana Letters About Literature contest where he came in first place statewide.
Kristy Deer | Daily Reporter
NEW PALESTINE — Callum Green loves listening to stories about World War II from his 98-year-old great-grandfather who fought in the war and was even captured by German soldiers. An avid history fan, Callum jumped at the chance to read more about WW II in a book called “Grenade” by Alan Gratz.
The book is about the day Americans landed on Okinawa during World War II. The Japanese Army pulls a young man named Hideki Kaneshiro and all the other boys out of middle school and gives them each two grenades. One grenade, they tell Hideki, is to kill an American soldier. The other grenade is to kill himself.
New Palestine Intermediate teacher Trent Farmer encouraged his students, including Callum, to select a book of their choosing, read the material and then share their thoughts in the prestigious Indiana Letters About Literature contest.
The annual event is an Indiana reading and writing contest for students in grades fourth through 12. Students are asked to read a book, poem, essay or speech and write to the author, living or deceased, about how the work affected how they see themselves or how they see the world.
Callum Green, a New Palestine Intermediate School sxith-grader, read the book “Grenade” by Alan Gratz and wrote an essay for the The Indiana Letters About Literature contest. Letters About Literature is an Indiana reading and writing contest for students in grades 4-12. Students are asked to read a book, poem, essay, or speech and write to the author (living or deceased) about how the work affected how they see themselves or how they see the world.
Kristy Deer | Daily Reporter
Callum Green, a New Palestine Intermediate School sxith-grader, read the book “Grenade” by Alan Gratz and wrote an essay for the The Indiana Letters About Literature contest. Letters About Literature is an Indiana reading and writing contest for students in grades 4-12. Students are asked to read a book, poem, essay, or speech and write to the author (living or deceased) about how the work affected how they see themselves or how they see the world.
Kristy Deer | Daily Reporter
“I actually started asking students to enter this contest about six years ago,” Farmer said. “It’s a culmination of all their language arts skills.”
Farmer thinks it’s important for young writers to have an audience other than their teacher. He noted that New Palestine students have always had a positive response from the judges in the statewide contest, and this year was no exception.
Callum, along with fellow New Palestine Intermediate students Hibah Mussa, Joe Barada and Eli Schultz, were recently selected as finalists in the Indiana Letters About Literature event with Callum being selected as the First Place Winner for his essay surrounding the book “Grenade.”
Callum, 12, sixth-grade, picked the book because of his love of history and because it had two perspectives, one from the Japanese boy and the other from a young American soldier who dies after both see each other and act out because they were scared.
“I just thought it was a compelling book because you had these people who didn’t understand each other, and they killed each other out of fear,” Callum said.
Farmer, who does not edit the student’s work but rather submits it as written, thought Callum’s essay on the book was poignant.
“When I sent his off, I could tell it was a good one,” Farmer said.
Callum, who had the opportunity to read his essay to his great-grandfather on Easter, said he might go into the U.S. Air Force and serve his country like his great-grandfather did in World War II.
The youngster, who Farmer said was a little bit of a reluctant writer, has always had a real love for reading. Callum was pretty young when he warmed up to a good book and was able to read at the middle school level while still in second grade. However, when it came time to write about how the book “Grenade” affected him and changed his view on life, Callum said that was a challenge.
“It just takes me a little bit of time to get the idea and then figure out how to voice that idea,” Callum said.
Clearly, Callum figured out how to relay his thoughts in the essay, which judges deemed best in the state at his grade level.
All students who came in first place at their grade level will be published in the 2022 Indiana Letters About Literature Anthology (pending parent permission). All students on the winners list will receive a prize pack including books by Indiana authors and other materials. In addition, first place winners will receive $100.
To see a video of Callum reading his essay visit, www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfEvO5zLbfM.
