Success Stories

A READ/San Diego learner, Dominique Calhoun, was selected as the First Runner-Up in the Emerging Writers category for the 2010 Writer to Writer challenge. The Writer to Writer Challenge is the annual statewide writing competition for adult learners in public library literacy programs throughout California. Adult learners are invited to read a book of their choice and then write a personal letter to the author of that book, sharing with the author their thoughts and opinions as to how the book affected them. Dominique selected the book, Don't Sell Me Short by Judith A. Bosley.

Here is Dominique's winning letter:

Book: Don't Sell Me Short

Author: Judith A. Bosley

December 25, 2010

Dear Judith A Bosley,

I read your book, "Don't Sell Me Short," last May. It inspired me, because I've been through the same things. Richard had a reading disability and I do too. His mom had cancer. She passed away and my mom passed away from lupus.

Richard looked at the shiniest car on the lot. I bought a Ford mustang, because it was the shiniest car on the lot. I had to almost sell my car, but Richard sold his car. He needed the money.

When my mom passed away, our family was fighting a lot. There was a misunderstanding in Richard's family too. I kept smiling at my mom's funeral. Richard's family thought he was selfish, because he was smiling at the funeral. His sister came over to see why and he told her that mom told me to keep smiling. I kept smiling at my mom's funeral, because I did not want to cry.

Richard kept trying and in the end he graduates from nursing school, he has a job and he marries a beautiful woman. I hope I can find a woman I can marry one day.

Richard's story makes me feel hope. I'll keep trying too. I'm not alone. I have my GED, I've improved my reading, I have a full-time job, I'm learning to drive a truck, and I'm looking for an apartment.

Thank you for writing this book. I think it would make a good movie.

Dominique Calhoun