High school students have until Friday, October 15 to submit their essays that explore topics from the novel, The Rocket Boys, by Homer Hickam. The book is this year's selection for the One Book/One Community: Our Region Reads program. The essay contest is sponsored by HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College, in collaboration with the public libraries of Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York Counties.

Officials will announce the winning essays at the end of October for each county in first, second and third place, and then select one essay that is best overall. A similar contest is running for HACC students at the campuses in Harrisburg, Gettysburg, Lancaster, Lebanon and locations in York.

Students should send their entries to Alice Lubrecht, Dean of Library and Information Resources, HACC, One HACC Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17110-2999. Authors can email their papers to her at the email address below. Material about the contest is also available at the region's public and high school libraries. For further information, contact Lubrecht at (717) 780-2468.