Michigan eighth graders have written an exceptional book. It’s called “My Personal Michigan Hero,” a collection of essays about Michigan students’ personal heroes, many of whom live right in the students’ home communities.

The essays provide insight into whom Michigan young people consider to be their heroes of today.

The booklet will be distributed to Michigan schools to introduce the 45th annual America and Me Essay Contest, sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance.

Each year, several thousand eighth graders from nearly 500 Michigan schools enter the patriotic writing contest, which encourages Michigan young people to write about their American heroes, especially the people who have made a big difference in the students’ personal lives.

This year’s contest, taking place September through Nov. 15, will again ask students to write on the topic “My Personal Michigan Hero.”

Sign-up kits will be sent to schools throughout Michigan in early September.

The contest is open to any eighth grade student in Michigan enrolled in a public or private school, and offers a variety of awards on the local and statewide levels.

The first-place entry from each school will be entered into the statewide competition from which the top 10 essays in the state will be chosen.

Each top ten statewide winner receives a $1,000 cash award.

The top 10 will be honored in May 2014 in Lansing, where they will meet the state’s top governmental leaders, be honored in pre-game ceremonies at a Lansing Lugnuts minor league baseball game and attend an awards banquet aboard the Michigan Princess Riverboat.

As sponsor of the contest, Farm Bureau Insurance has earned 11 national awards from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge.

To learn more about the contest, view video highlights from last year’s awards day or to read the booklet of highlights from last year’s entries (“My Personal Michigan Hero”), visit www.farmbureauinsurance-mi.com.