Celebrate El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day / Book Day)

Dia Event Celebrates Many Children, Many Cultures, Many Books

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day), known as Día, is a celebration EVERY DAY of children, families, and reading that culminates every year on April 30.  

Dia emphasizes the importance of advocating literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Dia 101 Webinar Scheduled

On Friday, April 1 at 1:00 p.m. CST, ALSC is offering Día 101: Everything you need to know about celebrating El día de los niños/El día de los libros. This one-hour webinar covers all things Día. It's lead by Beatriz Pascual Wallace from the Seattle Public Library.

Pat Mora to Make Appearance in Tucson, Arizona 

Award-winning children’s author Pat Mora will join the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) for the national kick-off 15th anniversary celebration of Día at the Valencia Branch of the Pima County Library System from 11:30 – 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, 2011. Learn more.

Pat Mora will also be celebrating Díapalooza on her blog  by posting a Día related item and reflection each day. 

Share the Joy of Dia!

Teachers, librarians, parents, and guardians, YOU can share the joy of Dia with all the young people in your life! Check out Pat Mora's website for planning ideas and resources, and check out the ALSC's Dia map to find Dia celebrations in communities around the country.

Attention Teachers, Librarians, and Homeschoolers! Citizen Writer Contest Is In Progress!

Citzen Writer Contest Emphasizes Civics, Citizenship, and Communities

Reading Rockets and AdLit.org recently launched their Citizen Writer Challenge, and K-12 students across America are invited to participate! Entries can be submitted until April 30, 2011. 

This year's contest challenges students to think and learn more about America's people, places, and ideals as they write.  

 

To inspire maximum creativity, four very different kinds of writing prompts are being offered, each designed to match students' interests and stretch their creative skills. For kids who enjoy visualizing their ideas, the Mapmaker challenge could be a perfect fit; or, if you have students gifted in music and poetry, they might want to try the In Verse challenge, which  asks students to write songs and poems.  The Take a Letter challenge invites students to write a letter to a person in history, and the Free to... challenge invites students to exercise their freedom by writing a short essay or article about an issue important to them.

Prize winners will have their work published on Reading Rockets and AdLit.org and will receive a gift basket of age-appropriate books and a personalized certificate.

Begin the Research with Our White House!

To get young writers in the spirit for the contest, be sure to check out the excellent resources on civic education at OurWhiteHouse.org. This educational website is a companion to the remarkable book Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, created by the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance and published by Candlewick Press. Our White House is an art and literature anthology designed to encourage young people to read and think more about America’s rich history and culture. The illustrations, essays, short stories, presidential letters, personal reflections, and historical accounts in Our White House inform and entertain, offering a window on more than 200 years of American history. 

 

Inspiration for Citizen Writers in Our White House!

Students participating in the Mapmaker challenge might want to check out mapmaker Mike Reagan's stunning representation of "The Capital City in 1800" in Our White House, as well as writer Mark London Williams' story, "Escape Map," which tells of how he drew an escape map on his bedroom wall during the 1960s. Young poets can read a variety of poems in Our White House, including the poignant "In Early April" by Kate DiCamillo and the humorous "I Live in the White House" by Jack Prelutsky. On OurWhiteHouse.org students can read poet Nikki Grimes' powerful piece "Staking Claim."  For students choosing to write a letter to a president or first lady, the Presidential Facts and First Lady Facts pages on OurWhiteHouse.org provide an excellent starting point for their research.

Our White House is available in both hardcover and paperback. The new paperback edition features a NEW poem by Nikki Grimes about President Obama’s inauguration!

Family Field Trip!

Brandywine Museum to Host "Barry Moser: Bookwright" Exhibit 

If you live in the area of southeastern Pennsylvania or find you might be traveling there soon, be sure to check out the "Barry Moser: Bookwright" exhibit at the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, which opens March 26 and continues through May 22.

This exhibition features the work of Barry Moser, the illustrator and bookwright whose limited editions and trade books transcend the ordinary, propelling each volume from a diversion into a fine work of art in its own right. Moser has illustrated and/or designed more than 300 books, and has won numerous awards, including the National Book Award for design and illustration for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. This exhibition will feature a selection of Moser's wood engravings, watercolors and beautiful limited edition books produced by his own Pennyroyal Press. 

The Brandywine River Museum is located west of Philadelphia and north of Wilmington, Delaware. For directions and more information about the museum, visit BrandywineMuseum.org. 

Learn more about Moser and his work in the Boston Globe article "Moser's Lifework Thrives in Books" by James Sullivan.

Among the multitudes of engravings created by Moser over the years is this stunning image of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which Moser created for the art and literature anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out.

 

Our White House is a project of The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance designed to encourage young people to read more about America’s rich history and culture; to think more about America’s future; to talk more about our nation’s leadership; and to act on their own beliefs and convictions, ensuring this great democratic experiment will survive and thrive. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough introduces this creative tour de force, in which 108 renowned authors and illustrators have donated their poetry, prose, and art to help advance the cause of young people’s literacy and historical literacy. The illustrations, essays, short stories, presidential letters, personal reflections, and historical accounts in Our White House inform and entertain, offering a window on more than 200 years of American history.

 

Adults who live and work with young people will want to check out OurWhiteHouse.org,  the companion educational website to Our White House, which hosts a vast array of exclusive articles and resources to make learning more about American history and our presidents fun.

Our White House is available in both hardcover and paperback. The new paperback edition features a NEW poem by Nikki Grimes about President Obama’s inauguration!

Author Katherine Paterson to Speak at the Butler Center in River Forest, Illinois

Spring Lecture Scheduled for April 6

United States National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Katherine Paterson will deliver the 2011 Dominican University Graduate School of Library and Information Science spring lecture. Ms. Paterson will deliver a lecture entitled "Read for Your Life" on Wednesday, April 6, 2011, at 6:00pm in the Bluhm Lecture Hall (Room 108) in Parmer Hall, to be followed by a reception in the Parmer Atrium.  

Ms. Paterson is the acclaimed and beloved author of dozens of books for children and teens. Her books have won the Newbery Medal (twice), the National Book Award, and the Scott O'Dell Prize for Historical Fiction, and have been included on lists of distinction including the Horn Book Fanfare, the American Library Association Notable Books for Children, Library of Congress Books for Children, Booklist Editors' Choice and School Library Journal Best Books, among others. In 1998 she was chosen by the International Board of Books for Young People for the Hans Christian Anderson Award recognizing her lasting contribution to literature for children, and is one of only six American authors and illustrators to be so honored. Paterson is also a vice president of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance.

For more information about the lecture, contact Thom Barthelmess, Butler Children's Literature Center Curator, at (708) 524-6861 or tbarthelmess@dom.edu . For more information about the Butler Children's Literature Center at Dominican University, visit their website. To learn more about Paterson's books, visit Terabithia.com. And visit Read.gov to read more about the National Ambassador program.

National Library Week Is April 10-16

Make Plans to Celebrate National Library Week

Libraries are places for new beginnings.  Whether you are getting your first library card, learning new computer skills, or planning a trip, the library is the place where your story begins. This National Library Week, join our nation’s libraries and librarians and Create your own story @ your library. 

National Library Week is an annual celebration of the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians. All types of libraries--school, public, academic, and special--participate! Visit your local library today to find out what special events they have planned!

Acclaimed author John Grisham is the Honorary Chair of National Library Week. Click here to watch a video of Grisham explaining the value of libraries.

Teens! Make a Video and Help Win Money for Your Library!

Gather your friends and put together an original 1-3 minute video about why you need your library.  Up to six people can work together to submit a video. You can pick your technique. Entries can be live-action, animation, machinima, or a combination of these. Upload the video to YouTube before midnight April 18, 2011.

Entries can be submitted in two age categories: 13-15 and 16-18. Three 3rd place winners will receive $1,000 each for their selected libraries. Two second place winners will receive $2,000 each for their selected libraries.  One winner or group of winners will receive $3,000 for their selected library, plus $50 gift cards to an online bookseller for each individual member of the winning group (limit of 6 participants per group).

Learn more about the video contest at ILoveLibraries.org.

In Case You Missed It!

Federal Aid for Most Literacy Programs Eliminated

In the article "Budget Cuts Raise Questions About Federal Commitment to Literacy,"  Education Week writer Erik W. Robelen writes, "The elimination of most federal aid for literacy programs at the U.S. Department of Education is raising new questions about the future of the federal commitment to promoting literacy, a role that’s had a bumpy ride in recent years.

Even though some of the more than $350 million in cuts to those programs this month could be reversed, as Congress and the White House wrangle over the budget, some education advocates say the Obama administration doesn’t seem to treat the issue as a high priority. The president himself has devoted far more public attention to the so-called STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, as he did once again when visiting a Boston public school last week."

Read the complete article (published March 14) on EdWeek.org.  

Take Action! 

The federal budget is not yet complete. You can make your voice heard and share your thoughts on our nation's educational priorities for our young people. Contacting your congressmen and senators is easy. Go to the online directories for the House of Representatives and the Senate to quickly find contact information for the congressmen and senators in your state and district. And visit WhiteHouse.gov to send a direct email to President Obama.

The Citizen Writer Challenge is ON!

New Writing Contest Emphasizes Civics, Citizenship, and Communities

Reading Rockets and AdLit.org are back with a new writing contest! Citizen Writer offers great writing prompts with connections to civics, citizenship, and our communities.  

This year's contest challenges students to think and learn more about America's people, places, and ideals as they write. To inspire maximum creativity, four very different kinds of writing prompts are being offered, each designed to match students' interests and stretch their creative skills. For kids who enjoy visualizing their ideas, the mapmaking challenge could be a perfect fit; or, if you have students gifted in music and poetry, they might want to try the songwriting and verse challenge. As always, each prompt includes links to helpful background resources.

There are four grade levels for entries:

Level I: K-grade 2

Level II: grades 3-5

Level III: grades 6-8

Level IV: grades 9-12

Prize winners will have their work published on ReadingRockets.org and AdLit.org and will receive a gift basket of age-appropriate books and a personalized certificate.

All contest entries must be received by April 30, 2011.

Begin Your Research with Our White House!
To get your young writers in the spirit for the contest, be sure to check out the excellent resources on civic education at OurWhiteHouse.org. This educational website is a companion to the remarkable book Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, created by the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance and published by Candlewick Press. 

Our White House is designed to encourage young people to read more about America’s rich history and culture; to think more about America’s future; to talk more about our nation’s leadership; and to act on their own beliefs and convictions, ensuring this great democratic experiment will survive and thrive. The illustrations, essays, short stories, presidential letters, personal reflections, and historical accounts in Our White House inform and entertain, offering a window on more than 200 years of American history. Our White House is available in both hardcover and paperback. The new paperback edition features a NEW poem by Nikki Grimes about President Obama’s inauguration!

Celebrate World Read Aloud Day March 9th

Share the Power of Words and Stories on World Read Aloud Day,
March 9, 2011

Nearly 1 billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their name. What would you miss most if you could not read or write? Imagine your world without words.

To address the challenge of global illiteracy, the nonprofit literacy organization LitWorld invites people around the world to participate in World Read Aloud Day by reading aloud with loved ones and friends. For a list of reading activities, check out LitWorld's Activities for Children and Teens, which include poem and book activities for all age ranges.

World Read Aloud Day celebrates the power of words, especially those words that are shared from one person to another. The goal is to create a community of readers advocating for every child’s right to a safe education and access to books and technology. A highlight of LitWorld's World Read Aloud Day is a 24-hour read-aloud marathon in Times Square.

The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance believes that every person has the right to read. In a free society, this includes the right to choose what one shall read. Learn more and discover additional resources and related links on our Right to Read page.