Keep School Librarians in Schools!

School Librarians are often the First Casualties of School Budget Cuts!

The NCBLA urges you to contact your local school board and school department, your state legislators and education department, and your representatives to the United State Congress to ask for level funding for school and public libraries, and to keep state certified librarians employed in school and public libraries!

In times of economic crisis school and local libraries are needed more than ever and are usually the first casualties of local, state, and federal budget cuts.

The following is from a recent article in the New York Times:

"Ms. Rosalia, 54, is part of a growing cadre of 21st-century multimedia specialists who help guide students through the digital ocean of information that confronts them on a daily basis. These new librarians believe that literacy includes, but also exceeds, books.

“The days of just reshelving a book are over,” said Ms. Rosalia, who came to P.S. 225 nearly six years ago after graduating at the top of her class at the Queens College Graduate School of Library and Information Studies. “Now it is the information age, and that technology has brought out a whole new generation of practices.”

Some of these new librarians teach children how to develop PowerPoint presentations or create online videos. Others get students to use social networking sites to debate topics from history or comment on classmates’ creative writing. Yet as school librarians increasingly teach students crucial skills needed not only in school, but also on the job and in daily life, they are often the first casualties of school budget crunches"

To read more in the New York Times, go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/books/16libr.html?em

To read more about how you can become a literacy-library advocate, go to:
http://www.thencbla.org/BPOSpages/becomeactivist.html

http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/wo/woissues/washfunding/fedfund/stimulusfund.cfm

http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/wo/gettinginvolved/fllan/fllan.cfm

Usage of Public Libraries Is Soaring Across the Country

Americans Enjoy Respite from Recession Woes at Local Libraries

Any devoted library patron could easily list the exciting range of resources and services offered by our public libraries—from printed books to audio books, movie classics to video games, and preschool story time to the tutoring of adults learning English as a second language. With our economy sinking even deeper into recession, book lovers and job seekers are hanging out at the local library, perusing the stacks and surfing the internet. The increased traffic is in fact breaking all kinds of records around the country.

The Boston Globe reported in January that usage of the Newark Public Library in New Jersey is up 17 %; new library card requests have increased 61 % at the Boise Public Library; and in Brantley County, Georgia, library computer usage was up 26 % in the last quarter. Computer usage is critical as the American Library Association notes that 73 % of all libraries nationwide offer the only free Internet access in their communities. The continuation of free computer and Internet access at our nation’s libraries is essential to millions of Americans who rely on these resources for getting jobs.

Despite the increased traffic at America’s public libraries, funding is being slashed and branches are in danger of being closed. Recognizing the tragic irony of the fiscal crisis, Emily Sheketoff, Executive Director of the ALA Washington Office, has stated that “Public libraries stand ready to help communities recover from this economic tailspin. Governors and mayors need to make sure that the funding for these multi-purpose economic engines is in place.”

What can be done to support funding for our local libraries?

The ALA website offers an action list, “Two Minutes Can Make a Difference,” that explains how you can advocate for public library funding. The action list includes not only ways to contact your congressman, but also means for staying informed and spreading the word about this critical issue.

Voices from Our White House: M.T. Anderson

NCBLA Board Member talks about "The House Haunts"

Welcome to the second installment of the NCBLA blog's new weekly feature, Voices from Our White House, a series of interviews with some of the talented contributors to the art and literary anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. This feature is conducted by NCBLA high school intern Colleen Damerell.

Our White House was created by the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance. A collaborative effort by over 100 authors and illustrators, the book is the product of a desire to encourage young people to learn and read about American heritage. For more information, please visit ourwhitehouse.org.

This week we feature M.T. Anderson, whose books for children and young adults include Feed; Handel, Who Knew What He Liked; and the Octavian Nothing series. For his piece in Our White House, entitled "The House Haunts," Mr. Anderson wrote about the ghosts that some believe haunt the White House to this day. Here's an excerpt:

Some say that a British soldier killed on the White House grounds during the War of 1812 still walks the lawns with a torch in his hand. Others say that a dead doorman still welcomes visitors and that a dutiful servant, though deceased, still shuts off lights at night. Some say that Abigail Adams, wife of President John Adams, bustles toward the East Room, carrying a load of laundry to be dried. When gardeners tried to dig up Dolley Madison's rose garden, she returned from the grave to tell them off--so they fled, and the garden remained. Roosevelt, Truman, and Hoover all heard Lincoln knock on their bedroom door; and when Lincoln himself was alive and well, Mrs. Lincoln heard the dead Andrew Jackson tramp up and down the corridors, swearing.

We asked Mr. Anderson a few questions about his piece:

NCBLA: How did you first learn about the supposed White House ghosts? Why did you choose to write about "The House Haunts" for Our White House? Have you always had an interest in ghosts and the supernatural?
MTA: I have always been fascinated by ghosts, even though I don't believe in them. I have a whole bookshelf next to my bed filled with ghost stories from around the country (and around the world). I knew that as a kid, the first question I would have about a historical place like the White House would have been, "Is it haunted?"

NCBLA: If you could meet one of the White House ghosts, whom would you like to meet—a famous past president like Lincoln or an unknown like the British soldier who walks the grounds? What would you ask a ghost if you met one?
MTA: Excellent question! I have to admit that I really would rather not meet any ghosts at all. But if I had to meet one, I might as well meet Lincoln. At least there'd be a good story in it -- and I could say that I'd had a brush with history!

NCBLA: Who is your favorite president and why?
MTA: That's a difficult one, because I think that the compromises that come with power (and that are necessary for one to remain in power) almost always modify a president's ideals. For example, one of my favorite presidents in terms of his beliefs is Jimmy Carter -- but he was not one of our most effective presidents, because of the complications of holding office and operating in a system that demands certain compromises.

NCBLA: If you could pick any job in the White House, what would it be?
MTA: Presidential cat.

NCBLA: How do you think President Obama will change the story of the presidency? What do you think or hope people will write about him in the future? Do you think he will be visited by a White House ghost?
MTA: Well, I hope, of course, that his ideals are not compromised in the course of his presidency -- and that he takes the current crisis and uses it as an opportunity to rehaul a system which is in peril of complete collapse. What I would hope is that in the future, people write about our generation as we do about those who lived in the thirties and forties -- that this was a period of suffering where we came together. This was the moment when we went from believing that the common good will somehow, mysteriously, arise from self-interest -- to believing that if we work together to make the nation prosper, we can all reap the benefits and the security. As for a ghost to meet Obama, I think we could all use a glimpse of Warren G. Harding to keep us on the straight and narrow. ... "Theeeeese are the chaains I forrrrrged in liiiiife..."

For more information on this author, please read his NCBLA bio.

Wheelock Family Theatre Events

The Theatre's upcoming season features literature-based shows

The Wheelock Family Theatre, associated with Wheelock College in Boston, will perform Seussical, Charlotte's Web, and Ben's Trumpet for their 2009 season. The Theatre supports local families and encourages children to become involved in theatre.

Seussical is based on the works of Dr. Seuss, who wrote many memorable children's books, including The Cat In The Hat, Horton Hears a Who, and Green Eggs and Ham. The Seussical characters are pulled from several Dr. Seuss books.

Charlotte's Web is based on the children's book of the same name by E.B. White. The book follows the story of Wilbur the pig and his friendship with a spider named Charlotte.

Ben's Trumpet is based on the Caldecott-winning book by Rachel Isadora about a young boy who wishes to become a jazz musician.

February Literary Events Around the Country

Celebrate Children's Literature Throughout February

Chase away the winter blahs by celebrating Valentine's Day with a wonderful book. Check out the following recommendations of love stories to savour and events to share with your entire family!

Why Buy Candy When You Can Share a Story?
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Horn Book has published an online list of riveting love stories readers in grades 7 and up will enjoy. Check out the Horn Book’s list of suggestions and find a book or two to thrill your favorite Valentine!

Kids Y Authors
Families all over New England are invited to visit their local bookstore this Valentine’s Day to meet a diverse group of fabulous authors and illustrators who are anxious to meet young readers of all ages! Authors and illustrators will appear at bookstores from 10:00 AM to noon.

You can join author, illustrator, and NCBLA President Mary Brigid Barrett, along with Grace Lin, Laya Steinberg, and Nancy Viau at CURIOUS GEORGE & FRIENDS, at 1 JFK Street in Cambridge, MA. Barrett will be signing copies of Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out and assisting visiting youngsters in writing postcards to President Obama.

Please visit Kids Y Authors for a complete list of participating authors, illustrators, and booksellers.

Small Graces: A Painting a Month to Benefit the FCB
Author and illustrator Grace Lin’s painting for February is currently being auctioned on eBay to benefit the Foundation for Children’s Books in Boston. This month's painting (right) is painted in gouache on watercolor paper and features the Chinese proverb: "Kissing is like drinking salted water--you drink and your thirst increases." The auction ends Friday, February 13. Visit gracenotes to learn more about Grace’s artwork and auction, or visit eBay to make a bid!

Artwalk with the Artist
The National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature in Abilene, Texas is hosting several events featuring artist and writer Ashley Bryan beginning Thursday, February 12. Ashley Bryan's numerous awards and honors include the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration, six Coretta Scott King Honors, the Arbuthnot Prize, and a Fulbright Scholarship.

Visit the special events listing on the NCCIL's website to learn more.

Presidents’ Day Is February 16

Celebrate Presidents’ Day Throughout the Month!

Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is February 12 and George Washington’s birthday is February 22, but we officially celebrate both on Presidents’ Day, February 16. This month provides a perfect opportunity to take a closer look at all our presidents.

How can we share stories of the American presidency with our children?

Visit a Presidential Historic Site or Library
More than twenty states boast presidential birthplaces, historic homes, libraries, and museums. The website ourwhitehouse.org offers a comprehensive guide to finding these fabulous places, listed by state: Field Trip Guide! Presidential Birthplaces, Houses, and Libraries.

Check Out Special Activities at Local Museums
Many presidential libraries and museums are offering child-friendly and family-oriented activities to commemorate Presidents’ Day. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston is hosting a week-long celebration beginning Thursday, February 12, with its exhibit “Presidential Letters: A Selection from JFK's Historic Collection.” Among the items featured in this display will be four archival replicas of letters written by former presidents, including letters by George Washington, John Adams, Andrew Jackson, and Abraham Lincoln.

On Tuesday, February 17, the JFK Library is offering special children’s programming titled "Fire on the Mountain" by Flying Ship Productions. The one-hour performance invites children to journey with Alemayu, a young shepherd boy, through the vast mountains as he searches for his sister and learns life's lessons of character, honesty, courage, and love. This uplifting musical brings to life a classic African folktale with music, costumes, and scenery inspired by the cultural heritage of Ethiopia. The program is free, but reservations are required. To make a reservation, please call 617.514.1644 or e-mail JFKcelebrate@nara.gov.

Learn more by visiting the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

Read, Research, Question, Learn!
Check out Maria Salvadore’s extensive list of book and website recommendations online at: Presidents, the President’s House, and More: A Select List of Books (and a Few Web Sources) for Children and Young Adults.

Play a Game of Presidential Trivia!
Do you know which president was the first to live in the White House? (Hint: It wasn’t George Washington!) Do you know which president served the shortest term? (Hint: He was president for 31 days in 1841.) Which presidents have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize?

Make up your own presidential trivia game by digging into amazing Presidential Facts. Find the answers to these questions and make up even more questions using the essays about presidential job requirements, campaigns, and PETS—all on ourwhitehouse.org!

Voices from Our White House: Katherine Paterson

NCBLA Vice President answers questions on "The Eyes and Ears of the Public."

Welcome the NCBLA blog's new weekly feature, Voices from Our White House, a series of interviews with some of the talented contributors to the art and literary anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, conducted by NCBLA high school intern Colleen Damerell.

Our White House was created by the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance. A collaborative effort by over 100 authors and illustrators, the book is the product of a desire to encourage young people to learn and read about American heritage. For more information, please visit ourwhitehouse.org.

This week we feature NCBLA Vice President Katherine Paterson (Bridge to Terabithia, Jacob Have I Loved, The Great Gilly Hopkins). For her piece in Our White House, entitled "The Eyes and Ears of the Public," Ms. Paterson wrote about the White House press corps, the group of journalists who cover the goings-on in the president's home.
Here's an excerpt:

In the beginning, reporters stood outside the gates in all weather, trying to buttonhole people going in and out to get news of what was happening inside. By 1900, President McKinley realized that there were so many reporters hanging around the gates that he sent an aide out to give them a daily briefing. When Theodore Roosevelt became president, after McKinley's assassination, he liked to talk to reporters himself, chatting with those he liked and snubbing those he thought had written or might write an unfavorable story.

We asked Ms. Paterson some questions about her piece:

NCBLA: What influenced you to write about the White House press corps? Did you read or see something that sparked your interest in this group of people, especially reporter Helen Thomas?

KP: I believe the press corps are the eyes and ears of us all in the White House. It seems to me that when the press corps fail to ask the hard questions and keep the President and his press secretary on their toes, the whole world suffers. We could always count on Helen Thomas to ask the hard questions on our behalf. She epitomizes the best in the press corps tradition. Unfortunately, her questions were too uncomfortable during the previous administration so she was sent to the back row and seldom called upon.

NCBLA: Who is your favorite president and why?

KP: Right now, Barack Obama is my favorite president. I like and/or dislike his forty-three predecessors in varying degrees and for different qualities.

NCBLA: Would you prefer to be Press Secretary or a member of the press corps? Which end of the president-press relationship would you rather be on?

KP: I think I'd rather be a member of the press. It's easier to ask hard, uncomfortable questions than to answer them.

NCBLA: How do you think President Obama will change the story of the presidency? What do you think or hope people will write about him in the future?

KP: Everyone mentions the fact that America has finally grown to the point that we can elect an African-American as president. I think it's even more significant that America seems glad to elect and support a person of obvious intelligence, self-control, and emotional maturity. No one knows what the future will bring, but it is reassuring to watch this calm, thoughtful man facing the enormous challenges of the present. He seems truly to want what is best for the people as a whole without having to kowtow to any sector of the population.

NCBLA: President Obama enters office at a time of great technological innovation; he is famously attached to his Blackberry PDA. How do you think the use of technologies like cell phones and the internet has changed public and press opinion on the presidency?

KP: I'm from Vermont and know personally folks who were involved in Howard Dean's 2004 campaign. I knew during that campaign that politics was going to be a different ballgame from then on. No longer would only the very rich or huge corporations or lobbying blocs be able to control what comes out of the White House. Since I was very involved in the Obama campaign, I have truly enjoyed and am still enjoying frequent updates on what's going on via my computer. I'm too old to learn text messaging, but, that too, will mean that the President can keep in touch with ordinary people and not be sealed off by security and insiders.

You can also read "The Eloquence of Silent Cal," Ms. Paterson's piece about Calvin Coolidge, on ourwhitehouse.org: click here.

For more information on this author, please see her NCBLA bio or visit her website.

America SCORES Hosts National Poetry Slam

National Poetry SLAM to be Held at the New York Stock Exchange

Each spring America SCORES celebrates the achievements of students across the country with a National Poetry Slam. Two student-poets from each of America SCORES' fifteen affiliate cities will be selected from among 6,000 America SCORES kids to perform their original poetry at the New York Stock Exchange on April 20 in front of an audience of 300 attendees.

America SCORES is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to bring soccer and literacy to kids in urban communities across the country. Resources provided by America SCORES include: Soccer and Creative Writing Curricula, Professional Development, Technical Assistance, National Publications by kids and for kids, and Challenge Grants.

You can read poems written by last year's contestants and learn more about America SCORES and the National Poetry Slam on the America SCORES website.

Author and Illustrator Blair Lent Has Died

Caldecott Medal Winner Blair Lent Dies

Children’s book lovers around the world are mourning the loss of children’s book author and award-winning artist Blair Lent, who died recently at age 79 in Medford, Massachusetts of pneumonia.

Lent authored and illustrated a number of books, including Pistachio, Bayberry Bluff, Molasses Flood, and the more recent Ruby and Fred. He created his illustrations using a diverse range of techniques and media, such as cardboard cutout prints, colored pencils, and acrylic paints. Lent was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1973 for his illustrations in The Funny Little Woman, a Japanese folktale retold by Arlene Mosel.

Read more about Lent’s accomplishments online in The New York Times and School Library Journal.

Grace Lin Initiates Monthly Art Auction to Benefit FCB

Original Paintings Auctioned to Support the Foundation of Children’s Books

In search of a creative means of "giving back to schools and the community," children’s book author and illustrator Grace Lin has initiated a monthly art auction of her own paintings to benefit the Foundation of Children's Books. The vibrantly colored original paintings feature Chinese proverbs and are approximately 5 inches square. You can view her paintings and learn more about the auction on her blog at “Small Graces: A Painting a Month for the FCB.” February's painting appears here. You can help assist in this literacy cause by bidding on one of Grace's paintings on eBay!

The Foundation of Children's Books is a nonprofit, educational organization located in Boston. The mission of FCB is to "help teachers, librarians, and parents select and use quality children's literature in order to instill in children the joy of reading as a prerequisite for literacy and lifelong learning."

Writers Speak Out on This Year’s Caldecott and Newbery Medal Winners

Commentary Thrives Regarding ALA Youth Media Award Winners

In “Surprise! The Newbery Goes to a Popular Book,” writers Debra Lau Whelan and Rick Margolis delight in this year’s Newbery Medal winner. Whelan and Margolis state in School Library Journal, “The Newbery Medal ended its slump. The committee that awards the nation’s top prize for children’s literature chose Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, marking the first time in four years that the award went to a book that’s critically acclaimed by both librarians and kids.”

The complete article is available online, including comments from Neil Gaiman and reactions to the other winners, at School Library Journal.

Read what children's literature expert Maria Salvadore has to say about the Caldecott Medal and this year’s winner (Beth Krommes for her illustrations in The House in the Night) on her Reading Rockets blog about reading, Page by Page.

In addition to sharing her perspectives on reading and children’s literature on her Reading Rockets blog, Maria is also a prized contributor to the ourwhitehouse.org website, which supplements the NCBLA’s award-winning anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. Our White House was recognized as an ALA Notable Children's Book for All Ages this week.

In her annotated bibliography on ourwhitehouse.org titled “Presidents, the President’s House, and More: A Select List of Books (and a Few Web Sources) for Children and Young Adults,” Maria has compiled an extensive list of books and online resources that will not only enlighten, but also delight readers young and old as they seek to learn more about American history and the presidency.

American Library Association Announces 2009 Notable Children's Books

Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out Named an ALA Notable Children’s Book!

The ALA has announced its list of 2009 Notable Children’s Books! Only books that the selection committee determine to be “worthy of note or notice, important, distinguished, and outstanding” are designated as an ALA Notable Children’s Book. The ALA website explains its Notable criteria regarding children's books: “Notable should be thought to include books of especially commendable quality, books that exhibit venturesome creativity, and books of fiction, information, poetry and pictures for all age levels (birth through age 14) that reflect and encourage children's interests in exemplary ways.”

The NCBLA is thrilled that this year’s list of “Notable Children’s Books for All Ages” includes Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. Created by over 100 award-winning writers and illustrators as an exciting means to promote both literacy and historical literacy, Our White House is an expansive anthology of original poetry, historical fiction, nonfiction, and primary source materials about American history and thematically unified by the White House.

In addition to recognizing Our White House as a Notable Book for children of all ages, the ALA also honored three additional books in the same category: Wild Tracks: A guide to Nature’s Footprints by Jim Arnosky, published by Sterling; Frogs by Nic Bishop, published by Scholastic; and A is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet, written and illustrated by Stephen T. Johnson, published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman.

Review the complete list of 2009 Notable Children’s Books at the ala.org website.

Read and Learn More at OURWHITEHOUSE.ORG

To learn more about Our White House, take a look at its coordinating educational website, ourwhitehouse.org, which provides additional stories and essays, as well as pertinent activities and discussion questions related to book topics that adults can implement at home or in the classroom. On ourwhitehouse.org you can read Gregory Maguire’s expanded poetic metaphor "Looking In, Looking Out;" Nikki Grimes’ poignant poem, "Staking Claim," about a blind person’s visit to the White House; and Katherine Paterson’s profile of President Calvin Coolidge, "The Eloquence of ‘Silent Cal.’"

Enter the Letters from the White House Writing Contest!

Also on ourwhitehouse.org you can find all you need to know about participating in the national creative writing contest, Letters from the White House. Using Our White House and ourwhitehouse.org as inspirational passports into American history, young people enter the contest by writing letters and journal entries that explore the history of America as they imagine and write about the experience of living or working in the White House.

Letters from the White House is co-sponsored by the NCBLA, Reading Rockets, and AdLit.org. All entries are due by February 16, 2009, Presidents Day! Learn more about the contest on the ourwhitehouse.org website.

American Library Association Announces Literary Award Winners

ALA Announces 2009 Youth Media Awards

Yesterday the American Library Association announced the winners of its prestigious series of awards that honor books, videos, and audiobooks published for children and young adults in the previous year.

The John Newbery Medal, which recognizes the most distinguished contribution to children's literature, was awarded to Neil Gaiman, author of The Graveyard Book, illustrated by Dave McKean and published by HarperCollins Children's Books.

The ALA also named four Newbery Honor Books: The Underneath, by Kathi Appelt, illustrated by David Small, and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers; The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom, by Margarita Engle and published by Henry Holt and Company LLC; Savvy, by Ingrid Law and published by Dial Books for Young Readers; After Tupac & D Foster, by Jacqueline Woodson and published by G. P. Putnam's Sons.

The Randolph Caldecott Medal, which honors the most distinguished American picture book for children, was awarded to Beth Krommes, illustrator of The House in the Night, written by Susan Marie Swanson and published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Three Caldecott Honor Books were named: A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, written and illustrated by Marla Frazee and published by Harcourt, Inc.; How I Learned Geography, written and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz and published by Farrar Straus Giroux; A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, written by Jen Bryant and published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

The Michael L. Printz Award, which recognizes excellence in literature written for young adults, was awarded to Melina Marchetta, author of Jellicoe Road, published by HarperTeen.

Four Printz Honor Books were named: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II, The Kingdom on the Waves, by M.T. Anderson, published by Candlewick Press; The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart, published by Hyperion Books for Children; Nation, by Terry Pratchett, published by HarperCollins Children's Books; and Tender Morsels, by Margo Lanagan, published by Alfred A. Knopf.

In addition to the Newbery Medal, Caldecott Medal, and Printz Awards, the ALA also announced the winners of the following awards: Alex Awards, Andrew Carnegie Medal, Coretta Scott King Book Awards, Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, Margaret A. Edwards Award, May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture, Mildred L. Batchelder Award, Odyssey Award, Pura Belpré Awards, Schneider Family Book Award, Theodore Seuss Geisel Award, and William C. Morris Award.

View a complete list of the 2009 youth media award winners on the ALA's website: ala.org .

Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out Honored by Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly Designates Our White House with Honorable Mention “Best Nonfiction Treatment of a Subject”

Each year Publishers Weekly awards its “Off the Cuff” awards (also known as “Cuffies”) to book retailers’ top picks in 25 various categories, ranging from “Favorite Picture Book” to “Book You Couldn’t Shut Up About.” Their recently announced list of 2008 winners includes Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out as the retailers’ Honorable Mention for “Best Nonfiction Treatment of a Subject.” The retailers' top choice for “Best Nonfiction Treatment of a Subject” was awarded to David Macaulay’s The Way We Work. Congratulations are due to all Our White House contributors, especially to Our White House cover illustrator David Macaulay!

View the entire distinguished list of “Cuffie” winners on the Publishers Weekly website at “The 2008 Cuffies.”

Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out overflows with fascinating essays, stories, letters, illustrations, comics, and more by over one hundred award-winning authors and illustrators. The anthology is supported by a companion educational website, ourwhitehouse.org, which expands the book content with additional stories and articles and also provides activities and discussion questions related to book topics. Students young and old may relish the behind-the-scenes look into David Macaulay’s creative genius by viewing images of his preliminary sketches for the Our White House cover in the online article “David Macaulay’s Preliminary Sketches: Creating the Our White House Book Cover Illustration.”

Also included on ourwhitehouse.org is an American history resource and civic education center, a guide to presidential field trip destinations, and an extensive young people’s bibliography. Discover basic facts and legacy summaries about all our presidents in the website’s Presidential Facts center. And learn about our first ladies in the website’s First Lady Facts center.

Both Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out and ourwhitehouse.org are projects created by the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance to not only promote literacy, but to also excite people of all ages about our nation’s rich history.

Learn more about how parents, teachers, and librarians can inspire young people using the Our White House resources in the online article "For Educators: Using Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out and in the Classroom."

Celebrate! America’s 44th President Barack Obama Is Inaugurated!

Obama Is Inaugurated! Make This a Teaching Moment!
Americans and citizens around the world celebrated joyously yesterday as they witnessed yet another peaceful transfer of power. Nearly two billion people braved the freezing cold in Washington, D.C., so they could be a part of this historic moment—the inauguration of our country’s first African American president, Barack Obama. Though the work crews are now removing the barricades from Pennsylvania Avenue and the balloons from city ballrooms, now remains a perfect time to continue our dialog about American history and politics.

How do we discuss this moment with our children? How do we make it real?

Read and Review Different Resources With Children
Start with The Horn Book’s recommended books about American presidents. Their list includes picture books, as well as books for intermediate and young adult readers. All books on this list were published within the last several years. Check it out at: The Horn Book Monthly Special: American Presidents.



Another excellent resource to consult regarding the presidency, politics, and American history is the NCBLA’s art and literary anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. Our White House seeks to build on logical links between literacy, historical literacy, and civic engagement. Coordinating activities and discussion suggestions, as well as additional articles, are available on the book's supplemental website: ourwhitehouse.org.



Enter the "Letters from the White House" Writing Contest!
You can actively engage young people in a very meaningful way by having them participate in the national creative writing contest, Letters from the White House, which is sponsored by the NCBLA, Reading Rockets, and AdLit.org.

To enter the contest, students write letters and journal entries that explore the history of America and tap into their own creativity when they imagine and write about the experience of living or working in the executive mansion. Students are encouraged to find inspiration in the poetry, stories, illustrations, and information in Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out.

Learn more about the Letters from the White House writing contest at: http://www.ourwhitehouse.org/letterscontest.html


Reading Rockets and AdLit.org are services of public television station WETA, Washington, D.C. These multimedia projects use television, the Internet, print, and outreach to disseminate research-based information about teaching young children how to read and educator and parent resources to help those children and adolescents who struggle to learn. Reading Rockets is funded primarily by a major grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. AdLit.org is funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and by the Ann B. and Thomas L. Friedman Family Foundation.

For more information about the NCBLA, the creator of Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, go to: http://www.thencbla.org/.

For information about Reading Rockets, go to: http://www.readingrockets.org/

For information about Adlit, go to: http://www.adlit.org/

New York Times: "Inauguration Is Inspiring Classrooms Nationwide"

Twenty-four hours from now, Barack Obama will be the President of the United States.

Young people around the United States seem more interested than ever in politics; many will witness the historic inauguration in school tomorrow.

From The New York Times:

The inauguration of America’s first African-American president has captured the imagination of students and educators with an intensity that surpasses previous ceremonies, and schools from New Hampshire to Florida to California are working to bring the excitement and pageantry, the sheer history of it all, to life in the classroom.

After millions of students watch Barack Obama take the presidential oath on television, some will recite poetry, many will hear brass bands play patriotic music and not a few will debate whether Mr. Obama’s oratory equaled the eloquence of John F. Kennedy.

Read more: Inauguration is Inspiring Classrooms Nationwide.

How will you celebrate the inauguration with the young people in your life? How can you help to spark their interest in history and current events?

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Tomorrow at school, I will be watching the inauguration on television during art class. My school is suburban but heavily liberal, with Obama earning more than 80% of the votes in our mock election. For many of the seniors (class of '09), the 2008 election was one of the defining moments of our four years in high school. Most of us were stuck in the awkward position of being just too young to vote, but old enough to understand the significance of what was happening. We enter adulthood just as Barack Obama enters the presidency; we all have high hopes for the next four years.

-Colleen, NCBLA intern

Kids Inauguration Celebration!

Plan a Kids Inaugural Ball, Party, or Event for the Young People In Your Life!
Use the Our White House Kids Inauguration Celebration Kit! to create an Event that is fun and Educational!



Attention Parents, Teachers, Librarians, and Youth Community Leaders!


The Our White House
Kids Inauguration
Celebration Kit!
is available now online at: http://www.ourwhitehouse.org/webexc.html

Plan your own “Our White House Kids Inauguration Celebration” and combine great learning with great fun!

The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance has created a free online presidential inauguration activity guide for parents, teachers, librarians, and community leaders so that young people all across the country can participate in this exciting historic event. Use the upcoming inauguration of our new President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joseph Biden as a springboard to celebrate all of our presidents, as well as our nation’s rich history!

In this kit you will find information concerning:
• an interview with professional speech writer Thomas LaFauci
• the oath of office
• the inaugural ceremony
• inaugural parades
• the White House transition of presidents

Activity projects and discussion question topics include:
• creating your own kids inaugural ball
• writing inaugural poetry
• creating parade floats
• designing a new oval office, and more!

Some of the ideas and activities we suggest spring directly from the content and illustrations in the NCBLA’s new book, Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, which you can find at your local library or bookstore—but many of the suggested ideas and activities can be used independently of the book.

Take a look at the kit and share what you learn with the young people in your life!
The Our White House Kids Inauguration Celebration Kit is available online at:
http://www.ourwhitehouse.org/webexc.html

The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance
The NCBLA is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization founded by award-winning young people’s authors and illustrators. Acting as an independent creative agent or in partnership with interested parties, the NCBLA develops original projects, programs, and educational outreach that advocate for and educate about literacy, literature, libraries, and the arts.

We believe that literacy is essential to the development of responsible citizens in a democracy. And we believe that citizens, both young and old, must have equal access to stimulating books and information sources that invite them to dream and give them the tools to achieve their dreams. As writers and illustrators, teachers and mentors, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles—as citizens and neighbors—our ultimate question is always how can we best serve all of our nation’s children?

For more information about the NCBLA go to: www.thencbla.org

Questions or queries, please contact:
Mary Brigid Barrett
President and Executive Director
The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance
508-533-5851

"Reading Is Presidential" Book Drive Promotes Civic Literacy!

Celebrate the Inauguration of Barack Obama by Donating a Book to D.C. Students and Schools

The organizations Sallie Mae, Building Hope, and Reading Is Fundamental have joined forces to launch a nationwide book drive celebrating the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama. The goal of the "Reading Is Presidential" inaugural book drive is to collect more than 44,000 books for Washington, D.C. schools in honor of the historic election of the nation's 44th president.

Every $5 donation made to "Reading Is Presidential" provides one new book to a D.C. public school child, as well as support to RIF’s national mission. Learn more and donate at: https://secure2.convio.net/rif/site/Donation2?idb=1004033955&1880.donation=form1&df_id=1880

The inauguration is just five days away! Discover how inaugural speeches are crafted, what the Constitution has to say about inauguration ceremonies, and which president’s parade lasted almost five hours by checking out the free and informative Our White House Kids' Inauguration Celebration Kit! This online celebration kit not only includes articles explaining inaugural history, but also many fun and enriching activities you can share with the young people in your lives. Find it now at: http://www.ourwhitehouse.org/webexc.html.

Kids Inauguration Celebration Kit Free Online!

Attention Parents, Teachers, Librarians, and Youth Community Leaders!

The Our White House
Kids Inauguration
Celebration Kit!
is available now online at: http://www.ourwhitehouse.org/webexc.html

Plan your own “Our White House Kids Inauguration Celebration” and combine great learning with great fun!

The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance has created a free online presidential inauguration activity guide for parents, teachers, librarians, and community leaders so that young people all across the country can participate in this exciting historic event. Use the upcoming inauguration of our new President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joseph Biden as a springboard to celebrate all of our presidents, as well as our nation’s rich history!

In this kit you will find information concerning:
• an interview with professional speech writer Thomas LaFauci
• the oath of office
• the inaugural ceremony
• inaugural parades
• the White House transition of presidents

Activity projects and discussion question topics include:
• creating your own kids inaugural ball
• writing inaugural poetry
• creating parade floats
• designing a new oval office, and more!

Some of the ideas and activities we suggest spring directly from the content and illustrations in the NCBLA’s new book, Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, which you can find at your local library or bookstore—but many of the suggested ideas and activities can be used independently of the book.

Take a look at the kit and share what you learn with the young people in your life!
The Our White House Kids Inauguration Celebration Kit is available online at:
http://www.ourwhitehouse.org/webexc.html

The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance
The NCBLA is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization founded by award-winning young people’s authors and illustrators. Acting as an independent creative agent or in partnership with interested parties, the NCBLA develops original projects, programs, and educational outreach that advocate for and educate about literacy, literature, libraries, and the arts.

We believe that literacy is essential to the development of responsible citizens in a democracy. And we believe that citizens, both young and old, must have equal access to stimulating books and information sources that invite them to dream and give them the tools to achieve their dreams. As writers and illustrators, teachers and mentors, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles—as citizens and neighbors—our ultimate question is always how can we best serve all of our nation’s children?

For more information about the NCBLA go to: www.thencbla.org

Questions or queries, please contact:
Mary Brigid Barrett
President and Executive Director
The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance
508-533-5851

An Our White House Event in Massachusetts!!!

You are invited on January 22…

Join Gregory Maguire and

Tim Basil Ering

for a Festive Evening Celebrating

NCBLA's Book

OUR WHITE HOUSE LOOKING IN LOOKING OUT!

Come celebrate the new book, Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out created by the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance. This volume is full of fascinating stories, letters, illustrations, comics, and more by over one hundred award-winning authors and illustrators.

• “Best Books of 2008” by The Horn Book Magazine, School Library Journal, and Publishers’ Weekly!
• Featured on Martha Stewart Show as one of the New York Times Best Gift Books for 2008!
• A National Endowment for the Humanities “We the People” Bookshelf selection!
• šWww.ourwhitehouse.org companion educational website!

Gregory Maguire and Tim Basil Ering will share stories about the White House, the process of creating their contributions to the book, and more.

Best-selling author, Gregory Maguire published his latest novel, A Lion Among Men (volume three in the Wicked Years) this fall. Timothy Basil Ering is the illustrator of The Tale of Despereaux. He has also written or illustrated a number of other books for children including The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone, and Don’t Let the Peas Touch!

And more fun! Write your own thoughts of what the new President and his family need to know. Candlewick will have postcards addressed to The White House so you can let President Obama know how you think history should be made for the next four years!

Thursday, January 22 at 6:30 P.M.

Central Square Branch Library

45 Pearl Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts

For children 6 and older, and adults.

Pizza will be served. Registration is required

Please call 617-349-4409, TTY 617-349-4421 to register or for more information.

This program is free and open to the public.

Books will be available for purchase from Porter Square Books. Autographing will follow the presentation.

Sponsored by Candlewick Press and the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library