Sneak Peek: Episode 13 Goes Live Friday, March 12

Latest Exquisite Corpse Adventure 
Episode Written by 
M. T. Anderson

In our last episode of  The Exquisite Corpse Adventure Episode 12, by Lemony Snicket, Nancy had found a cradle on the beach. When Joe and Arm arrived, “Nancy was staring into it, her eyes wide with horror.” What did she see? Their father, shifting back and forth from a baby to a man in the Cradle of Time! When Joe and Nancy accidentally fell into the cradle, did it take them back in time or into the future?

In Episode 13, M. T. Anderson has our heroes face themselves, literally. What do they see? How do they react? What about the monsters?

Read the Episode and see Chris Van Dusen’s complete illustration at Read.gov!

M. T. Anderson is an awarding author of picture books and young adult novels. His intriguing and thought-provoking stories are a must read! 
Be sure to check for these titles and others at your local library or bookstore.

Illustrator Chris Van Dusen is a big ‘50s and ‘60’s fan. He says, “The colors, shapes and patterns were so bold and bright and it’s fun to paint them in my illustrations.” Find more of Chris’s colorful illustrations for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure in Episode 1, Episode 5, and Episode 9. Be sure to visit Chris' website and check out Chris' latest book, The Circus Ship, at libraries and bookstores near you!

Everybody Wins! USA Proposes Reading Campaign

Help Launch a National "Read To Kids" Campaign

Everybody Wins! USA, a nationally recognized literacy and mentoring organization, has proposed a national “Read to Kids” campaign on Change.org’s Idea for Change in America. The Read to Kids campaign is one of 60 finalists in the final round of voting that ends on Friday, March 12th at 5pm ET. The campaign would emphasize the importance of reading aloud to children of all ages and would engage literacy organizations, schools, teachers, parents, libraries, authors, publishers and nearly every sector of business and society that understands that our nation’s future depends on our children’s literacy skills.

The top 10 ideas will be presented to the Obama administration and be part of a national grassroots campaign to promote the idea. 

Voting for the Read to Kids campaign can be done at: http://www.change.org/ideas/view/launch_a_national_read_to_kids_campaign

President and First Lady On Board For Read Across America!

President Barack Obama and First Lady  Michelle Obama Celebrate “Read Across America Day.” 

President Obama declared March 2 “Read Across America Day.”
And First Lady Michelle Obama took time yesterday to help launch the National Education Association's national reading outreach campaign, sharing The Cat in the Hat with children at Library of Congress. The First Lady said that the members of her family are voracious readers and her daughters, Malia and Sasha, read every night. 
Hurrah Mrs. Obama!!!

Watch the video at:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/03/first-lady-celebrates-dr-seuss-birthday-by-reading-the-cat-in-the-hat-to-local-students.html 

Read more about the NEA's Read Across America Campaign at:

http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2010/0302/Read-Across-America-Day-celebrates-the-birthday-of-Dr.-Seuss

http://www.nea.org/readacross/

Exquisite Corpse Adventure Episode 12 LIVE on READ.GOV

Latest Exquisite Corpse Adventure Episode Written by Lemony Snicket

At the end of Steven Kellogg's  Exquisite Corpse Adventure Episode 11, Joe has not only successfully arm-wrestled a squid to retrieve the lost key, he has also gained freedom for a new friend. The two sit on the beach and Arm tells his story until the "...the serenity of the beach was interrupted by a distant, high-pitched, and agonized scream." The arm sprang erect, and Joe froze in horror. "That was Nancy!" he whispered. 

In Episode 12 author Lemony Snicket picks up the story.... What is triggering Nancy's screams? Is she in danger? Can Joe save her?

Read the episode and see Timothy Basil Ering's eerie illustration at Read.gov!

The alarmingly elusive author Lemony Snicket has spent the last several eras researching the travails of the Baudelaire orphans. This project, being published serially by HarperCollins as A Series of Unfortunate Events, takes him to the scenes of numerous crimes, often during the offseason.

You can learn more about Lemony Snicket, the Baudelaires, Snicket's "unfortunate" books,  and other works on his website.

Watch Lemony Snicket videos. 

And don't forget to check out Lemony Snicket's treasures at your local library or bookstore:

 

Illustrator Timothy Basil Ering says, "I always think of illustration as a form of acting. Each time I approach a subject,  I need to become the character I'm depicting." Learn more on Read.Gov.  And check out his illustrations for Exquisite Corpse Adventure Episode Four and Episode Eight. 

Here's a couple of Timothy Basil Ering's books you'll want to share with the young people in your life:

Top illustration © 2010 Timothy Basil Ering.

The Horn Book, Publisher's Weekly, School Library Journal--all say Our White House: Looking in Looking Out is one of the Best Books for Kids!

 Our White House: Looking In, 

Looking Out 

and www.ourwhitehouse.org-

Everything You Want Your Kids to Know About the White House and our Presidents!

Building on the logical links between literacy, historical literacy, and civic engagement, the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance created Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out 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.

It is our hope that adults will share Our White House with the young people they live with and work for, not only to rouse their interest in our nation’s heritage, but also to energize and inspire young people on their journeys to becoming our nation’s future leaders.

The National Endowment for the Humanities has named Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out as one of its notable We the People Bookshelf selection for its 2009-2010 theme Picturing America. The American Library Association, Publsiher's Weekly, School Library  Journal, Amazon, The Horn Book Magazine have all named Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out as one of the Best Books for Young People.  

Here is a sampling of some of the remarkable illustrations in this visually stunning book!

  Bones on the Floor illustration by Brian Selznick 

      

  

Elizabeth Keckly and Mary Lincoln      

illustration by Leo and Diane Dillon     

                                     

Eleanor Roosevelt illustration by P.J. Lynch

   Teddy Roosevelt's Children by Chris Van Dusen

Presidential Timeline Game illustration by Bob Kolar

Children's Literature Classics

The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance 
Directs Media to Knowledgeable Children's Literacy and Literature Sources


One of the NCBLA's goals is to help members of the media reach knowledgeable sources in children's literature and literacy. An example of that "media matchmaking"  appears in The Boston Globe this morning.

Enjoy "There's Something About Alice" by Don Aucoin, a great feature piece in The Boston Globe's "g" arts section, which addresses the enduring fascination the world has for all things Alice!

In anticipation of Tim Burtons' new movie version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland that debuts next weekend, we urge parents and teachers to introduce young people to the book, sharing it, reading it aloud, and talking about it, before taking your kids and young teens to see it. Why? Because once they see the screen image it will be implanted in their heads; they will see Tim Burton's imagination at work, instead of putting their own imaginations to work creating their own visions of Alice and her Wonderland.

Alice in Wonderland is available for free at any public or school library and you can find it on the Internet for free at: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/11

Read Don Aucoin feature article "There's Something About Alice," at: http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2010/02/27/the_curious_evolution_of_alices_adventures/

LITERACY ACTIVIST ALERT!!!

 
OBAMA ELIMINATES 

RIF FUNDING IN NATIONAL BUDGET!!!

WE WANT THAT FUNDING BACK!

Without this federal funding, over 4.4 million children and families will not receive free books or reading encouragement from RIF programs at nearly 17,000 locations throughout the U.S.

Carol Rasco, the CEO of Reading is Fundamental writes on her blog-

"Unless Congress reinstates $25 million in funding for this program, RIF will not be able to distribute 15 million books annually to the nation’s children at greatest risk for academic failure. RIF programs in schools, community centers, hospitals, military bases, and other locations serving children from low-income families, children with disabilities, homeless children, and children without adequate access to libraries. The Inexpensive Book Distribution program is authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (SEC.5451 Inexpensive Book Distribution Program for Reading Motivation) and is not funded through earmarks. It has been funded by Congress and six Administrations without interruption since 1975."

Right now- call, email, fax, and write your representatives in Congress, and ask them to reinstate money for one of our nation's best literacy programs for kids!

HELP RIF GET BOOKS TO KIDS WHO HAVE NO BOOKS!

For more information on what to do, go to:

http://www.rif.org/

http://www.rascofromrif.org/?p=8278

In Case You Missed It!

New York Times' Bob Herbert's Column a Must Read This Morning!


"In 2008, when the math and science test scores came in, Ms. Kenny’s eighth graders had achieved 100 percent proficiency. It was not a fluke.


What’s ironic is that the teachers are doing everything but teaching to the tests. Ms. Kenny’s goals for the youngsters in her schools are the same as those that she had for her own three children, who grew up in a comfortable suburban environment and are now in college. Merely passing a standardized test was hardly something to aspire to.

“I had five core things in mind for my kids, and that’s what I want for our students,” she said. “I wanted them to be wholesome in character. I wanted them to be compassionate and to see life as a responsibility to give something to the world. I wanted them to have a sophisticated intellect. I wanted them to be avid readers, the kind of person who always has trouble putting a book down. And I raised them to be independent thinkers, to lead reflective and meaningful lives.”

It never crossed Ms. Kenny’s mind that a rich and abiding intellectual life was out of the reach of kids growing up in a tough urban environment" 

Read the full column at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/opinion/23herbert.html?pagewanted=print

The Exquiste Corpse Adventure Sneak Preview!!!!!

 

Lemony Snicket is Writing the Very Next Exquisite Corpse Adventure Episode!!

  

 . . . . .need we say more? 

And just in case you do need a bit more urging, here is a sneak peek, a small crop from Timothy Basil Ering's thrillingly creepy illustration for Episode 11, premiering this Friday, February 26th on READ.gov!

The NCBLA and the Butler Center for Children’s’ Literature have created a treasure trove of helpful information that will help you to use The Exquisite Corpse Adventure to get your kids reading and writing!

Find the ECA educational support materials at:

http://www.thencbla.org/Exquisite_Corpse/exquisite_home.html

ADVOCACY ALERT!! Raise Your Voice for Libraries!

RAISE YOUR VOICE FOR OUR NATION'S LIBRARIES!

BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY MAY HAVE TO CLOSE 10 BRANCHES AND LAY OFF ONE QUARTER OF ITS STAFF!!!

Libraries are needed even more during tough economic times. What is happening in Boston is happening across the country. Librarians are being cut in public and school libraries, branches are closing, library hours are being greatly reduced, book and new media budgets are being slashed--just when children and adults people need libraries and library services more than ever! There are young people right now who do not have access to libraries because their school libraries have been shut down and their branch libraries have been closed. 


If you care, raise your voice for libraries in your own community and in our nation! Call, email, write, and fax your local, state, and national representatives and let them know how you feel! 

And come to Washington DC June 29, 2010 and tell Congress how you feel at the Raise Your Voice Libraries Rally at the U.S. Capitol!

For more information on how you can become a advocate for libraries, go to: 


http://www.ala.org/lad

http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/libraryadvocacyday/index.cfm  

http://www.thencbla.org/BPOSpages/becomeactivist.html

http://www.thencbla.org/BPOSpages/activistbasics.html 

Words of Wisdom

"The successful completion of a picture book depends on the collaboration of many talents. However, when the books are printed and bound, the creative role passes to the people who are the closest to the children, and we depend upon them to share the books with care, enthusiasm, and love. Until a picture book is looked at and read, it remains a darkened theater. The theater is illuminated when an adult opens the book with a child, and, as the pages turn, the curtain rises on successive acts and scenes. Through the reading and sharing, the words pulsate with life, and the illustrations move and glow with action, feeling, and vitality. Of course, each book must stand on its own merit and earn applause and approval from whomever experiences it. But if a teacher, librarian, or parent brings the child and the book together with a sensitive understanding of that individual child and with an enthusiasm for that particular book, it makes an enormous difference in the quality of the book’s reception. When caring adults recommend and share and read the book aloud as if they were a part of its creative life—as if they were presenting it as a treasured gift—then that book has a much greater chance of being special to the child with whom it is shared, and the adult reader will be remembered as being part of that book, and part of that gift, as surely as if his or her name was engraved on the jacket and title page –as a colleague, a co-conspirator, a creative partner."
Steven Kellogg in Children’s Books and Their Creators edited by Anita Silvey 

Check out Steven Kellogg's episode and illustration for the Library of Congress' and NCBLA's national reading and writing outreach project---- The Exquisite Corpse Adventure at
www.READ.gov!

Exquisite Corpse Adventure Episode 11 Now LIVE

Latest Exquisite Corpse Adventure Episode Written and Illustrated by Steven Kellogg

At the end of Exquisite Corpse Adventure Episode 10, our determined heroes Nancy and Joe are forced to part ways for the first time in their lives--Nancy must search for Baby Max and Joe must search for the key. "We can't just walk away, or we'll never find our true parents," declares Joe.

In Episode 11 author and illustrator Steven Kellogg chooses to follow Joe's path. Here's an excerpt:

"Joe had never felt so alone and, indeed, he had never been so alone! He swam steadily out to sea, but inside he was shaken, confused, and distressed knowing that his twin sister Nancy, his devoted companion, his best friend since birth, and the only family he had ever known, might be in trouble!"

Read the complete episode and see Mr. Kellogg's sparkling illustration at Read.gov!

Steven Kellogg admits to having loved picture books since he was a child. Regarding the art of the picture book, Kellogg states, "The picture book is an art form that is designed specifically for children, but I feel that it can be appreciated and enjoyed by all ages. For centuries a distinguished tradition of illustrated books and manuscripts has existed of which the picture book is a part. It is a synthesis of literature and the visual arts, and the relationship of the written word and the picture is its essence. I am fascinated by the ways in which the picture book can borrow and combine diverse elements from other art forms to achieve startling and moving effects. The turning page, for example, gives the illustrator the chance to utilize the elements of surprise to advance the movement of the story, and to deepen the involvement of the viewer in much the same way that the theatrical director uses the revolving stages or the rising curtain between the scenes and acts of a play."

You can learn more about Steven Kellogg, his inspirations, characters, and books on his website.

Watch a video interview with Steven Kellogg on Reading Rockets.

And don't forget to check out Kellogg's treasures at your local library or bookstore:

Win a Visit From Katherine Paterson

Contest Organized to Offer Visit by America's National Ambassador for Young People's Literature

This past month author Katherine Paterson was named as the second National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. Paterson will serve in the position during 2010 and 2011; she succeeds Jon Scieszka, appointed in 2008, who was the first person to hold the title. Paterson has chosen “Read for Your Life” as the theme for her platform.

The position of National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature was created to raise national awareness of the importance of young people’s literature as it relates to lifelong literacy, education, and the development and betterment of the lives of young people.

The Center for the Book and the Children's Book Council invite schools and libraries across the nation to submit entries explaining what type of event you would develop if Katherine Paterson were to visit.

Details about the Contest
In a Word document file, write a description of the event you would host for Katherine Paterson in no more than 250 words. Be sure to describe in detail how and to whom you would promote the event. Send your entry as an email attachment to cbc.info@cbcbooks.org no later than midnight EDT on March 15, 2010. Please submit only one entry per institution.

Katherine Paterson’s international fame rests not only on her widely acclaimed novels but also on her efforts to promote literacy in the United States and abroad. A two-time winner of the Newbery Medal (“Bridge to Terabithia” and “Jacob Have I Loved”) and the National Book Award (“The Great Gilly Hopkins” and “The Master Puppeteer”), she has received many accolades for her body of work, including the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, given by her home state of Vermont. She was also named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress.

Paterson is a vice president of The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance. She is also a contributor to The Exquisite Corpse Adventure and Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out.

Read more about the ambassadorship and Katherine Paterson.

Read Paterson's speech, "The Child in the Attic," presented at the Ohio State University Children's Literature Festival in February 2000 on the NCBLA's website.

Megan McDonald Pens Exquisite Corpse Adventure Episode

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure
Episode 10 LIVE Now on Read.Gov

In the latest episode of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure our twin heroes Nancy and Joe are engaged by a disembodied voice...and they must answer its riddle before the voice will show itself! Can you answer the riddle? Do you recognize its source?

Read the episode titled "Wolf at the Door," written by Megan McDonald and illustrated by James Ransome, now on Read.Gov!

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a reading and writing outreach project jointly sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and the NCBLA. Created by a dream team of eighteen award-winning authors and illustrators, a new episode is published every two weeks. The NCBLA has created an extensive educational resource center in conjunction with the talented professors and staff at the Butler Children's Literature Center at Dominican University to help parents, teachers, librarians, and homeschoolers maximize the educational opportunities presented by The Exquisite Corpse Adventure.

Learn more about the history of riddles and how to write your own in this episode's Classroom Activity. And inspire the young people in your life to learn more about the art technique chiaroscuro using this episode's Talk Art! article, which highlights the backlighting techniques of illustrator James Ransome and Chris Van Dusen.

Episode 10 author Megan McDonald is the author of the critically acclaimed Judy Moody series that has won numerous awards, including Publishers Weekly’s Best Book of the Year and the International Reading Association Children’s Choice Award. Pretending to be a pencil sharpener was her first experience as a writer, and she wrote the story for her school newspaper when she was 10. Her newest book is The Rule of Three (2009), which is a Sisters Club story about the Acton family’s three sisters, all of whom are actors. McDonald lives in California.

Learn more about Megan McDonald at her website. Also, check out her video interview on Reading Rockets.

Episode 10 illustrator James Ransome has been named by The Children's Book Council as one of seventy-five authors and illustrators everyone should know. Currently a member of the Society of Illustrators, Ransome has received both the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration and the IBBY Honor Award for his book, The Creation. He has also received a Coretta Scott King Honor Award for Illustration for Uncle Jed's Barbershop, which was selected as an ALA Notable Book and is currently being shown as a feature on Reading Rainbow. How Many Stars in the Sky? and Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt were also Reading Rainbow selections.

Learn more about James Ransome and his books on his website.

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure Episode Ten Illustration © James Ransome 2009

In Case You Missed It! Read "In Arm's Way" by Nikki Grimes

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure
Episode 9 is LIVE on Read.Gov

Written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen, be sure to check out the latest installment of the online story game, The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, available FREE to all readers on Read.Gov!

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a reading and writing outreach project jointly sponsored by the Library of Congress and the NCBLA. This rollicking story adventure is being created by nineteen of America's most gifted storytellers and artists, with a new episode being published every two weeks.

To maximize the educational impact, the NCBLA has created an extensive online educational resource center for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure. You won't want to miss this week's art appreciation materials, which help kids understand and try out the technique of chiaroscuro for themselves.

Adding to the excitement of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is Reading Rockets coordinating writing contest for young people of all ages, The Exquisite Prompt, complete with its own set of enriching materials! January's prompts are inspired by Gregory Maguire and Patricia and Fredrick McKissack.

Look for these other treasures by author Nikki Grimes and illustrator Chris Van Dusen in libraries and bookstores:

Learn more about Nikki Grimes on her website and in this Reading Rockets video interview.

Learn more about Chris Van Dusen and his work on his website.

And check Read.Gov tomorrow, Friday, January 29, for Episode 10 of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, written by Megan McDonald and illustrated by James Ransome.

State of the Union Address Tonight

Helping Young People Connect with Contemporary Events

Tonight President Obama will make his state of the union address to Congress. Will he find refuge in the White House movie theater sometime today to practice his delivery of tonight's speech, just as his predecessor President George W. Bush liked to do? What policies and legislative goals will the president be promoting tonight? Is the state of the union address important? Need we watch?

In his 1949 state of the union address, President Harry S Truman proposed his program of social and economic reform, asserting that “Every segment of our population, and every individual, has a right to expect from his government a fair deal."

In his state of the union address of 1974, President Richard Nixon refused to resign the presidency despite the rising tide of suspicion that was enveloping him...yet he did resign seven months later.

And in 1982 with the country in recession President Ronald Reagan called for a “New Federalism” in his state of the union address, advocating for less federal spending and more state initiatives to solve social and economic problems.

What might President Obama be proposing for Americans in tonight's speech?

Events such as the state of the union address provide a perfect opportunity to continue our dialog about American history and politics with our young people. Encourage young people to watch tonight's address. Watch it with them! When the speech is over, turn off the TV pundits and discuss the speech. What did they think about it? Do they agree with the president's proposals? Why or why not? Take the time to help young people make the connection to their own lives. Learn more about the constitutional requirements for the state of the union address in the New York Times article State of the Union.

An 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.

On ourwhitehouse.org, learn from a political speech writer how a state of the union address differs from an inaugural address in "Writing Political Speeches: An Interview with Thomas LaFauci."

Also on ourwhitehouse.org, discover research tips to help adults guide young people in their quest for knowledge, Presidential facts, tips on visiting the White House, and an extensive guide of additional history websites you can share with young people.

Exquisite Corpse Adventure: Interview with Nikki Grimes

Nikki Grimes,
Author of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure
Episode Nine, Talks About Her Work

Episode Nine of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, titled "In Arm's Way," is now live on Read.Gov. This latest installment in the online story game introduces a new character to the zany adventure of 11-year old twins Nancy and Joe--a pirate named Angel.

Ms. Grimes is a New York Times bestselling author and the recipient of the 2006 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. Her distinguished works include the ALA Notable book, What is Goodbye?, the novels Jazmin's Notebook, Dark Sons, and The Road to Paris (Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books). She recently answered a few questions about her work:

M. T. Anderson has described the process of writing an episode for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure something "like playing a game of hot potato, tossing the spud from person to person, passing it down a line of friends." When the "potato" was passed to you to write Episode 9, how did you feel about the experience? Did this type of writing put you out of your comfort zone...or was it a thrill?

This put me completely out of my comfort zone! I'd never done anything like it before, and in the company of such gifted storytellers, at that. The experience was quite daunting, but I do like a good challenge.

Katherine Paterson, another Exquisite Corpse Adventure author, was recently named National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. A third grader in the audience asked her, "How do you feel when you write?" So, may I ask, how do you feel when you write?

Charged, exhilarated, alive. That's how I feel when I'm writing the first draft, anyway. Doing rewrites is another story, altogether!

Your recent books Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel and Rich: A Dyamonde Daniel Book star a young girl with a sparkling personality who has a knack for language and a knack for understanding people. Did you know someone like Dyamonde when you were growing up? Is Dyamonde someone you wished you had had for a friend?

Dyamonde was unlike anyone I'd known. I'm not quite sure where she came from, to tell the truth. For example, my least favorite subject in school was mathematics, and yet Dyamonde loves math. According to her, math helps her make sense of the world. I don't know where that came from! She was a complete surprise to me, but I love her.

And, you have a new Dyamonde Daniel book (Almost Zero: A Dyamonde Daniel Book, from Putnam) scheduled to be published soon! When can readers hope to see this book in stores and libraries? Can you tell us something about your next writing project?

Ah, Less than Zero will be out this spring. As for new projects, there are several. They include a work of historical fiction set after the Civil War, a collection of tanka poems, and a fourth Dyamonde Daniel book. Those should keep me busy for awhile!

Read Nikki's episode on READ.GOV now! A new episode is published every two weeks. Also, be sure to check out the NCBLA's coordinating Educational Resource Center.

Visit Nikki Grimes' website and read more about her new books.

ALA Announces 2010 Youth Media Awards

Caldecott Medal Awarded to
NCBLA Honorary Board Member
Jerry Pinkney!

Today 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 "When You Reach Me," written by Rebecca Stead and published by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books.

The Randolph Caldecott Medal, which honors the most distinguished American picture book for children, was awarded to "The Lion & the Mouse," illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney, and published by Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers.

Visit Jerry Pinkey's website.

The Michael L. Printz Award (for excellence in literature written for young adults) was awarded to "Going Bovine" written by Libba Bray and published by Delacorte Press.

The Coretta Scott King Author Book Award, which recognizes an African-American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults, was awarded to "Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshall," written by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson. The book is illustrated by R. Gregory Christie and published by Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

The Coretta Scott King Illustrator Book Award, was awarded to "My People," illustrated by Charles R. Smith Jr. The book was written by Langston Hughes and published by ginee seo books, Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Congratulations to these talented authors and illustrators!

Read the complete list of awards and winners on the ALA website.

SNEAK PEEK! Exquisite Corpse Adventure Episode 9

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure Episode 9

Goes LIVE Friday, January 15
on Read.Gov

The latest installment in The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, the online story game starring eleven-year old twins Nancy and Joe and a cast of other wacky and sometimes bizarre characters, will be published tomorrow, January 15, on Read.Gov.

Episode 9 was written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. A crop of Chris' magical illustration appears at right.

And here's a sneak peek at how Episode 9 starts:

Nancy was none too fond of thunder. (It had something to do with her being shot out of a cannon one time too many as a young child. ) Fortunately, Nancy had no inkling of the coming storm.

Nancy, Joe, Max, and Genius Kelly pressed on to the hill and the sea beyond. It seemed to Joe that they had been walking for quite some time and still there was no sea in sight.

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a reading and writing outreach project jointly sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress and the NCBLA. Created by a dream team of eighteen award-winning authors and illustrators, a new episode is published every two weeks. The NCBLA has created an extensive educational resource center in conjunction with the talented professors and staff at the Butler Children's Literature Center at Dominican University to help parents, teachers, librarians, and homeschoolers maximize the educational opportunities presented by The Exquisite Corpse Adventure.

Buttressing the educational mission of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is The Exquisite Prompt, the coordinating writing contest for kids of all ages sponsored by Reading Rockets. Prompts for January are inspired by Exquisite Corpse Adventure authors Gregory Maguire and Patricia and Fredrick McKissack.

Episode 9 author Nikki Grimes is a New York Times best-selling author and prolific artist, who has written many award-winning books for children and young adults. Her works include the novels Bronx Masquerade (Dial), winner of the 2003 Coretta Scott King Author Award; and Jazmin's Notebook (Dial), a Coretta Scott King honor book and Bank Street College Book of the Year; the popular poetry collections Danitra Brown, Class Clown, Danitra Brown Leaves Town (HarperCollins) and Meet Danitra Brown (Lothrop), an ALA Notable and Coretta Scott King honor book. More recent books include Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel and Rich: A Dyamonde Daniel Book.

Episode 9 illustrator Chris Van Dusen is the author and illustrator of Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee (Chronicle), A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee (Chronicle), and If I Built a Car. Van Dusen also illustrated Kate DiCamillo’s Mercy Watson series (Candlewick). His latest book is The Circus Ship (Candlewick Press).

Check back next week for an exclusive interview with Nikki Grimes!

Illustration © Chris Van Dusen 2009