An NCBLA Library Advocacy Hero!

SCBWI 
Executive Director 
Lin Oliver

Speaks Out for School Librarians

Children's book author and long time literacy/library advocate Lin Oliver is the executive director of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, a national nonprofit professional organization dedicated to serving the people who write, illustrate, or share a vital interest in children's literature. With permission, we share with you Lin Oliver's excellent SCBWI Bulletin essay on the importance having educated, experienced state certified librarians in public schools. We hope it will inspire you to find out what is happening in your state, and to take action, supporting one of our nation's greatest treasures—our free school and public libraries- and the incredible librarians whose work enriches all of our lives, especially our children’s.

In these times of world-wide recession, everyone—from families to state and federal governments—has to tighten belts and cut spending. In our field, a heart-breaking casualty of this enforced budget slashing is the demise of public and school libraries. Across America, and in fact around much of the developed world, library budgets are being slashed resulting in shortened hours, forced closings, and personnel layoffs. Authors, teachers, and community activists are speaking out in support of library funding. Notably, in Oxfordshire, England, where the local community is facing the closure of 20 of its 43 libraries and staff is being replaced with volunteers and automated kiosks, noted children’s author Philip Pullman earlier this year made a plea to save libraries and librarians, citing their crucial value in a democratic society.

“I love the public library service for what it did for me as a child and as a student and as an adult,” he said in an impassioned speech. “l love it because its presence in a town or a city reminds us that there are things above profit, things that profit knows nothing about, things that have the power to baffle the greedy ghost of market fundamentalism, things that stand for civic decency and public respect for imagination and knowledge and the value of simple delight.” 

Fine words. Who among us wouldn’t agree? Yet the budget slashing continues, and in what the SCBWI leadership and Board of Advisors view as a case of misguided priorities, libraries continue to be compromised by the hundreds. The public and school library system is failing, and with it, its librarians. 

Take for example, the case of the approximately eighty-five middle- and upper-school librarians in Los Angeles Unified School District. As part of the district budget cutting, they all received pink slips within the past several months. In order to get them off the payroll, the district is arguing that librarians don’t teach and therefore don’t qualify for the seniority protections given to teachers. One by one, these librarians were called into a basement room and interrogated. “Do you take attendance?” they were asked by school district attorneys, with armed guards standing by. The point of the questioning was to discredit them as teachers, as if taking attendance is proof that one is fit for the classroom.

The SCBWI leadership believes that all librarians are indeed teachers, including and especially those in school libraries. For many children, the school library is their first, and often only, exposure to what a library has to offer. Certainly, the school library of the 21st century will look different. It will offer children not only books but computers, downloads, Internet access, and many other platforms yet to come. But its basic function of leading children to reading remains the same, no matter what the format. School librarians are teachers and the library is their classroom. They minister to the individual needs of students, and although they may not

teach specific subjects or take attendance on a daily basis, they teach the most important skill of all—learning how to learn. They teach their students how to gather information, to synthesize from multiple sources, and hopefully to form their own conclusions based on what they have read. They lead each new generation to the thoughts and words of previous generations, enabling them to stand on the shoulders of the great thinkers who have come before. In addition, and no small matter this…school librarians notice what kids are reading, and hand them the next book they might enjoy, point them to the right Internet site, encourage them to take the next step on the path to knowledge, education, and the immense joy that comes from reading.

One commonly proposed solution to reducing library budgets is to replace librarians with volunteers and inventory managing software. In this scenario, a kiosk would replace a librarian. How tragic this would be. The human hand of a trained librarian, a person who has cultivated the specialty of helping another person seek knowledge, would be lost. The humiliating interrogation of librarians in Los Angeles is an attempt to remove school librarians from the payroll. Surely, we can find ways to reduce spending other than to eliminate the keepers of the key to knowledge. A library without a librarian is a building. A library with a motivated, trained, interested librarian is a source of light and inspiration.

It has been said that closing libraries in a time of recession is like closing hospitals in a time of plague. Join SCBWI in support of funding for public and school libraries, and especially now in support of school librarians whose jobs are in jeopardy.

As of today, 77 high school librarians in question have had their pink slips rescinded, but the fate of the middle-school librarians is still in limbo. It is unclear at this moment whether or not the librarians will be returned to the library or will serve as classroom teachers.

Enrich Your Children's Lives:

Share Literature, Theater, and the Arts with Your Kids this Summer!!!

At the end of her seventh grade year, our oldest daughter Lizzie announced at breakfast that over the summer she was going to read all of William Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets.

“All of them?” we asked.

“Yep,” was her confident reply.

Her father smiled and went back to reading The Boston Globe sports page. 
I went immediately into mom worry-wort overdrive. 

“Why don’t you pick five plays that we can read aloud together over the summer?” I asked. I was concerned that with such a large goal she was setting herself up for failure, concerned that the content and language in the plays would be overwhelming. I thought that if we read them together, I could offer guidance and explanation.

“I want to read them myself, without any help,” she said, walking to the living room bookcase, removing the three volume set of Shakespeare’s Tragedies, Comedies, and Sonnets off the top shelf, claiming it as her own.

Her father was unconcerned, thinking that Lizzie’s summer reading project would quietly fizzle out at some point, that friends and summer activities would eventually sideline her ambition. I was not so sure. Elizabeth had loved theater and opera since she was a very little. I well remembered the Thanksgiving she was four, when I turned the Macy’s parade on TV mid-morning to keep her occupied while I got the turkey into the oven. Fifteen minutes later when I checked on her, I found she had changed the channel to a PBS station and was watching a performance of Die Fledermaus, utterly engrossed. As often as we could, we took her, and her younger siblings, to children’s and adult local repertory theater performances. And when we could afford to, we splurged and bought discount “nose-bleed” tickets for a major Broadway play. I encouraged their imaginative play at home, filling a huge old bureau in the basement, not with store bought costumes, but with used “dress-up” clothes—worn men’s suits, old bride’s maid and prom dresses, scarves, beads, funny hats, high heels, and clunky men’s boots. Enthralled by every aspect of the theater Liz, with her friends and siblings, often raided that bureau, dressing up, engaging in imaginary play.

Elizabeth was a voracious reader, and she had a major stubborn streak. I believed she really was going to try and read all the plays over the summer. I managed to assuage my worries by borrowing a few young people’s books from the library for her that contained prose versions of the plays, thinking that then she would at least have basic plot and the character information.

And that summer before she entered eighth grade, she did exactly what she said she was going to do, she read every play written by William Shakespeare, and every sonnet, the Oxford three volume edition —totally on her own without parental intervention or motivation. She was driven by her own passion and curiosity. What we did not know, until months later, was that each time she finished reading a play, she sat down with her six year old brother and verbally told him the story.

Friday nights during the school year, we would make popcorn and pizza, push all the old sofa sectionals in the basement together creating a huge mega-couch, and all five of us would sprawl out to watch videos. On this particular spring night, the kids wanted to watch the recently released The Lion King. About thirty minutes into the movie, six year old Patrick jumped up shouting, “This is Hamlet! The Lion King is really Hamlet!” My husband and I looked at each other, in one of those moments when you know exactly what your spouse is thinking, in this case—my god, it is Hamlet! And how the heck does Patrick know about Hamlet? Only then did we find out about Elizabeth’s summer Shakespearean storytelling. Later when sharing this anecdote with a friend who worked in marketing for Disney’s Hyperion publishing, she told me that the original screen treatment, written by Thomas Disch, was indeed inspired by Hamlet. 

Magic had happened in our house—magic that can happen in your house, too, when you make an effort to expose your kids to theater, the arts, and literature! We live in small three bedroom, one bathroom house—yes only one bathroom. (You can imagine the drama created by that situation!) Our kids are highly imperfect, wonderfully weird, average in most things, smart in some things. They all attended our small town's public schools. We have had enough money to survive, but not a lot for many extras. But we decided that as parents we would try to expose our kids to as many different things as we could, trying to give them experiences and opportunities that we did not have as kids. It was our hope that taking them to the library, to museums, to theatrical and music productions and events, to sporting events, to parks and historical sites, would not only compensate for whatever their formal education lacked, but would enrich their lives, expanding their own personal and future professional life choices. Besides, doing things together, exploring, sharing experiences with them, was huge fun—and now we have so many amazing family memories to share!

“Longitudinal data of 25,000 students involved in the arts, conducted at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education by Dr. James Catterall, shows that consistent participation greatly improves academic performance and significantly bumps up standardized test scores. Students who make time for the arts are also more involved in community service, and less likely to drop out of school. And we’re not just talking about upper middle class kids. These facts remain, regardless of a child’s socio-economic background.” Danielle Wood, Editor-In-Chief of Education.com

Kids need time to explore things they are passionate about on their own; they need to flex their mental muscles and their imaginations. And getting involved in the arts gets them off the couch, and away from electronic screens. Kids who read great books, draw, paint, dance, sculpt, play a musical instrument, participate in theatrical productions or create their own backyard theater, expand their imaginations and also learn essential critical and creative thinking skills, skills that will help them in their science and math studies.

Take time this summer, and throughout the school year, to introduce your kids to great books, theater, and the arts! Your local neighborhood library not only has all the information and books you need about the arts, it also has books that have arts activity suggestions and ideas for your kids—as well as plays that your kids can perform on their own. Your library has music CD’s and DVD’s and videos of professional theater performances that you can share with your kids. And many of you neighborhood libraries will have free passes to museums, parks, events, and children’s theater that you can reserve for your family.

Mary Brigid Barrett is the president and executive director of The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance. She is the author of the recently released children’s picture book Shoebox Sam (HarperCollins: Zonderkidz), and is the editor of, and contributor to, the NCBLA’s award-winning publication Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out (Candlewick Press). She is also the creative editor, along with Geri Eddins, of the NCBLA’sforthcoming publication The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, an adventure story game created originally for the Library of Congress www.Read.gov website.

To find museums and theaters near you with special programs and events for children and teens, check at your local library and your online city newspaper listings. Many cities also have special parent newspapers and websites that can aide you in finding interesting art, literature, and theater experiences for your kids.

Shakespeare books for kids:

You can find many wonderful editions of Shakespeare’s original plays, prose versions of the plays, books about Shakespeare, plays written especially for kids to perform, and books with dramatic activates for kids, at your local neighborhood library and bookstore.  Do not hesitate to ask for help if you cannot find what you need!

A few specific suggestions:  

«  Shakespeare for Kids: His Life and Times, 21 Activities For Kids by Colleen Aagesen and Margie Blumberg.

«  Shakespeare Stories by Leon Garfield and Michael Foreman.

«  Tales from Shakespeare by Tina Packer, President and Artistic Director of Shakespeare & Company theater and theater education group.

«  Shakespeare with Children: Six Scripts For Young Players by Elizabeth Weinstein.

«  Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare by Peter Vennema, illustrated by Diane Stanley.

Web links!

http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Why_Childrens_Theater_Matters/

http://www.kidsloveshakespeare.com/about-shakespeare-for-kids/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/08/theater/summer-theater.html?ref=arts

Save the date: Great October Children's Book Event

Overcoming Challenges: 

A Program for Writers, Illustrators, 

and Educators

 

Saturday, October 1, 2012, 10:00 – 3:30

Danforth Museum of Art

123 Union Avenue, Framingham, MA                 

 

Cost: SCBWI, PEN NE, FCB, & Danforth members, $20.00; Non-members: $25.00

Registration fee includes admission to the museum.

No food or beverages provided. Please bring your own lunch and eat at the museum with other attendees.

 

Schedule

10:00–10:30 Registration and Networking

 

10:30–12:00 “My Biggest Career Challenge and How I Solved It”

                        Panelists: Jacqueline Davies, Kathryn Lasky, Lois Lowry, and Bill Thomson

 

Four children’s book creators discuss the most significant hurdles they’ve
overcome in producing their work, selling it to publishers, and promoting it to educators, booksellers, and the general public.

 

12:00-1:00    Bring a bag lunch and eat with other workshop attendees

 

1:00-2:30      “My Biggest Writing/Illustrating Challenge and How I Solved It”

                        Panelists: Jacqueline Davies, Kathryn Lasky, Lois Lowry, and Bill Thomson

 

Four children’s book creators discuss the struggles they’ve faced while producing the children’s books we know and love. Their stories will inform and inspire writers, illustrators, educators, and children’s book enthusiasts.

 

2:30 – 3:30      Book Sale and Signing

Meet Jacqueline Davies, Kathryn Lasky, Lois Lowry, and Bill Thomson and have them sign the books they created

 

 Jacqueline Davies has written four middle-grade novels and three picture books. Her newest title, The Lemonade Crime is a sequel to The Lemonade War, which was a Massachusetts Book Award Honor winner.

 

Newbery Honor-winning author Kathryn Lasky is both prolific and versatile. Her more than one hundreds books for children include nonfiction and picture books as well as historical fiction and fantasy novels.

 

During her celebrated career, children’s book author Lois Lowry has explored such complex issues as racism, terminal illness, and the Holocaust. She won the Newbery Medal in 1990 for Number the Stars and again in 1994 for The Giver.

 

Billl Thomson has illustrated three picture books and is the creator of the award-winning wordless picture book Chalk.

 

For directions, please visit the Museum website:

Please visit the Museum website: http://www.danforthmuseum.org/directions.html

 

For more information and Registration Form, go to www.nescbwi.org, click on News & Events, and scroll down.

SAVE THE DATE! Saturday, December 3, 2011!

The Exquisite Conversation:

An Adventure in Creating Books!

starring

Katherine Paterson

US National Ambassador for Young People's Literature

 M. T. Anderson   +   Natalie Babbitt

Susan Cooper   +   Steven Kellogg

Patricia MacLachlan

and a special surprise guest!

Brought to you by

The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance

and

the Cambridge Public Library in Cambridge, Massachusetts

This program is free and open to the public and will be held at the Kresge Auditorium on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A book sale and autographing event will follow the presentation. 

Suggested audience: young adults and adults.

After the event, limited tickets will be available for a special Wine and Cheese Reception to benefit The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance.

Check back here for more details in the coming months!

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a national reading outreach project created by the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Originally published on Read.gov, The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is being published by Candlewick Press in paperback, hardcover, and audio formats next month. To learn more about this innovative project and the free coordinating educational materials, click here.

Coming Soon to a Library and Bookstore Near You!

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure
A Progressive Story Game Played by
20 Celebrated Authors and Illustrators

It all starts with a train rushing through the night. . . . Well, actually, it starts when Jon Scieszka, former National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, writes a cliff-hanger episode and passes it on to the next member of a cast of celebrated writers and illustrators, who continues the story and passes it on.
 
And what happens between episodes one and twenty-seven? Think werewolves and mad scientists, a talking pig, plenty of explosions, a blue Star Wars lunchbox, two meatballs, a whole army of villains and varmints, and one just plain bad egg. Not to mention our heroes, eleven-year-old twins Nancy and Joe, raised in a circus, who must find the pieces of a Top-Secret Robot in order to rescue their parents before . . . tick, tick, tick!
 
A collaboration between the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, The Exquisite Corpse Adventure originated as a national literacy outreach project for young people and helped launch the READ.gov website. 

Learn more about this innovative project and discover a wealth of coordinating activities and resources on the NCBLA's Exquisite Corpse Adventure Education Resource Center.

What Are Reviewers Saying?

“This book is about two kids from the circus whose parents are in another dimension. Only one thing can open the door between their two dimensions: the exquisite corpse. If you really want to know, the exquisite corpse is a robot - not a key. This book was awesome because each chapter had a different style of writing - like that game where one person starts a story and the next person continues it. I liked all of the chapters because the whole story continues a basic idea, yet it's kind of random. It's fun to figure out where the authors are leading you. On a scale of one to 10, I give The Exquisite Corpse an 11.”
-By Ty (8, almost 9) Cambridge, Massachusetts

“First run in installments on the Web, the pro bono project shifts tone and atmosphere with the author, from Lemony Snicket to Natalie Babbitt, from Linda Sue Park to Nikki Grimes, from Jon Scieszka to Jack Gantos—and who would have guessed that Katherine Paterson would be such a dab hand at egg puns?—but never goes off on self-indulgent tangents.”
–Kirkus Reviews

Available from Candlewick Press
in hardcover, paperback, and audio formats this August.
 
Ask for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure
at your local library or bookstore!

Summer Travels: Visiting Presidential Birthplaces, Houses, and Libraries

The NCBLA's Field Trip Guides
Provide Helpful Hints for Planning and
Making the Most of Your Visit

When planning your summer outings and travels this summer, you can help your kids connect with American history by visiting a presidential site. More than twenty states boast presidential birthplaces, historic homes, libraries, and museums. The NCBLA's educational website OurWhiteHouse.org offers a comprehensive guide to finding these fabulous places, listed by state in "Field Trip Guide: Presidential Birthplaces, Houses, and Libraries."

If you are planning a trip to DC later this summer or sometime this fall, then a visit to the White House just might be at the top of your list. Keep in mind that although the general public is welcome to tour the White House, your visit must be planned a month in advance. Find all the information you need in "Field Trip Guide: Visiting the White House" on OurWhiteHouse.org.

Read, Think, Act!

You can help young people dig deeper into America's past and think critically about the future using the NCBLA's art and literature anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. 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! 

Complementing the book is the NCBLA's educational website OurWhiteHouse.org, which hosts a vast array of exclusive articles, primary sources, activities and discussion questions, and research resources. In addition to the field trip guides, be sure to check out "The Eloquence of 'Silent Cal'" by Katherine Paterson, "I Pledge Allegiance: Classroom Kit on Becoming an American Citizen" by Helen Kampion, "Presidents Are People Too" by Heather Lang, "A Taste of the Past: White House Kitchens, Menus, and Recipes" by Mary Brigid Barrett, and  "From White House Hostess to American Powerhouse: The Evolution of the First Lady's Title and Role" by Geri Zabela Eddins.

"Exquisite Corpse Adventure" Webcasts Available on Read.gov

Readers Theatre Production for 2011 Book Festival Written and Directed
by Katherine Paterson

Exquisite Corpse Adventure fans! Be sure to check out the webcasts of the NCBLA's presentations at the National Book Festival in 2009 and 2010 on Read.gov. 

The 2009 presentation featured a panel discussion hosted by Mary Brigid Barrett with Team Corpse members:  Kate DiCamillo, Nikki Grimes, Shannon Hale, Steven Kellogg, Megan McDonald, and Jon Scieszka. Watch this video and learn how storytelling played a daily role in Megan McDonald's family as she grew up...and hear the poignant story of how libraries saved Nikki Grimes.

The 2010 presentation featured a dramatic readers theatre production of the final episode of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure written and directed by National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Katherine Paterson! On stage with Paterson were: M. T. Anderson, Mary Brigid Barrett, John Cole, Timothy Basil Ering, Linda Sue Park, and James Ransome.

WHAT will the NCBLA do at THIS YEAR'S National Book Festival?! WHO will be participating?! Plan to attend Saturday, September 24 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C and find out! For more information about this year's book festival, visit LOC.gov/bookfest.

What Is The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a national reading and writing outreach project created by the NCBLA and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.  The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a progressive story game just like the one many families play on road trips, at camps, at parties, at home when there is a power outage. It is a game where one person begins a story, stops at a cliffhanging moment, and the next person picks it up, continuing on until everyone in the group has the opportunity to contribute. 

Contributors to The Exquisite Corpse include some of the most gifted artists and writers in our nation:  M.T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Calef Brown, Susan Cooper, Kate Di Camillo, Timothy Basil Ering, Jack Gantos, Nikki Grimes, Shannon Hale, Lemony Snicket, Steven Kellogg, Gregory Maguire, Megan McDonald, Patricia and Fredrick McKissack, Linda Sue Park, Katherine Paterson, James Ransome, Jon Scieszka, and Chris Van Dusen.

Coming Soon to a Library and Bookstore Near You!

Originally published on Read.gov,  The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is being published by Candlewick Press next month in paperback, hardcover, and audio formats.

Coordinating educational enrichment activities are available on the NCBLA Education Resource Center and include annotated booklists, classroom activities, art appreciation activities, discussion questions, and more!

Keep Kids Reading This Summer with Books That Appeal to Their Interests

Themed Reading Lists Go Beyond
What's Required

Once your kids have conquered their school-supplied list of books for the summer, keep them reading with books about subjects they love. But how do you do that?! One great way is to ask the librarian in your local library. Another way is to check out the variety of themed reading lists available on the web.

Does your 4-year old get a kick out of going to the petting zoo? There's a list for that! Is your 14-year old completely fascinated by World War Two? There's a list for that! Take a few minutes and browse the following lists available from such authoritative sources as the NCBLA, Reading Rockets,  AdLit.org, The Horn Book, and The New York Times.

The "Parent & Guardian Handbook" on thencbla.org features not only a list of reliable articles to help you develop life-long readers, but also themed reading lists such as American Heroes, Baseball, and Fantasy Beyond Harry Potter.  

The "Recommended Books for Kids" page on  ReadingRockets.org includes DOZENS of themed lists created by expert children's librarian Maria Salvadore. Here you'll find lists of books about bugs, holidays, art, monsters, and even the tooth fairy.

The "Great Books for Teens" page on AdLit.org offers themed lists for adolescents, that include such topics as Air & Space, dragons, Poetry, World War, and Romance & Relationships.

The New York Times Children's Book column reviews groups of books for children through young adult by subject. Be sure to check out the "bookshelves" titled America, Farm, and Growing Up. 

The Horn Book's "Recommend Books" page includes diverse lists, such as ghost stories, love stories, world religions, astronomy, and sports books.

If you could use a bit more help to get your kids to pick up a book, check out the following articles for helpful advice: "Hooking Struggling Readers: Using Books They Can and Want to Read" by Lori Rog and Paul Kropp and"Getting Your Teens and Tweens Reading This Summer!" by Mary Brigid Barrett.

Macy's "Be Book Smart" Program Supports RIF

Macy's-RIF Partnership Offers Win-Win Program for Consumers and Kids Who Need Books

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) has partnered with Macy’s to create Be Book Smart, a national partnership to raise awareness and support of children’s literacy. This effort will help RIF provide free books and literacy resources to children nationwide, while expanding RIF’s outreach to the children at greatest risk for developing reading difficulties. This campaign provides an opportunity for Macy’s customers to join the effort and have an impact on literacy in their community.  

Through July 31, 2011, Macy’s customers can give $3 to provide a book for a child and receive a coupon for $10 off a $50 in-store purchase at any Macy’s nationwide. Macy’s will give 100% of every $3 to RIF to help reach our goal of giving 1 million books to kids. 

RIF’s Impact

With more than 17,000 program locations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories, RIF is making a difference for millions of children. A recent analysis of reading research confirmed the impact of RIF's core mission—that simply improving access to books improves children’s reading performance, helps children learn the basics of reading, results in children reading more and for longer lengths of time, and improves children's attitudes toward reading and learning.  You can review the summaries  of the critical literacy issues and RIF's quick reference guide of recent literacy statistics, both of which illustrate the challenges RIF faces in creating a literate America, at RIF.org. 

Activities for Home, Library, and Classroom Available for "The Exquisite Corpse Adventure"

Butler Children's Literature Center Experts Developed Engaging Activities
for Every Episode

Originally published on the Library of Congress’ Read.gov website---and soon to be published in hardcover, paperback, and audio formats by Candlewick Press!---The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a progressive story game in which one person begins a story, stops at a cliff-hanging moment, and the next person picks it up and continues until everyone in the group has the opportunity to contribute.  The Exquisite Corpse Adventure was created as a national reading outreach project by the NCBLA and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure was played by some of America's most gifted artists and storytellers: M.T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Calef Brown, Susan Cooper, Kate Di Camillo, Timothy Basil Ering, Jack Gantos, Nikki Grimes, Shannon Hale, Lemony Snicket, Steven Kellogg, Gregory Maguire, Megan McDonald, Patricia and Fredrick McKissack, Linda Sue Park, Katherine Paterson, James Ransome, Jon Scieszka, and Chris Van Dusen.

 

Extensive Education Resources Available!

Extending the educational impact of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is the NCBLA's Education Resource Center, which contains a treasure trove of resources and articles, as well as activities, discussion questions, and art appreciation ideas, as well as a “read more about it” annotated bibliography for each and every episode! 

Developing the activities for home and classroom for each episode were the talented faculty and students at the Butler Children’s Literature Center at Dominican University. Many of these activities can be used not only for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, but for other literary works as well. We invite you to take a look and use these free resources in any you can.

Sample Activity: Episode 2

Here is a sample of the activity created for Episode 2 by Marilyn Ludolph, Ed.D, Dominican University School of Education:
 

Elements of Story

Episode Two of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure introduces the reader to a new character, a villain in the story. The interaction between the protagonists (a.k.a. the heroes of the story; Nancy and Joe) and the villain (Boppo the Clown), in this chapter heighten the suspense and provide a great deal of action on the part of all three characters. 

Generally, stories contain five elements: introduction, plot, climax, resolution, and denouement.  It is important to track, as the Adventure unfolds, where in the episodes, the elements reside.

The introduction is where the characters are introduced, setting is established, and the plot might be set up.

Plot is when events start to occur and trouble might begin to brew and a situation is exposed.

Climax is when the real excitement occurs and the reader might be left hanging.

Resolution is the series of events following the climax. The resolution is also oftentimes referred to as “falling action.”

Denouement is when the events are wrapped up and the final fate of the characters is established. 

Be sure to check out ALL the activities and resources available on The Exquisite Corpse Adventure Companion Education Resource Center!

Illustration at top right by James Ransome (c) 2010.

Summer Reading Suggestions!

Explore the Grandeur of America Through Stories and Picture Books

Whether your summer travels are local or international, take some time to experience the magic of America's National Parks in the pages of engaging books that take young readers deep into the redwood forest and up high in the mountains of Yellowstone. For a list of recommendations, check out the Books About Our National Parks list on ReadingRockets.org.

 

To learn about President Theodore Roosevelt's role in preserving America's wilderness, read  the article "Executive Order for Nature" by Jean Craighead George in the NCBLA's extensive art and literature anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. And be sure to take a look at the coordinating illustration "America's Wilderness" by David Slonim. Our White House is available in both hardcover and paperback. Ask for it at a bookstore and library near you!

To learn more about America's national parks, visit www.nps.gov, where you can use the search tool to discover which national parks are near you.

Best Websites for Teaching and Learning Announced

AASL Announces 2011 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning

At the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2011 Annual Conference in New Orleans, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced the 2011 Top 25 Websites for Teaching and Learning. In its third year, the list of websites honors the top 25 Internet sites for enhancing learning and curriculum development for school librarians and their teacher collaborators. The list is considered the "best of the best" by AASL.

The Top 25 Websites for Teaching and Learning were named so because they foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation and collaboration. The websites honored include: Aviary, CK-12 Flexbooks, Conduit, Digital Vaults, Dipity, Edistorm, Edmodo, Exploratorium, Geocube, iCyte, i-Earn, i-nigma QR codes, Kerpoof, Khan Academy, Lingt Language, Microsoft Tag Codes, Myths and Legends, Nota, PicLits, SpicyNodes, Symbaloo, Tagxedo, Yolink Education, You Are What You Read and ZooBurst.

“These websites are creative, innovative and fun — and the most important—  they support the integration of  21st century skills into the curriculum,” explains Pam Berger,  committee chair. “Together with the two previous year's winners, educators have  an effective, high quality toolbox of Web 2.0 tools to support inquiry learning and the AASL Standards for the 21 St Century Learner.”

The Top 25 are free, web-based sites that are user-friendly and encourage a community of learners to explore and discover. They also provide a foundation to support AASL's Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. The sites offer tools and resources in content collaboration, content resources with lesson plans, curriculum sharing, digital storytelling, managing and organizing and social networking and communication. Each website is linked to one or more of the four strands of the Standards for the 21st-Century Learner – skills, dispositions in action, responsibilities and self-assessment strategies.

Updated annually, the Top 25 Websites is based on feedback and nominations from AASL members. School librarians can nominate their most used Web sites on the AASL website nomination form.