ONE WEEK FROM TODAY! Afternoon with Nine Authors and Illustrators Scheduled at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts

The Exquisite Conversation:
An Adventure in Creating Books!

Don't Miss an Afternoon of Literary Events Featuring an Author and Illustrator Presentation, Book Sale, Autographing, Wine and Cheese Reception, and Silent Auction!

Katherine Paterson

The Cambridge Public Library, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance invite you to join us next Saturday, December 3 at MIT for an afternoon of events designed for everyone who loves literature for young people--and the authors and illustrators who create it! 

Susan Cooper

Beginning at 1:00 in Kresge Auditorium, we proudly present a roundtable discussion moderated by NCBLA Executive Director Mary Brigid Barrett featuring some of America's most beloved authors and illustrators: M. T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Susan Cooper, Timothy Basil Ering, Steven Kellogg, Patricia MacLachlan, James Ransome, and Katherine Paterson, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature! 

M. T. Anderson

This presentation is FREE and open to the public for kids over 10. Everyone who loves literature for young people and would love to learn more about the creative process, writing, and narrative illustration is welcome! 

Natalie Babbitt

No registration or ticket is required. 

 

Attendees are encouraged to bring a new paperback for a child or teen to donate as a holiday gift to children and young adults in family shelters in Cambridge.

 

 

 

Schedule of Exquisite Conversation Events

Noon - 1:00 p.m.:   Book Sale by Porter Square Books in lobby of Kresge Auditorium, 48 Massachusetts Avenue.

1:00 - 2:20 p.m.:   Exquisite Conversation: An Adventure in Creating Books! Presentation in Kresge Auditorium.

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.:   Book Sale and Autographing in lobby of Kresge Auditorium.

3:30 - 5:00 p.m.:   Wine and Cheese Reception with the Authors, Illustrators, and Special Guests, including Silent Auction,  in Room 307 on the third floor mezzanine of the Stratton Center, a short walk from Kresge. Tickets are required. Read below for more information and to buy tickets.

Wine and Cheese Reception

with the Authors and Special Guests!

 

Patricia MacLachlan

Beginning at 3:30 p.m. in the Stratton Center, the NCBLA invites you to our ticketed, adults-only Wine and Cheese Reception with the authors and special guests! Here you can meet each of the participating authors and illustrators and ask each of them the questions you've always wondered about!  

 

Our entire Exquisite Conversation panel will be there to meet you: M. T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Mary Brigid Barrett, Susan Cooper, Timothy Basil Ering, Steven Kellogg, Patricia MacLachlan, Katherine Paterson, and James Ransome! 

 

Steven Kellogg

An added feature of our reception is the Silent Auction, featuring an exciting and diverse collection of themed book baskets, manuscript critiques, sketches and illustrations, and MORE!  See the catalog of Silent Auction items below.

Tickets are still available for the Wine and Cheese Reception! 

Click here to order your tickets for the Wine and Cheese Reception now. And please note that the NCBLA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Ticket purchases are TAX DEDUCTIBLE to the extent allowed by law. 

Silent Auction Catalog of Items

Manuscript Critiques                                      

Three manuscript critiques by Editors at Candlewick Press.

 

Manuscript critique by Executive Editor at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 

 

Picture book critique by Executive Vice President at Curtis Brown Ltd.

Artwork                                                                  

Pencil sketch by Chris Van Dusen

Pencil sketch by Chris Van Dusen for Episode 17 of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, "Speak, Memory," written by Susan Cooper. (Image at left.)

Illustration by Timothy Basil Ering for Episode 23

Color illustration by Timothy Basil Ering for Episode 24 of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, "When Is a Door Not a Door?" written by Natalie Babbitt. (Image at right.)

 

Book Baskets and Specialized Items        

Author and Illustrator
James Ransome

A collection of books by author and illustrator James Ransome, all signed.

One signed copy of Eric Carle's The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse with one family pass to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

Basket of assorted books from publisher Barefoot Books.

Two baskets of Curious George books and gift items.

Author and Illustrator
Timothy Basil Ering

Exquisite Conversation Authors' and Illustrators' Basket, which includes: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party by M. T. Anderson; Finn Throws a Fit! written by David Elliott and illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering; A Joyful Christmas: A Treasury of New and Classic Songs, Poems, and Stories for the Holiday illustrated by James Ransome; The Flint Heart by John and Katherine Paterson; Shoebox Sam written by Mary Brigid Barrett and illustrated by Frank Morrison; The Dark Is Rising: The Complete Sequence by Susan Cooper; Jack Plank Tells Tales by Natalie Babbitt; Lala Salama: A Tanzanian Lullaby by Patricia MacLachlan and illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon; And I Love You written by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Steven Kellogg; The Day of the Pelican by Katherine Paterson.

All Silent Auction items and their complete descriptions will be on display at the Wine and Cheese Reception beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 3 in Room 307 of the Stratton Center at MIT.

For complete information about all the Exquisite Conversation events, including ticket purchases for the Wine and Cheese Reception, click here. For directions to the event venues at MIT, click here. 

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Avoid the Kid's Table Syndrome, and Share Thanksgiving Stories of the Past This Holiday!

As families across America stock their pantries and begin late-night baking sessions in preparation for Thursday's holiday, why not take a few moments to think about your own family's meal-time traditions. In the NCBLA's article "Holiday Dinners: Avoiding the Kid's Table Syndrome," Mary Brigid Barrett offers sage advice for parents and guardians regarding how to encourage conversation and quality family time at the dinner table.

Looking for some stories of the past to share with your kids? Check out the NCBLA's education website OurWhiteHouse.org, which includes a treasure trove of articles, activities, and resources for families to share.

On OurWhiteHouse.org, you can learn which president offered the first presidential pardon for a Thanksgiving turkey in "Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My! Wild Animals at the White House" by Heather Lang. Discover which president and first lady are credited with serving the first annual Thanksgiving dinner at the White House in the Presidential Facts File and the First Lady Facts File! And foodies of all ages will want to check out White House recipes of the past in "A Taste of the Past: White House Kitchens, Menus, and Recipes" by Mary Brigid Barrett.

OurWhiteHouse.org is the companion website to the NCBLA's art and literature anthology,

Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, a masterpiece of poetry and prose, art and photography, created by over 100 of America's most gifted storytellers and artists as a project of the NCBLA. Our White House is designed to encourage young people to read more about America’s rich history and culture; to think more about America’s future; to talk more about our nation’s leadership; and to act on their own beliefs and convictions, ensuring this great democratic experiment will survive and thrive. Our White House is available in both paperback and hardcover from Candlewick Press.

Ask for Our White House at a library or bookstore near you!

In Case You Missed It!

Two New York Times Articles Provide 

Food for Thought!

Parents, guardians, educators, and publishers won't want to miss these two recent articles in The New York Times:

In "For Their Children," Many E-Book Fans Insist on Paper," Matt Richtel and Julie Bosman write how parents prefer to read "old-fashioned books" to their kids!

In the op-ed piece "How About Better Parents?," columnist Thomas L. Friedman writes that educational improvement is not restricted to teachers---parents must also play a significant role!

Photograph by Suzanne DeChillo of The New York Times.

Meet Award-Winning Authors and Illustrators for Young People at Wine and Cheese Reception December 3

Join Us for a Special Reception with Nine Authors and Illustrators for Young People!

Silent Auction of Book Baskets, Manuscript Reviews, and Illustrations Included

The NCBLA invites everyone who loves literature for young people--and the authors and illustrators who create it--to our  ticketed, adults-only Wine and Cheese Reception with nine celebrated authors and special guests on Saturday, December 3 from 3:30 to 5:00 PM in the Stratton Center of MIT! 

This is your opportunity to meet and talk to each of the participating authors and illustrators, including:

M. T. Anderson is the author of The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1: The Pox Party, a National Book Award Winner and Michael L. Printz Honor Book. Click here to visit his website. 

Natalie Babbitt is the author of Tuck Everlasting, an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, and the Newbery Honor Book Knee-Knock Rise. Click here to learn more about Natalie Babbitt and her books.

Mary Brigid Barrett is the founder, president, and executive director of the NCBLA, as well as a children’s book author and illustrator.  Click here to learn more about Mary Brigid Barrett and her books.

Susan Cooper is the author of the award-winning Dark Is Rising series, including The Dark Is Rising, a Newbery Honor Book, and The Grey King, a Newbery Medal winner. Click here to visit her website.

Timothy Basil Ering is the illustrator of The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread, winner of the Newbery Medal. Click here to visit his website. 

Steven Kellogg is the illustrator of more than one hundred children’s books, including Is Your Mama a Llama? and the Pinkerton series. He is a recipient of the Regina Medal.  Click here to visit his website. 

Patricia MacLachlan is the author of Sarah, Plain and Tall, a Newbery Medal winner. She is a recipient of the National Humanities Medal. Click here to learn more about Patricia MacLachlan and her books. 

Katherine Paterson is the author of Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved, both winners of the Newbery Medal. She is the current National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Click here to visit her website. 

James Ransome is the illustrator of The Creation, winner of a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and an International Board on Books for Young People Honor Selection. Click here to visit his website.

At the reception you won’t want to miss the Silent Auction, featuring an exciting and diverse collection of themed book baskets, manuscript critiques by editors at Candlewick Press and Houghton Mifflin, and a picture book critique by a senior partner at the esteemed literary agency Curtis Brown Ltd.  

The auction will also include illustrations by David Macaulay, Timothy Basil Ering, and Chris Van Dusen! We are also offering a  pastel painting by Katherine Paterson!

Limited tickets are available! Click here to buy your tickets today. And please note that the NCBLA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Ticket purchases are TAX DEDUCTIBLE to the extent allowed by law.

For complete information about the Reception and Silent Auction, including ticket purchases, please visit thencbla.org.

For directions, please visit web.mit.edu.

Family Field Trip!

Take Your Kids to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art this Fall!

Next week's Thanksgiving holidays offer many families extended vacation time. The enchanting illustrations of a picture book are often a child’s very first glimpse into the art world. If you are in the New England area, why not expand your child's world by sharing the magic of picture books at the Eric Carle Museum, located in Amherst, Massachusetts?!

Current exhibits include:

Growing Every Which Way But Up: The Children’s Book Art of Jules Feiffer
October 25, 2011 - January 22, 2012

The Art of Eric Carle: The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse
September 10, 2011 - March 20, 2012

The Heartaches of a French Cat
May 17 - November 27, 2011

And The Rest Is History: Stories of America’s Children
September 3, 2011 - January 3, 2012

Click here to learn more about all these current exhibitions and to get directions.

In Case You Missed It!

New York Times Publishes Special Section on Children's Literature

ATTENTION parents, guardians, aunts and uncles, home schoolers, teachers, librarians--all adults who live and work with young people! You won't want to miss The New York Times' Children's Books Special Section, overflowing with articles, book reviews, and recommended reading lists. Be sure to check out the picture gallery in the "Best Illustrated Books of 2011," the list of book recommendations in "Holiday Songs," and Leonard Marcus' review of The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg and others titled "Choose Your Own Adventure."

THANK YOU New York Times for your continuing quality coverage of books for young people!

Attention Children's Lit Fans and Emerging Writers and Illustrators of Children's Literature!

Upcoming Events in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Feature Celebrated Authors and Illustrators of Literature for Young People

The Cambridge Public Library and the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance invite everyone who loves literature for young people--and the authors and illustrators who create it--to TWO very special events to be held Saturday, December 3 on the campus of MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts:

The Exquisite Conversation:
An Adventure in Creating Books!

Join us at 1:00 p.m. in the Kresge Auditorium for a lively presentation with a panel of distinguished authors and illustrators as they discuss creative writing, narrative illustration, and the creative process! This engaging roundtable discussion will be moderated by NCBLA Executive Director Mary Brigid Barrett and will feature some of America's most beloved authors and illustrators: M. T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Susan Cooper, Timothy Basil Ering, Steven Kellogg, Patricia MacLachlan, James Ransome, and Katherine Paterson, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature!

This event is FREE and open to the public for kids over 10 and everyone who loves literature for young people! 

Porter Square Books will be selling books before and after the presentation in the lobby of Kresge Auditorium (48 Masachusetts Avenue). All authors and illustrators will be available immediately following the presentation to autograph your favorite books!  

Attendees are encouraged to bring a new paperback for a child or teen to donate as a holiday gift to children and young adults in family shelters in Cambridge.

Wine and Cheese Reception

with the Authors and Special Guests!

Reception Includes a Silent Auction of Manuscript Reviews, Original Illustrations, and Themed Book Baskets

Following the presentation, the NCBLA invites you to our ticketed, adults-only Wine and Cheese Reception with the authors and special guests! This is your opportunity to meet each of the participating authors and illustrators in an intimate setting--share a glass of wine with Katherine Paterson! Take your picture with Steven Kellogg! Ask each of our authors the questions you've always wondered about. Our entire “Exquisite Conversation” panel will be there to meet you: M. T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Mary Brigid Barrett, Susan Cooper, Timothy Basil Ering, Steven Kellogg, Patricia MacLachlan, Katherine Paterson, and James Ransome!

Also at the reception you won't want to miss the Silent Auction, featuring an exciting and diverse collection of themed book baskets, manuscript critiques by editors at Candlewick Press and Houghton Mifflin, and a picture book critique by a senior partner at the esteemed literary agency Curtis Brown Ltd. The auction will also include an illustration by David Macaulay, a pastel painting by Katherine Paterson, and much MORE!

The Wine and Cheese Reception will take place in Room 307 of the Stratton Center from 3:30 to 5:00 PM.

A limited number of tickets are available for the reception. Don't miss out! Order your tickets today!

For complete information about the "Exquisite Conversation" program and reception, including ticket purchases, click here.

For directions to the event venues at MIT, click here. 

 

Photographs top to bottom: Katherine Paterson, Patricia MacLachlan, and Steven Kellogg, all taken  by Adam David Kissick at the NCBLA's "White House on the Waterfront" event at the National Children's Museum in November 2010.

Attention Teachers, Homeschoolers, and Librarians!

Twenty More Days Remain to Send Writing for EXQUISITE PROMPT Challenge!

Students in Grades K-12
Invited to Submit Entries

Reading Rockets and AdLit.org revived the Exquisite Prompt writing contest in exquisite corpse fashion with writing prompts inspired by winning student entries from their 2010 contest! Kids in grades K-12 have until November 30 to write the ending to a cliffhanger, a review of a magical object purchased from The Fairy Tale Catalog, a poem in the voice of the Whinoceros, or the continued adventures of two time travelers.

Autographed books await the winners! To learn more, click here.

What's an EXQUISITE CORPSE?!

To learn about the exquisite corpse art form and how it is played, click here.

To learn about The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, the progressive story game created by 20 of America's most gifted writers and illustrators as the foundation of a national reading and writing outreach project sponsored by the NCBLA and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, click here. 

To buy the book, click here. Or, ask for it at your local library!

AND, for information about "The Exquisite Conversation: An Adventure in Creating Books!," a FREE presentation scheduled for Saturday, December 3 at 1:00 PM on the campus of MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts for all kids (ages 10 and up) and adults who LOVE literature for children and young adults, click here.  

What authors and illustrators will be participating in this special presentation? M.T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Susan Cooper, Timothy Basil Ering, Steven Kellogg, Patricia MacLachlan, James Ransome, and Katherine Paterson, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, will participate in a roundtable discussion moderated by Mary Brigid Barrett, Executive Director of The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance.

We invite you to join us!

Celebrate Veterans Day This Friday, November 11

Honor Our Country's Veterans by Sharing Their Stories with Young People

This Friday Americans of all ages honor the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform. A wonderful site that enables parents, guardians, teachers, and librarians to help young people understand the experiences of our veterans is the Veterans History Project on LOC.GOV. Here the American Folklife Center collects, preserves, and makes accessible personal accounts of American war veterans to ensure all Americans can hear their stories and better understand the realities of war.

The Project collects first-hand accounts of U.S. Veterans and support personnel from the following wars:

• World War I (1914-1920)
• World War II (1939-1946)
• Korean War (1950-1955)
• Vietnam War (1961-1975)
• Persian Gulf War (1990-1995)
• Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts (2001-present)

Included on the site are compelling video interviews, photographs, memoirs and other documents from American veterans, as well as links to other related articles, such as "Sweethearts, Buddies, Family Ties," "Women of Four Wars," and "Military Medicine."

Click here to visit the Veterans History Project site.

Activist Alert!

Take Action for Libraries!
Net Neutrality in Jeopardy

This week the full U.S. Senate will vote on Senate Joint Resolution 6, a bill to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) order passed to adopt “net neutrality.”

Please call your Senators and ask them to vote “NO” on S.J. Res. 6.  You can reach your Senators by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121.  Your call sends a loud and clear message that libraries depend on an open and nondiscriminatory Internet to provide our the public unfettered access to information. 

•    Voting no helps preserve the openness of the Internet which is essential to our nation’s educational achievement, freedom of speech and economic growth.
•    Without an open and neutral Internet, there is great risk that commercial Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will give higher priority to some users (e.g. give entertainment priority over education).
•    ISPs may seek to impose additional fees on Internet users which could drastically impact libraries who require much greater bandwidth than households to serve their patrons, many at one time.

This anti-net neutrality resolution, if passed, would strike at the heart of libraries’ ability to ensure patrons have open, unfettered access to all types of information.

Click here for additional information, including links to the letter the ALA sent to Senate leadership.