American Library Association Announces 2012 Youth Media Award Winners

Congratulations to All of This Year's
ALA Youth Media Award Winners,
Including Newbery Winner Jack Gantos and Caldecott Winner Chris Raschka!

The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books, video and audiobooks for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its Midwinter Meeting in Dallas. Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children’s experts, the awards encourage original and creative work. 

The 2012 award winners are:

The  John Newbery Medal, which recognizes the most outstanding contribution to children's literature was awarded to "Dead End in Norvelt,” written by Jack Gantos. The book is published by Farrar Straus Giroux. Two Newbery Honor Books also were named: "Inside Out & Back Again," written by Thanhha Lai and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers; and "Breaking Stalin’s Nose,” written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, and published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

Jack Gantos is a contributor to the NCBLA's national reading and writing initiative The Exquisite Corpse Adventure. 

The  Randolph Caldecott Medal, which recognizes the most distinguished American picture book for children, was awarded to “A Ball for Daisy," illustrated and written by Chris Raschka. The book is published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc. Three Caldecott Honor Books also were named: “Blackout,” illustrated and written by John Rocco, and published by Disney · Hyperion Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group; "Grandpa Green" illustrated and written by Lane Smith, and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership; and “Me … Jane,” illustrated and written by Patrick McDonnell, and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

The Michael L. Printz Award, which recognizes excellence in literature written for young adults, was awarded to “Where Things Come Back,” written by John Corey Whaley. The book is published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. Four Printz Honor Books also were named: “Why We Broke Up,” written by Daniel Handler, art by Maira Kalman and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group; “The Returning,” written by Christine Hinwood and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group Young Readers Group USA; “Jasper Jones,” written by Craig Silvey and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.; and “The Scorpio Races,” written by Maggie Stiefvater and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

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 Kadir Nelson, author and illustrator of “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans,” is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Two King Author Honor Book recipients were selected: Eloise Greenfield, author of “The Great Migration: Journey to the North,” illustrated by Jan Spivey Gilchrist and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; and Patricia C. McKissack, author of “Never Forgotten,” illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon and published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Patricia McKissack is a board member of the NCBLA. She is also a contributor to the NCBLA's interdisciplinary anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, as well as a contributor to the NCBLA's national reading and writing initiative The Exquisite Corpse Adventure. 

The Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award was awarded to Shane W. Evans, illustrator and author of “Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom." The book is a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership. One King Illustrator Honor Book recipient was selected: Kadir Nelson, illustrator and author of “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans,” published by Balzar + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

The Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement was awarded to Ashley Bryan. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton.

Storyteller, artist, author, poet and musician, Bryan created his first children’s book in first grade. He grew up in the Bronx and in 1962, he became the first African American to both write and illustrate a children’s book. After a successful teaching career, Bryan left academia to pursue creation of his own artwork. He has since garnered numerous awards for his significant and lasting literary contribution of poetry, spirituals and story.

The Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults was awarded to Susan Cooper. 

Cooper's books include: The Dark Is Rising Sequence: “Over Sea, Under Stone”; “The Dark Is Rising”; “Greenwitch”; “The Grey King”; and “Silver on the Tree.”

Susan Cooper is a board member of the NCBLA. She is also a contributor to the NCBLA's interdisciplinary anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, as well as a contributor to the NCBLA's national reading and writing initiative The Exquisite Corpse Adventure.  Cooper's most recent book is "The Magic Maker: A Portrait of John Langstaff and His Revels."

To read the complete list of winners, click here.  

ACTIVIST ALERT!

Call Your Congressional Rep and Ask for Support of the SKILLS ACT

Every child in America deserves access to
an effective school library program.

This week, U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ, 7th), along with Representatives Rush Holt (D-NJ, 12th) and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA, 6th) introduced the Strengthening Kids’ Interest in Learning and Libraries (SKILLS) Act. The SKILLS Act, numbered H.R. 3776 in the House, is a companion bill of S. 1328 that was introduced in the Senate by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) back on July 6, 2011.

Both the House and Senate version of the SKILLS Act would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to do the following:

1. Defines an “effective school library program” to be staffed by a state-certified school librarian, have up-to-date materials including technology, teaches digital literacy skills, and finally, has regular collaboration between other education professionals over curriculum.
2. Replaces Improving Literacy Through School Libraries with Improving Literacy and College and Career Readiness Through Effective School Library Programs which would award competitive grants to underserved local schools and school districts to develop an effective school library program.
3. Allows school librarians access to professional development funds under Title II of ESEA.

H.R. 3776 was referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. No further action has been announced for this legislation. S. 1328 was introduced as an amendment to the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee mark-up of the ESEA reauthorization in October 2011. That amendment was unfortunately withdrawn due to lack of support on the committee, and ESEA was reported from the HELP committee without a library provision.

This legislation is critical to the future of school libraries. Please call your Congressional Representative today at the capitol switchboard (202.224.3121) and ask him or her to support the SKILLS Act! To find direct contact information for members of Congress, click here. 

For more information about how you can support literacy and libraries, visit the NCBLA's "Become an Activist" page.

The Horn Book Publishes Its 2011 Fanfare List

Check Out the Horn Book's 2011 Fanfare List of 30 Great Books for Children and Teens

The Horn Book's Fanfare list spotlights their reviewers' and editors' choices for the very best books published for children and teens in 2011. Books in the fanfare list are categorized into Picture Books, Fiction, and Nonfiction. More than a simple list, the fanfare includes a short description of each book, as well as recommended reading levels for each. 

To see the entire list on hbook.com, click here. 

Why not take advantage of a cold winter afternoon or evening to visit your local library and check out some of these fabulous books?!

Celebrate MLK Day with a BOOK!

Check Out These Recommendations About the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from Reading Rockets!

 

Reading Rockets features tons of themed book lists to help parents, homeschoolers, guardians, teachers, and other adults make finding the perfect book at your local library or bookstore a piece of cake! Why not visit the library with your kids today and read about Martin Luther King and other civil rights activists together?

To visit the Reading Rockets' book list for recommendations about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., click here.

CONGRATULATIONS to Walter Dean Myers!

Author Walter Dean Myers
Inaugurated as
Third National Ambassador
for Young People's Literature

In a ceremony held in the Library of Congress' Jefferson Building yesterday, author WALTER DEAN MYERS was inaugurated as our nation's third National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Myers is the recipient of two Newbery Honors, three National Book Award finalists, the Margaret A. Edwards Award, the Michael L. Printz Award, and five Coretta Scott King Awards. His titles include We Are America, Carmen, Looking for the Easy Life, Kick, and Cruisers.

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. For his two-year tenure as Ambassador, Myers has chosen to proclaim the message that "Reading is not optional." 

Students from area schools attended yesterday's ceremony to hear Myers speak and to participate in the inauguration. Following the ceremony and speeches, Myers chatted with students and signed copies of his books for the attendees.

Left to Right: Katherine Paterson, Walter Dean Myers,
and Jon Scieszka.

Myers succeeds Katherine Paterson, who served as Ambassador for the 2010-2011 term, and Jon Scieszka, who served as Ambassador for the 2008-2009 term. The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature is named by the Librarian of Congress for a two-year term, based on recommendations from a selection committee representing many segments of the book community. The selection criteria include the candidate’s contribution to young people’s literature and ability to relate to children.

To learn more about Myers and his books, visit his website.

To learn more about the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature program, visit Read.gov.

All photos courtesy of Abby Brack, Library of Congress.

Activist Alert!

Help Ensure Every Child in America Has Access to an Effective School Library Program

Every child in America deserves access to an effective school library program. 

We ask that the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provide dedicated funding to help support effective school library programs. Such action will ensure more students have access to the resources and tools that constitute a 21st century learning environment. Reductions in school library programs are creating an ‘access gap’ between schools in wealthier communities versus those where there are high levels of poverty. All students should have an equal opportunity to acquire the skills necessary to learn, to participate, and to compete in today’s world.

To sign the petition asking the Obama administration to support this dedicated funding for effective school library programs, click here. 

Hint: If you experience difficulty signing in to the petition, please log out and try again. You might also want to try a different web browser or computer if possible. 

THANK YOU for supporting school libraries!

Help Kids Connect with the 2012 Presidential Campaign!

Our White House Book and Website Provide Resources to Help Adults Who Live and Work with Kids Connect Them with Current Events

All eyes are on New Hampshire this week as that state's voters go to the polls tomorrow to vote in their primary election for the Republican party's presidential nominee. Parents, homeschoolers, guardians, teachers, librarians, and other adults who live and work with kids can help our nation's children understand and connect with the presidential campaign using the award-winning anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out!

In Our White House, marvel at Calef Brown's painting "Freedom of Speech" and discuss the impact of this freedom on this year's presidential campaign with the young people in your life. Read Rocket Boys author Homer Hickam's account of meeting John F. Kennedy on the campaign trail in "The White House, the Moon, and a Coal Miner's Son." Read Natalie Babbitt's essay "Seven from Ohio," which ponders why so many presidents have hailed from that midwestern state and discuss the home states and experiences of each of the Republican candidates...are the candidates' states representative of the nation as a whole? How has each candidate's life, political, and private sector experiences prepared them for the presidency?

Check Out the Free Resources Available on OurWhiteHouse.org!

On the companion educational site OurWhiteHouse.org, you and the kids in your life can learn how long it took to expand the right to vote in "Who Gets to Vote?" and discover how the electoral college works in "Getting the Votes and Getting Elected: The Popular Vote vs. the Electoral College." Learn about our country's history of presidential campaigns in "Persuading the People: Campaigning for President." And have fun reading about the original campaign "button" in "From Buttons to Pins: Campaign Tokens Evolve."

Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out is 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 National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance designed to encourage young people to read more about America’s rich history and culture; to think more about America’s future; to talk more about our nation’s leadership; and to act on their own beliefs and convictions, ensuring this great democratic experiment will survive and thrive. 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!

Author Katerine Paterson Shares Experiences and Insights Regarding Her Two Years as National Ambassador for Young People's Literature

Fans of Katherine Paterson say good-bye and thank you next week as she hands over the reins of the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature position to newly named Ambassador Walter Dean Myers for the 2012-2013 term.

In the Huffington Post article titled "My Term As The National Ambassador For Young People's Literature," Paterson writes about some of her most moving moments as Ambassador:

"One of my best adventures was finding myself the prize of a national contest won by a tiny school in Sebago, Maine. A friend and I drove through a blizzard in the White Mountains of New Hampshire to get to Sebago, but it was worth it.

To introduce the day, the teacher picked up four books. "These were some of my best friends when I was growing up," she said. The first was a nearly worn out Little Golden Book. Her mother would take her and her brother grocery shopping and each week the children could take a turn selecting a book. They were to share the books. "But," she said holding up the book, "I must not have learned how to share, because, see, I've scratched out my brother's name and written my own."

Then she held up "Little House in the Big Woods," a book that taught her how people lived years ago and showed a shy child how good it was to be strong and independent. The third was a story book about Japan that made her long to go to Japan and to learn about the world outside her small home town. The last book was a book I had written: "Jacob Have I Loved." "This book," she said, "helped me understand how I felt because I was Louise. My mother saw how much I loved this book, and so she read it, and to my surprise, she thought she was Caroline. So I learned that two people can read the same book and learn very different things."

Click here to read Katherine's entire article.
 
To learn more about Katherine Paterson and her books, click here.
 
To learn more about Walter Dean Myers and his books, click here.
 
For more information about the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature program, click here.

Congratulations to Young Writers Inspired by "Exquisite Corpse Adventure" Authors and Illustrators

Winners of The Exquisite Prompt Redux Writing Challenge Announced

This past fall Reading Rockets challenged students across America to exercise their imaginations by writing the end to a cliffhanger, the review of a magical object, a poem in the voice of a Whinoceros, or the adventure of two time travelers...writing challenges inspired by the authors and illustrators who collaborated to create the progressive story game The Exquisite Corpse Adventure.

The creative efforts of several winners were recently selected by Reading Rockets from hundreds of entries. The NCBLA congratulates the creative efforts of  these young people and invites you to read these fabulous winning selections on ReadingRockets.org!

What Is The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a progressive story game originally published on the Library of Congress' Read.gov website as the foundation of a national reading and writing initiative, created by The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is now available in paperback and hardback from Candlewick Press. It is also available on audio.

To learn more about The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, click here.

To check out the NCBLA's extensive online educational resources that support The Exquisite Corpse Adventure (including supplemental articles, classroom activities, reading lists, art activities, discussion questions, and more!), click here.

Ask for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure at a bookstore or library near you!

Happy New Year! Resolve to Read to the Kids in Your Life This New Year!

Reading to Children Has Long Impact, Says OECD Study

Children whose parents frequently read with them in their first year of school are still showing the benefit when they are 15, says an international study.

BBC reports that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development analysis examined the long-term impact of parental support on literacy. Discounting social differences, the study found children with early support remained ahead in reading. It found a strong link between teenage reading skills and early parental help. Click here to read the entire article on the BBC website.

Literacy Advice, Tips, and Resources

For authoritative and practical tips on making literacy a priority at home and helping your kids become life-long readers, check out these articles provided by the NCBLA:

"Parent and Guardian Literacy Basics" 

"Why Do Kids Need Books?" 

"I Will Read to My Kids...If I Ever Find the Time!" by Mary Brigid Barrett 

"Kids See, Kids Do! Become a Literacy Role Model" by Mary Brigid Barrett 

"Creating a Home Atmosphere That Supports Great Writing" by Mary Brigid Barrett

"Parent Tips for Encouraging Reading and Literacy Development" by Melanie Walski

New National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Named!

Congratulations to Walter Dean Myers!

Award-winning author Walter Dean Myers has been named our nation's third National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by Librarian of Congress Dr. James H. Billington! Myers is the recipient of two Newbery Honors, three National Book Award finalists, the Margaret A. Edwards Award, the Michael L. Printz Award, and five Coretta Scott King Awards. His titles include We Are America, Carmen, Looking for the Easy Life, Kick, and Cruisers.

Regarding the importance of reading and his plans for his term as ambassador, Myers said in a New York Times interview that he hopes to speak directly to low income minority parents, “I think that what we need to do is say reading is going to really affect your life. ... You take a black man who doesn’t have a job, but you say to him, ‘Look, you can make a difference in your child’s life, just by reading to him for 30 minutes a day.’ That’s what I would like to do.” Click here to read the entire interview.

Learn more about Walter Dean Myers and his prolific body of work at his website. And read more about the naming of Myers as ambassador in Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal.

The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature raises 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. Visit Read.gov to learn more.

Help the NCBLA Continue Its Vital Work Helping Our Nation's Young People!

 The NCBLA Needs YOU!

Please consider making a donation this holiday season to the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance. Large or small, we value and honor every dollar, every donation.

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

Consider the educational impact made by the NCBLA in 2011:

Our progressive story game titled The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, originally published on Read.gov as the foundation of a national reading and writing initiative created by the NCBLA and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, was published by Candlewick Press in hardcover and a kid-friendly paperback. The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is also available on audio. Click here to check out the extensive educational materials created by the NCBLA designed to support The Exquisite Corpse Adventure.

The NCBLA presented a free, interactive workshop for kids at the Northwest One Neighborhood Library in Washington, D.C., which featured some of the nation’s most-popular children’s authors and illustrators, including National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Katherine Paterson; Jack Gantos; Patricia McKissack; and illustrators Chris Van Dusen and Calef Brown. Moderating the discussion with the young people in attendance was Mary Brigid Barrett, also a children's book author and illustrator and founder and president of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance.

The NCBLA opened the 11th Annual National Book Festival events in the Children's Pavilion with a dramatic reading of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure. Participating in our dramatic reading were: National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Katherine Paterson, Mary Brigid Barrett, Calef Brown, Susan Cooper, Jack Gantos, Gregory Maguire, Fredrick McKissack, Patricia McKissack, and Chris Van Dusen.

The NCBLA joined forces with the Cambridge Public Library and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to present  The Exquisite Conversation: An Adventure in Creating Books!, which featured  a distinguished panel of eight award-winning authors and illustrators discussing the creative process. This presentation was free and open to the public and included M. T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Susan Cooper, Timothy Basil Ering, Steven Kellogg, Patricia MacLachlan, James Ransome, and National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Katherine Paterson! NCBLA founder and president Mary Brigid Barrett moderated the discussion. 

As the presidential primaries and election grab national attention, the NCBLA continues to educate our nation's young people through the Our White House book and companion website. Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out is an award-winning art and literature anthology, which includes original poetry, paintings, photographs, historical fiction, nonfiction, and primary source materials about American history that use the White House as a unifying theme. The OurWhiteHouse.org website includes a vast array of articles, resources, and activities to help young people connect with American history. Sample articles to share with young people include Presidential Menageries: George Washington, Hound Dogs, and Super Mules, as well as Persuading the People: Presidential Campaigns and Getting the Votes and Getting Elected: The Popular Vote vs. the Electoral College.

The NCBLA expanded its communication efforts by creating a facebook page, helping us to reach even more families and educators by promoting the educational programs sponsored by the NCBLA and other literacy organizations; highlighting pertinent literacy, art, and education news and information; and encouraging citizens to act upon critical legislation that affects our nation's kids! Click here to check it out...and be sure to friend us!

 

In 2012, we hope to launch a new national literacy education initiative with the Library of Congress, the Children's Book Council, PBS Reading Rockets, and other educational partners. We need your help to make it happen! Your donation to the NCBLA is tax-deductible! Thank you!

 

The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit. 

 

To make a donation by credit card, click here. 

If you would like to send a check or money order, please mail your donation to: 

Mary Kemper, Treasurer
The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance
P. O. Box 1479
Brewster, MA 02631

 

As the NCBLA settles down for a holiday "nap," our staff and board would like to wish you and your family a delight-filled holiday season and a joyous New Year!

Holiday Shopping Made Easy...Try Your Local Bookstore!

Tips for Finding the Perfect Gift Book

Finding the perfect book or two for the young people in your life can be a daunting experience. Bookstore shelves are overflowing with tall books and tiny books, books that tell tales of faraway princesses and books about animals both cute and exotic, even books that sing, talk, and sparkle!
How does one choose?

In the article “A Holiday Gift Book Buying Guide for Your Family,” librarian Natacha Luzzi offers these tips:

• Find out what the child or teen has read already. Ask them what authors they like to read.
• Discover the subjects and topics that interest them.
• Find out if they prefer fiction or nonfiction, fantasy or reality.
• Don't be afraid to ask your neighborhood children's librarian or children's books seller for suggestions and advice.
• Read your local newspaper's book section. Many newspapers and magazines feature book suggestions this time of year.
• Be consumer savvy. The books with biggest marketing budgets are not necessarily the best books for you child or teen. And conversely, a book you've never heard of may contain the story that changes your child’s or teen's life. Natacha says, "Just because a book jacket may look promising does not mean the story is going to live up to it. We all fall victim at one time or another to 'judging a book by its cover.'"
• Take into consideration the content and age recommendation. I think great care needs to be taken, especially if a young reader is at a higher reading level. Even though the child can read the material the content is not always appropriate.
• No one is ever too old for a picture book!!
• Consider all possibilities: great literature and fun, entertaining books. Says Natacha, "Think of books in terms of chocolate mousse and a Hershey kiss. There are moments for both!"
  

Read the complete article on the NCBLA website here. 

Reading Rockets Buying Guide Makes Recommendations for Kids 4 Through 9
If you prefer to walk into the bookstore with a list in hand, be sure to check out Reading Rockets’ fabulous annual Books as Gifts Buying Guide! This year’s buying guide includes a carefully selected collection of books so engaging the TV is happily turned off and the iPod and other electronic games are put away.

Reading Lists for Older Kids
If you are looking for a book to treat an older child, be sure to check out the Young Adult Library Services Association's list of the 2011 Best Books for Young Adults, which includes dozens of fiction and nonfiction titles. You may also want to peruse AdLit.org's expert list of Great Books for Teens, which includes themed lists with categories such as Baseball Books, Fantasy, Multicultural Stories, Poetry, and Romance & Relationships.

One Additional Recommendation
Consider Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, an award-winning anthology includes original poetry, historical fiction, nonfiction, and primary source materials about American history using the White House as a unifying theme. It's a perfect book for kids of all ages, families, teachers, classrooms--anyone who loves art and history and literature!

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.

Our White House is now available in a paperback edition and includes a NEW poem by Nikki Grimes and coordinating illustration by A. G. Ford about President Obama's inauguration. Look for the hardcover and paperback editions at a bookstore new you!
 

ACTIVIST ALERT!

Ask Your Representative to Vote NO
on SOPA (H.R. 3261)

TOMORROW at 10:00 a.m. (EST) the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary will meet to mark up and potentially vote in committee on H.R. 3261, the “Stop Online Piracy Act” or SOPA.

According to the American Library Association, this bill, introduced in October by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), not only threatens the future of the Internet as we know it, it jeopardizes protections currently enjoyed by individual citizens, as well as libraries. The bill has the potential to do significant damage in a number of ways – including the possibility of criminal prosecution of a library for streaming, censorship of internet activity, invasion of privacy rights, and even threatens national cyber security, among others.

Please call your U.S. Representative and ask them to vote “NO” on SOPA.

• For libraries, the bill strikes at copyright protections by creating the possibility of criminal prosecution of a library for streaming.
• SOPA’s requirements to monitor internet traffic violates free speech and privacy protections, not to mention raises the significant likelihood of a “chilling effect” on using the Internet for commerce, communication and participation in a democratic society.
• SOPA’s monitoring of the internet equates to surveillance potentially inviting new forms of government intrusion (within and outside the U.S.).
• Such monitoring or regulating of the Internet creates cyber security vulnerabilities as noted in a letter by top cyber security experts at Sandia National Laboratories (funded by the Department of Defense and Department of Energy).
• Finally, the predicted consequences of SOPA are far reaching. If passed, the potential for new jobs, innovative new ventures and economic growth would be stifled.

Click here then enter your zip code in the "CALL NOW" box for your representative's calling information.

For more information on SOPA, click here. 

The NCBLA Needs You!

The National Children's Book 

and Literacy Alliance: 
Help Us Help All of Our Kids!

We need your help in order to do our work. In this season of giving, please consider making a donation to the NCBLA. We need you to help us fight the good fight, making sure that all of our nation's kids have equal and ready access to school libraries and healthy neighborhood libraries.
We need your help in educating the adults who live and work with children and teens to the literacy needs of young people in their lives. 

 

We need your help educating the United States Congress concerning the literacy and library needs of all of our young people.

We need your help raising our nation's awareness to the fact that a democracy can only survive and thrive if its citizens, young and old, are literate and educated. 

We need your help so that we can continue to create innovative national literacy outreach projects that reach millions of children across our nation and the world: 

the multiple award winning book and website Our White House:Looking In, Looking Out and www.ourwhitehouse.org; and

our Internet reading/writing world-wide initiative with the Library of Congress, The Exquisite Corpse Adventure story game, book, and educational support webpages.

 

We need your help so that our authors and illustrators can visit more classrooms, libraries, book festivals, and museums to work with our kids, exciting kids and their families about reading!

 
Please consider making a donation this holiday season to the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance. Large or small, we value, and honor every dollar,every donation.
We believe that literacy is essential to the development of responsible citizens in a democracy. And we believe that citizens, both young and old, must have equal access to stimulating books and information sources that invite them to dream and give them the tools to achieve their dreams. As writers and illustrators, teachers and mentors, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles—as citizens and neighbors—our ultimate question is always how can we best serve all of our nation’s children?  

In 2012, we hope to launch a new national literacy education initiative with the Library of Congress, the Children's Book Council, PBS Reading Rockets and other educational partners. We need your help to make it happen! Your donation to the NCBLA is tax-deductible! Thank you!

The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit.  

To make a donation by credit card, go to:  http://www.thencbla.org/donate.html

If you would like to send a check or money order, please mail your donation to: 

Mary Kemper, Treasurer
The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance
P. O. Box 1479
Brewster, MA 02631

Thank you! We hope you and your family have a delight-filled holiday season and a joyous New Year!

Celebrating the Holidays at the White House

White House Decorations Honor
America's Military Families

 (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The official Christmas tree was delivered to the North Portico of the White House in a horse-drawn carriage and presented to First Lady Michelle Obama, who was accompanied by daughters Malia and Sasha, on November 25. The 18-foot-6 inch balsam fir is decorated with holiday cards created by military children and ornaments featuring medals, badges, and patches from all of the military branches. In the photo at right, President Barack Obama shows military officials the White House Christmas Tree in the Blue Room following a meeting, Dec. 1, 2011.

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

And on December 8 President Obama, the First Lady, Vice President Biden, and Dr. Jill Biden hosted a Hanukkah celebration in the White House in which the President remarked, 

"Let’s honor the sacrifices our ancestors made so that we might be here today. Let’s think about those who are spending this holiday far away from home -– including members of our military who guard our freedom around the world. Let’s extend a hand to those who are in need, and allow the value of tikkun olam to guide our work this holiday season."

Learn More About American
Holiday Traditions and White House History

The December holidays provide a fabulous opportunity to help young people learn about their own history and heritage, as well as the history, heritage, and traditions of others. Following are some resources you can share with young people to engage their natural curiosity and introduce them to holiday traditions at the White House:

Watch a video of the delivery of this year's douglas fir Christmas tree from Lehighton, Pennsylvania to the White House on November 26.

Watch a video of the lighting of the menorah and the Hanukkah celebration at the White House.

Discover how the Christmas tree became a White House tradition and how farmers across America compete to grow the “Grand Champion” selected to adorn the White House each year in "Grand Champions of the White House" by guest writer Renee Critcher Lyons on OurWhiteHouse.org. Read on for an excerpt:

A tree has not always graced the White House at Christmastime. In fact, Franklin Pierce (1856), our 14th president, became the first to embrace the 500-year old tradition of bringing a tree into the home to celebrate the hope of Christmas morn. And, the practice did not become a yearly event until the 1880’s. Only one president since has frowned upon the use of an official White House Christmas tree, Teddy Roosevelt. Our 26th president (1901-1909), at a time before Christmas tree farms were prevalent, believed the harvesting of Christmas trees might deplete our national forests, and thus banned the practice from the White House.

 

Read about the history of the National Christmas Tree, which graces the Ellipse between the White House and the Washington Monument, in "Our National Christmas Tree" by Cheli Mennella on OurWhiteHouse.org. Here is an excerpt:

The magnificent blue spruce towers above the Ellipse, the ground between the White House and the Washington Monument. Throughout the year it is a silent reminder of yuletide pleasures and joy. Then in December the tree takes on new significance. Dressed in strands of colorful lights and trimmed with ornaments, the tree, our National Christmas Tree, becomes a beacon of beauty and brilliance.

Read Newbery-medal winning author Susan Cooper's contrasting memories of the White House--one at a time of sorrow and another at a time of Christmas splendor--in "Memory of the White House" on OurWhiteHouse.org.

 

Discover More About the White House and American History in Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out
For even more information and stories about White House holiday traditions, the presidents and first ladies, and American history, check out a copy of Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out from your local library and share the extensive fiction and nonfiction pieces and plethora of original art illustrations with the young people in your life. To learn more about White House holidays, you might choose to read how the American hostage crisis in 1979 affected the lighting of the national Christmas tree during President Carter’s term in office in “From Christmas in Plains: Memories” by Jimmy Carter.

Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out is sold in hardcover and paperback at bookstores everywhere. LEARN MORE about this anthology at OurWhiteHouse.org.