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First Book and Simon & Schuster are cheering for Heather Henson’s book That Book Woman, recently chosen for the 2010 – 2011 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List!

Last December, Simon & Schuster and First Book simultaneously released That Book Woman, a story about the 1930’s Pack Horse Librarians who carried books to children in the hard-to-reach Appalachian Mountains.  Illustrated by Caldecott award-winning illustrator, David Small, That Book Woman tells the story of a country-loving boy named Cal who lives in the hills and hollows of the Appalachian Mountains. He can plow.  He can take care of sheep.  He can do just about anything . . . . except . . . read.  That is until the Book Woman climbs the mountains in sun, rain, or snow, shining the spotlight on the power of books and turning Cal into a reader.

With a character as cool as Cal, and a story that is both touching and entertaining it is no wonder That Book Woman has made the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List. During the 2010 – 2011 school year, children across the state of Texas will read books on the Master List and vote for their favorite book.  The book with the most votes will receive the Texas Bluebonnet Award.  Previous winners include books by some of First Book’s favorite authors, such as Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie and Jon Scieszka’s Math Curse.

This year, the Master List features books about fantasy, pirates, the deep seas, faraway and not-so faraway lands! The competition may be tight, and the race, close, but we will cross our fingers and hope our little Texan friends vote for That Book Woman to join the list of Texas Bluebonnet Award winners.

Inculcating a Love for Reading
The Wall Street Journal suggests children’s books that might help repel the armies of electronic distraction.

“Leave a Mark” online auction – If I Stay by Gayle Forman
The latest offering in the “Leave a Mark” auctions benefiting First Book is a marked-up copy of Gayle Forman’s If I Stay. Bids are accepted online through 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, November 15 – cast your bid today!

Unlikely Word Origins Defined In Anonyponymous
How many words do you know that are named after real people? These words, called eponyms, fill a new book called Anonyponymous: The Forgotten People Behind Everyday Words. Read and listen to the review at NPR.org.

Q&A: ‘Literarian’ Dave Eggers talks about the writing life
Read the interview with Dave Eggers, best-known for his memoir, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, who will be honored November 18 at the National Book Awards.

Gift Books 2009, Part 1
Looking for great gift books for the  holidays? Shelf Awareness shares book suggestions on topics including: secrets of mysterious lives, travel books for the adventurous and Obamamania.

Renowned children’s author R.L. Stine recently joined First Book in celebrating the distribution of one million books that KPMG’s Family for Literacy has made possible during the first two years of our partnership with the audit, tax, and advisory firm.

Just in time for the author’s favorite holiday, the Halloween celebration took place at a school in Harlem where Mr. Stine shared that nothing scares him more than the thought of kids growing up without books. The message was well received by the students, who greeted Mr. Stine with rock star adoration. A group of older students on the playground recognized him and flocked to him – saying how much they loved his Goosebumps, Fear Street and latest Goosebumps HorrorLand books and sharing how cool it was to have him at their school.  Mick Jagger couldn’t have felt more loved by his fans.

Thanks to generous contributions of funding and volunteer time by KPMG partners, staff and their families and friends, First Book has been able to reach tens of thousands of children with wonderful new books. First Book is especially grateful to Susan Flynn and Beth Veihmeyer who helped originate KPMG’s Family for Literacy which has quickly proven to be an innovative model for engaging partners, employees, alumni, retirees, and interns, as well as their families and friends in a shared cause that benefits the educational needs of children in need in KPMG communities nationwide.

Guest blogger Lisa Holton is the CEO of Fourth Story Media, a new media company that tells stories that unfold across books, the web, mobile phones, and other forms of media. Fourth Story Media’s first series – The Amanda Project - is now live, and the first book Invisible I hit stores last month.

I grew up in traditional children’s publishing, and have had the privilege of working with many extraordinary authors, illustrators, editors and designers–the small villages that create beautiful books. I love books. I love the way they look on the shelf and the way they feel in your hands. I love the physical act of reading–curling up on the couch with a great read, and losing yourself in the story. Many kids feel the same way, and thanks to First Book, many more kids are getting the opportunity to experience reading their own books every day.

Over the last several years, I spent a great deal of time thinking about how our readers interact with technology in profoundly different ways than we do. With each new generation, that relationship becomes more pronounced. I started asking myself, how do we keep traditional book publishing alive and thriving in this age? Is there a way to marry our art forms to online and digital media in a way that makes sense to readers? It was out of these ideas and some encouragement from friends and colleagues–most notably Lorraine Shanley and Ariel Aberg-Riger–that Fourth Story Media was born.

Our first series is a mystery for teens about an enigmatic girl named Amanda Valentino who shows up at Endeavor High School one Halloween, and disappears the following spring. The story is told by different YA authors–kicked off by Melissa Kantor, author of Invisible I– across an 8-book series (being published by HarperCollins) as well as an interactive website where we invite readers to log on and actually become a character in the story. On the website – www.theamandaproject.com – they create character profiles, write in their characters voice, debate clues, and submit art. We continuously weave in their contributions both online (within the weekly stories we publish), as well in the books themselves (the first book includes a beautiful essay written by Lisa Sturm – a 17-year-old from Texas, and one of our first members, who dreams of someday becoming a published author!).

Like many ideas, The Amanda Project came out of a bunch of different, seemingly disparate threads. We were interested in inviting talented authors to collaborate on an ongoing narrative; we wanted to see if we could publish a story that would allow interactivity and reader participation, and we were thinking about how girls use technology to express themselves.

So far, our readers have been AMAZING in their participation. They are completely immersing themselves in Amanda’s world, and constantly submitting really impressive writing and art. If anything, we are continuously searching for additional avenues we can give them to create. For example, after a six-month period of beta testing in which we worked with a small group of about 100 girls, we added a new section to the site called The Zine where our readers can post and submit their writing to share with the community and receive feedback.

We’re also working with teachers and librarians to develop ways that The Amanda Project can be used as a creative reading and writing tool in classrooms. At www.theamandaidentitykit.com you can download resources (including discussion questions, lesson plans, and templates) to use with your students and young readers.

We’re always looking for feedback, ideas, thoughts, and comments. Feel free to get in touch – either in the comments here, or at [email protected] – and let us know what you think!

First Book offices were a flurry recently when surprise visitor Kim Coco Iwamoto of the Hawaii Board of Education dropped in on First Book’s DC headquarters to pay a visit to the staff members behind the books.

Kim Coco Iwamoto Visits with First Book Staff

There’s quite a First Book buzz on the Islands these days. Hawaiians amazed everyone as they sped past other state hopefuls to become this year’s winners of our annual What Book Got You Hooked? contest. The prize? A distribution of 50,000 books. We’re encouraging programs that serve predominantly children in need to register with First Book to find out when this special distribution will take place and connect permanently with First Book resources to help get books for the kids they serve.

Special thanks to First Book Advisory Board members on the ground who will be helping to distribute books to the excited recipients on each of the Hawaii state islands in the coming months!

As a member of the Hawaii Board of Education, Kim Coco is as excited as anyone about the upcoming distribution. She came in and chatted with us about the all the enthusiasm from elementary schools to libraries and after school programs—everyone seems to be bursting with glee over this great win. As Recipient Group Coordinators, Matthew White and I have the pleasure of working one-on-one with potential recipients of books from First Book. We were able to tell Ms. Iwamoto all about the phone calls and emails that have been coming in from the endearing people in Hawaii and in turn, she expressed just what kind of an impact a distribution like this will have.

Ms. Iwamoto left us feeling inspired and thrilled to be working with such positive and energetic Hawaiians on an issue as integral and important as education. It’s always great to meet Recipient Groups and supporters. You are always welcome at First Book!

Bookish Halloween costume ideas
Still haven’t decided on your Halloween costume? This article provides a few bookish possibilities to get your costume ideas flowing.

Last Day to Vote For The Book You Want Cheerios to Put in Boxes in 2010
Vote TODAY for your chance to help select the book that Cheerios will put in boxes in 2010. Don’t miss your chance to vote.

“Leave a Mark” online auction – Wings by Aprilynne Pike
The latest offering in the “Leave a Mark” auctions benefiting First Book is a marked-up copy of Aprilynne Pike’s Wings. Bids are accepted online through 11:59 PM ET on Sunday, November 1 – cast your bid today!

What Do Teens Want? An Industry Study.
Take a look at this interesting survey by Teenreads.com that investigates the ins and outs of teen readers, their attitudes towards books and book-buying habits.

Society of Illustrators Gives Lifetime Achievement Award to Van Allsburg
The Society of Illustrators honored two-time Caldecott Medalist Chris Van Allsburg with its Lifetime Achievement Award during the association’s annual Original Art exhibit last week.

Publishers Weekly’s Top 10 Best Books of 2009: The Reviews
Read reviews of PW’s list of top 10 books of the year. A few of these titles are on my fall reading list. How many have you read?

Gary Temple and Jackson Avenue First Graders Read Together

First Book traveled to Hackensack and back sharing the joy of books this week! First Book partners Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Sons Limited helped bring 1,000 books to children at Jackson Avenue Elementary School in Hackensack, New Jersey on Monday.

Not your typical reading party, 100 first graders had an extra-special afternoon and were treated to personal tours of real Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles with two Jaguars and two Land Rovers on-site for the children to climb through and explore. In addition, the children enjoyed a read-aloud with Jaguar Land Rover North America President, Gary Temple and Tata Sons Chief Representative, David Good. The kids participated in some fun reading activities and received two new books – Cars, a Little Golden book, and the classic Green Eggs and Ham – which they got to keep for their very own.

Handing out Green Eggs and Ham and reading along with the kids was my assignment. As we finished reading with one group of kids, a little boy approached me to turn in his book. “You don’t have to give it back, it’s yours to keep,” I said. His smile said it all as he lined up with his classmates, never letting go of that book. One little girl struggled to sound out her words, and her friend said, “she doesn’t know how,” but after a few pages of Green Eggs and Ham, she joined me in reading out loud and the friends sitting around her cheered her efforts. We picked out the page with the most words, and we all read the “hardest page in the book” together.

Sharing these moments with first graders I am humbled. Learning and reading starts with the heroic work parents and teachers do with children in their homes and classrooms. But without the very basic tools they need, they can’t excite children about this forever skill. Getting to know Sam-I-am for the first time, these children reminded me how important that introduction is.

Many thanks to the vision and community spirit that Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Sons shared as they helped First Book bring new books to children who needed them most. In the words of Dr. Seuss, “I do so like green eggs and ham…thank you, thank you Sam-I-am!”

First Book is excited to launch the Healthy Readers Program this fall, made possible by the generosity of the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program. The Healthy Readers Program will provide 67,500 books and educational resources focusing on healthy living for children in need throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Washington, and West Virginia.

In addition, First Book will be celebrating the partnership by connecting local Walmart employees with children in the community through a celebratory launch event promoting the program and showcasing Walmart Foundation’s support and commitment to children, health and wellness, and community.

“Walmart Foundation is committed to supporting those who make a positive impact on the lives of [community] residents,” said Steven Restivo, Director Corporate Affairs for Walmart’s Northeast Region. “Through this grant, we hope that children will benefit from these excellent educational resources.”

The contribution to First Book was made possible through the Walmart Foundation’s  State Giving Program (SGP). Through this program, the Walmart Foundation supports organizations that create opportunities so people can live better. The Walmart Foundation State Giving Program strives to award grants to programs like First Book that have a long-lasting, positive impact on communities across the United States.

Tags: Healthy, Readers, Grants, Sponsors

Have you ever wished you could know what an author was thinking as they developed their characters, settings or plot twists? Thanks to Lauren and Chelsea, the Leave A Mark auction mavens, now you can! The Leave A Mark auctions are back this fall with more great books “marked up” by your favorite authors and are up for auction to generate new books for kids in need.

Leave a Mark is all about marked up books. That means you aren’t just bidding for a book you could buy in stores or a signed book you could get from a regular signing. These books have notes/behind-the-scenes looks into their story written by the author in the margins or on post-it notes, etc. It’s up to them to decide how they “mark it up.” Even better, 100% of funds from the auctions will benefit First Book, with every $2 donation providing one new book for a child in need.

The first book up for auction is Becoming Chloe by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Bids will be accepted now through Sunday, October 25th at 11:59 P.M. EST.

Be sure to check Leave a Mark blog frequently to see what other great books are being offered in this year’s auction. More details on how the auctions work after the jump.

More details on how the auctions work:

* The Leave A Mark auctions runs now through December 2009. Books will be posted every week or two at the Leave A Mark blog.

* To bid, simply leave a comment on the auction post with your bid amount. Bids start at $10 and must go up in $1 dollar increments.

* The winners of the auctions will donate directly to the Leave A Mark page on the First Book Web site and send an email confirming their donation to the auction hostesses before receiving their book.

* For more details, visit the Leave A Mark blog.

Every month the Library of Congress hosts numerous events through The Center for the Book. Yesterday, a colleague and I were able to listen to Leonard Marcus, one of America’s most respected authorities on children’s literature, along with special guest author Jon Scieszka, who is currently the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

Leonard Marcus began the discussion by talking about his new book Funny Business: Conversations with Writers of Comedy. In this book Marcus interviews thirteen favorite children’s book authors and asks them “what makes funny, funny?”

The book details stories from authors such as Judy Blume, Daniel Handler and Jon Scieszka who explain their first experiences with humor, their sources of inspiration, and how comedy has played a role in their lives. Jon and Leonard discuss the many different types of humor and how capturing the essence of humor on paper is a difficult, and often undervalued, skill. If you are interested in finding out what makes funny, funny – check out Leonard’s book today!

First Book Canada held their first ever book distribution in the city of Calgary this last week, under the direction of one determined woman named Carol Anne Ruscica and her fearless compatriot Wayne Cochrane. Between me, a First Book newcomer, and distribution veteran Andy Wright, we were on a mission to make the first First Book/Le Premier Livre distribution a successful one!

More than 17, 000 books were distributed to 23 different organizations, courtesy of Scholastic Canada.  On top of that, once organizations came to pick up their books, the word spread about how First Book Canada was providing brand new books to organizations across Calgary and new recipient groups piled in almost as quickly as the snow.

Lucky for us, volunteers piled in as well. We were blessed with nearly 20 volunteers throughout the course of the week which included Pi Beta Phi alumnae, Calgary Youth Corps and TD Canada Trust employees.  Neighbour Link was generous enough to house the books in their warehouse and their office and warehouse crew were more than accommodating during our chilly 3 day stay.

The First Book/Le Premier Livre staff are now settling back in their Toronto office but their feet have barely hit the floor! Due to the overwhelming success in Calgary they are making new connections all over Canada and are excited to begin planning the next distribution.

‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days’ is released
The latest book in the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series is out, posing another ethical dilemma for its antihero.

Positive attitudes generate whirlwind change
George Bickert, a first-year school principal sees Tohatchi Elementary School through a complete academic turnaround.

Interview with children’s book author Kate DiCamillo
Kate DiCamillo’s most recent book, “The Magician’s Elephant” is a rewarding and imaginative journey for younger readers that even adults can enjoy.

2009 National Book Awards Finalists
This year’s National Book Awards Finalists have officially been announced. The much anticipated winners are set to be announced on November 18.

“Let the Wild Rumpus Start”
Today, Friday October 16 marks the release of ‘Where the Wild Things Are,’ directed by Spike Jonze, based on Maurice Sendak’s beloved children’s book.

Why should Jon Scieszka, Katherine Paterson, M.T. Anderson, Kate DiCamillo, and Nikki Grimes have all the fun? In support of the rollicking story game being played by these and a crew of other award-winning, talented and versatile authors and illustrators, the Exquisite Prompt writing contest from Reading Rockets and AdLit.org uses writing prompts inspired by the “The Exquisite Corpse Adventure” authors and illustrators to get K-12 students to flex their own writing muscles.

From October through June, two new writing prompts will be available each month.  Winners in four grade level categories will be selected for each prompt.  Prizes include online publication at Reading Rockets and AdLit.org, autographed books, and classroom visits with authors and illustrators via Skype.

The first Exquisite Prompt, inspired by Jon Scieszka, asks students to share a family story.  Based on the author’s recollections of family togetherness in his memoir Knucklehead: Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories about Growing Up Scieszka, the leveled prompt and online resources help students to think about their history and heritage and tell a family story.

Also for October, a prompt inspired by author and illustrator Chris Van Dusen and his book If I Built a Car that is sure to fuel imaginations and take creative and persuasive writing skills for a ride.

All Exquisite Prompts are accompanied by author/illustrator biographies, bibliographies, interviews and links to resources and primary sources related to the prompts. Resources for educators from Reading Rockets and AdLit include strategies for teaching writing and a writing basics toolkit.

I sensed this wouldn’t be just any old press event when three giant cupcake-mobiles came rolling toward us.  Only in Dallas and only at the Neiman Marcus debut of its 2009 Christmas Book would such whimsical, over-the-top motorized confections be the norm.

Known for its fantasy gifts and experiences, this year’s Neiman Marcus Christmas Book offers other remarkable forms of transport: the Icon A5 “His and Hers” amphibious aircraft (flying lessons included, good thing); the Mission One electric motorcycle that not only is environmentally correct but also a thing of beauty to behold; and a limited edition Jaguar XJL.  As for the Custom Cupcake Cars, these ingenious techno-art vehicles that were introduced at Burning Man™   offer almost as smooth a ride at 7 mph.

Why would someone from First Book be at this press event?  First Book is the featured charity in the Christmas Book.  When Neiman Marcus gave us the chance to dream up our own literary fantasy, we were excited to come to the table.

Or more accurately, The Algonquin Round Table.  We have created a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a generous person who loves books and wants to ensure that all children have that same opportunity.

The Algonquin Hotel is a literary landmark in Manhattan where ninety years ago, Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley and other leading writers and theater people began weekly meals at what became known as the Round Table.

We have created a contemporary Round Table with an astounding guest list of the best and wittiest, including:  Christopher Buckley, Roz Chast, Delia Ephron, Nora Ephron, Malcolm Gladwell, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Adam Gopnik, John Lithgow, Anna Deavere Smith, George Stephanopoulos and Ali Wentworth.

The person who takes us up on this offer will enjoy an intimate dinner party with at least eight of these luminaries (though scheduling the actual date may require some changes in the guest list).  We are grateful to our friends at The Algonquin Hotel who will provide accommodations and what promises to be a spectacular meal.

This dinner party will have lasting benefit for children in need because First Book will honor the generous purchaser with a donation of 10,000 books in his or her name.

This priceless evening can be yours for $200,000, with all proceeds supporting First Book’s mission.  Even Dorothy Parker would approve.

Recently, I had the pleasure of attending a luncheon held by the Children’s Book Guild of Washington, DC. Established in 1945, the Children’s Book Guild (of which I am a member) is a professional organization of authors, illustrators, and specialists in children’s literature.

The luncheon was held in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards. The speakers were author and editor Andrea Davis Pinkney, honorary co-chair of the 40th birthday celebration of the Coretta Scott King (CSK) Book Awards, and Guild member Deborah Taylor, the current chair of the award committee. Pinkney and Taylor talked about the history and winners of these prestigious awards, which recognize outstanding children’s books by African Americans.

As an added bonus, Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award-winning author and illustrator Kadir Nelson also attended the luncheon, as did Sharon Robinson, author and daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson.  Nelson and Robinson brought along copies of their gorgeous new book, Testing the Ice: A True Story About Jackie Robinson.  It was truly an inspiring event for all of us!

Guest blogger and First Book supporter Mindy Klasky is the author of ten novels.  Her most recent release, HOW NOT TO MAKE A WISH, launches the As You Wish series, which chronicles a mischievous genie and his effect on various theatrical productions and the people who run them.  Mindy also wrote the Jane Madison series, about a love-struck D.C. librarian who discovers that she’s a witch. Visit www.mindyklasky.com to learn more about Mindy’s work and her support of First Book.

Last week, my newest novel hit the stands.  HOW NOT TO MAKE A WISH is the story of Kira Franklin, a stage manager for a down-and-out dinner theater.  When Kira discovers a wish-granting genie in a magic lamp, her entire life is turned upside down.  I had a lot of fun writing Kira’s story, but it was challenging to come up with some aspects of her world.  No, it was easy enough to depict Minneapolis, a city where I lived for several years.  And it was easy enough to show how staging plays works – I spent a lot of time as a stage manager in college.  Specifically, it was challenging to come up with limitations on the magic in Kira’s world.

How do genie wishes really work?  Why doesn’t everyone just wish for more wishes?  Why doesn’t everyone wish for infinite money, which would make a lot of other wishes come true?  World peace, perfect health for everyone, the end of hunger – why not just embrace those possibilities and make them real?

In Kira’s story, the genie offers some very good reasons.  (Short version:  the genie has an attention-span problem.  Major wishes take major time to implement, and the genie can’t concentrate for long enough to complete the task.)

Nevertheless, when writing the book, I started to wonder what small time-limited wish could have the broadest impact on society.  My thoughts were gelled when I watched a segment on CBS News Sunday Morning, about long-time adult illiterates who found the courage to step forward and learn to read.  Every single one of those adults said his or her life changed radically, once they overcame a lifetime of hiding their inability to read.

People often ask me what I would wish for, if I only had one wish.  I have a whole long list of selfish things that I want.  But, if I were making a wish to better the world, I’d ask for everyone to be able to read.  (And if they chose to read my novels, well, so much the better!  ::grin::)

How about you?  What would you wish for?

Guest blogger Liana Heitin has taught students with special needs for the past five years as a public school teacher, reading specialist, and private tutor. She has a master’s degree in cross-categorical special education and is a freelance Web editor for LD OnLine, the leading website on learning disabilities and ADHD. LD OnLine offers research-based information and expert advice for parents, students, and educators. Liana’s writing has been featured in such publications as Education Week, teachermagazine.org, and the recent book, The Ultimate Teacher (HCI Books, May 2009).

While most kids (and many adults) are eagerly awaiting the 31^st of the month, we here at LD OnLine are enjoying every day of October or — as we know it — LD Awareness Month! In Canada and the U.S., this month is dedicated to educating the public about learning disabilities in order to build acceptance and understanding.

If you’re in the know about LD, spreading your knowledge may seem like a daunting task. But LD Awareness Month isn’t necessarily about setting out on a campaign to inform the world. It’s about starting in your world and watching the knowledge proliferate beyond.

As usual, the best place to start is in your own home. If you have a child with a disability, it’s important for him or her to understand what that disability is all about, in order to find comfort and learn to self-advocate. If your child does not have a disability, there is inevitably someone in his or her class who does and is in need of supportive peers.

There are lots of great children’s books out there that explain what it’s like to have LD and promote the idea that everyone has different strengths and needs. Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco and I Wish I Could Fly Like a Bird by Katherine Denison are great options for younger kids. Both have pictures and tell a story that allows you to connect and empathize with the main character. Older students may like Shirley Kirnoff’s The Human Side of Dyslexia or Kinko’s founder Paul Orfalea’s Copy This! Lessons from a Hyperactive Dyslexic who Turned a Bright Idea Into One of America’s Best Companies, both of which offer hopeful yet realistic first-person accounts about living with LD.

For young students, stories featuring characters with LD can also be effective classroom read-alouds. Consider passing a book about learning disabilities on to your child’s teacher or offering to come to school and read one to the entire class. Kids are surprisingly receptive to classroom guests, and the message behind a visitor’s reading is likely to stay with them.

To find more titles of books about LD, check out our LD Resources page.

I had the honor to attend a happy and heart-warming celebration of Eric Carle’s 80th birthday and The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s 40th anniversary at a spacious terrace and loft in New York City on September 24. Superb, renowned illustrator Eric Carle is a charming, generous and funny man. When we arrived, Mr. Carle and his wife Barbara warmly greeted everyone. At one moment, I glanced over and saw Mr. Carle bending down graciously to talk with beautiful Alice Provensen, now in her 90s, who had traveled all day on a plane from California to attend and accept the Carle Artist Award. What a legacy of children’s illustrators in the room.

The loft terrace was bathed in light as the sun set on a perfectly warm fall evening. All of Mr. Carle’s friends saluted him and the Museum surprised him with a giant birthday cake shaped like the Very Hungry Caterpillar! Awardees received a precious framed print of a Carle butterfly. It was wonderful to see so many friends of First Book including Laura Geringer, Judith Haut, Lisa Holton, Leonard Marcus and Amy Schwartz, Ned Rust, Susan Katz, Barbara Marcus, to name a few, at the festivities.

Our talented friend and great supporter, Joan Allen, fresh from her riveting portrayal of Georgia O’Keeffe, was on hand to introduce First Book President, Kyle Zimmer, as the winner of the Carle Angel Award. Kyle told a wonderful story of one of our book Recipient Groups who used the Very Hungry Caterpilla to start a reading group among teen mothers and how it brought laughter to their stormy lives.

A great event with kudos and many thanks to Alix, Mo, Rebecca, and all the wonderful Museum staff. What a heritage they are preserving!

Vote now or forever hold your peace (until next year)…

Don’t forget to cast your vote for the book that got you hooked and the state to receive 50,000 new books. Voting is open through 12:00 am midnight ET TONIGHT, September 30!

Vote now to bring the 50,000 books to children in YOUR state! The winning state and the top books that got America hooked will be posted here later this week!

Early Start for Reading
Read and listen to WNYC’s report on a new literacy curriculum being piloted in New York City shows signs of promise in closing the gap in reading scores between low-income and middle class students.

Read All About It: National Book Festival
For those in the D.C. area, check this out from Express Night Out: “Bibiophiles should head down to the National Mall on Saturday for the ninth annual National Book Festival, which is bringing dozens of notable authors to D.C.”

Classic children’s books we’d like to see receive the Hollywood treatment
Entertainment Weekly’s Shelf Life blog features four children’s books they’d like to see get made into a movie, complete with casting suggestions and sample dialogue.

Initiative Focuses on Early Learning Programs
A legislative effort already passed by the House proposes funding to establish the Early Learning Challenge Fund, channeling $8 billion to states with plans to improve standards, training and oversight of programs serving infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

Text message speak ‘not harmful to children’s spelling’, says research
The Telegraph reports on new research that suggests using text message language (like OMG, lol and 2mro) does not harm children’s spelling abilities and may even be a good sign.

A long overdue ode to Robert Munsch
Last weekend, Canadian author Robert Munsch, best known for his book Love You Forever, was inducted into Canada’s 2009 Walk of Fame.

Transparent New Home for Poetry
Today, Poets House, a national poetry library and literary center, opens its spacious new home in Battery Park City, New York.

First Book is proud to announce that select meteorologists across the country from Boston to Los Angeles participated in The Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Challenge issued by Today meteorologist Al Roker.

The challenge, in celebration of today’s release of the animated movie CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS, generated more than 20,000 assorted new books to First Book organizations serving children in need. NBC-affiliate meteorologists had the opportunity to deliver new books and lead a special story time with the children.

First Book would like to thank Sony Pictures Animation, Columbia Pictures, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and television stations across the country for their generosity and commitment to spreading the joy of reading.

And be sure to check out this video of highlighting books provided to kids in Phoenix as part of the Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs Challenge (video opens in Windows Media Player).

First Book has teamed up with Baking for Good, a new company that is bringing the local bake sale online. Baking for Good sells all-natural, made-to-order, gourmet bake sale favorites like brownies, cookies and whoopie pies, and donates 15% of every purchase to a cause of your choice.  To support First Book and buy some delicious food, visit Baking for Good’s First Book page. You can even add an additional donation at checkout, if you’d like.

We hope you’ll think of supporting First Book through Baking for Good whenever you’re sending a gift, hosting an event or just in the mood for some sweet treats.  Enjoy!

Check out First Book staffer (and well-known children’s author) Erica Perl as she takes a stroll through New York City and Washington, DC, rapping about her love for reading.  Her cohorts include fellow children’s author Ayun Halliday, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Jon Scieszka, esteemed children’s librarian and School Library Journal blogger, Elizabeth “Fuse # 8” Bird, and enthusiastic readers, ages 7 to 97. Fun — guaranteed!

Is summer over already??

Many months ago some of you may remember a post called What’s on Your Summer Reading list? Throughout the summer my focus has been on classic titles. I am happy to report throughout the last few months I have been able to tackle a few big name titles such as A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, A Farewell to Arms, and The Grapes of Wrath.

I still have a few classics on my list, but I tend to get sidetracked by modern fiction so I also read She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb, re-read The Time Traveler’s Wife as well as squeezing in the wonderful children’s novel The Tale of Despereaux which I picked up at Book Expo America this year. With much of my reading list completed, and summer quickly coming to a close, instead of putting my classics reading list back on the shelf I am sticking to my plan and have started reading Gone With the Wind as my last read for the summer!

Other First Book employees are finishing off the last few weeks of summer with titles such as The Hottest State by Ethan Hawke, The Forever War by Dexter Filkins and the big read around the First Book office, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society! This title is still on my reading list, and I may just get to it by Christmas…any other end of summer reading recommendations?

Tiny librarian is hell on wheels
Check out this article (and video) about Beth Hollis, an Akron, Ohio reference librarian Ohio by day and a roller derby dynamo by night.

A New Assignment: Pick Books You Like
Motoko Rich of the New York Times highlights “reading workshop” a experimental teaching approach that lets students pick the books they read.

7,000 Words Are Not Enough
The New Yorker’s Book Bench encourages readers to embrace abandoned vocabulary by visiting Save the Words,  a website that offers visitors a chance to adopt endangered terms.  And to get you started building your vocabuluary, take a look at abecedarian, a great word of the day from Dictonary.com.

Last Chance to Support First Book at dd’s DISCOUNTS
Don’t forget, you have until September 7, to make a donation at the point of sale at dd’s DISCOUNTS locations in CA, TX, AZ and FL, with dd’s DISCOUNTS matching donations, up to $25,000.

Bringing ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ to the Screen
This weekend, The New York Times Magazine features film director Spike Jonze’s career and insights into the making of ‘Where the Wild Things Are,’ opening in theatres on October 16.

Enter the Mrs P Children’s writing contest!
MrsP.com is seeking great stories written by children 4 to 13 years old for its first “Be A Famous Writer Contest.” Celebrity judges include Dave Barry and Craig Ferguson, so be sure to enter your child’s story today.

Good Books Don’t Have to Be Hard
An interesting article on “why millions of adults are cheating on the literary novel with the young-adult novel, where the unblushing embrace of storytelling is allowed, even encouraged.”