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Jarrett J. Krosoczka
About Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Jarrett J. Krosoczka grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts, and attended the Rhode Island School of Design. He graduated from RISD in 1999—and had signed a contract for his first children’s book within six months of his graduation. Since 2001, Jarrett has written and illustrated nine picture books—including Punk Farm, Max for President, My Buddy Slug, Baghead, and Good Night, Monkey Boy. Jarrett embarked on a new path in his successful career with the 2009 publication of his first two graphic novels—Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute and Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians. Universal Pictures has picked up the Lunch Lady series for a movie project. Amy Poehler has signed on to star in the film adaptation of the books, which focus on "a mild-mannered school cafeteria server who secretly dishes out helpings of justice as she and her assistant investigate wrongdoings. The books also feature three kids who try to figure out her double life." Jarrett’s books have been short-listed by Newsweek, USA Today, The Boston Globe, and The New York Times.
Information about the Winter Dinner Meeting of the PAS North Shore Council of IRA
The meeting will begin at 5:00 with a social hour during which Jarrett will sign books. Attendees will be able to purchase a number of Jarrett's most popular books at the hotel. (Note: Payment for books must be made in cash or by check.)
The cost for our March dinner is $42 for members and $51 for non-members.
Dinner Choices
Chicken Breast Stuffed with Apples and Pecans, served with maple Dijon Sauce
Roasted New England Cod with Pumpkin Seed Crust and Red Onion Marmalade
If you are interested in attending our March dinner, email me. I have extra copies of the registration form. The deadline for registration is February 26, 2010.
5 Comments on Children's Author & Illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka to be the Featured Speaker at the Winter Meeting of the Massachusetts PAS North Shore Council, last added: 2/12/2010
The schedule for the
2009-2010 Speaker Series of the
Massachusetts PAS North Shore Council of IRA has finally been set. Here are the dates and venues and names of the authors and illustrators who will be our featured speakers this school year.
PAS North Shore Council of IRA 2009-2010 Speaker Series ScheduleThat’s one fine line-up of speakers, don’t you think?
About Melissa Sweet
Melissa Sweet is the author and/or illustrator of more than sixty books for children. Melissa has won a number of awards and acknowledgements for her picture books in recent years. The Boy Who Drew Birds was included on the New York Public Library’s List of Best Books of 2004. In 2005, she received the Golden Kite Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators for Baby Bear’s Chairs and the Maine Lupine Award for Carmine: A Little More Red. Two of Melissa’s books were designated as Best Illustrated Books of the Year by the New York Times—in 2005 and 2009. This year, Melissa received a Caldecott Honor Award for her stunning mixed-media illustrations in A River of Dreams: The Story of William Carlos Williams. Melissa is also the illustrator of the popular Pinky and Rex series of early readers. 
Information about the Fall Dinner Meeting of the PAS North Shore Council
The meeting will begin at 5:00 with a social hour during which Melissa Sweet will sign books. Attendees can purchase a number of Melissa Sweet’s most popular books at the yacht club. (Note: Payment for books must be made in cash or by check.)
The cost for our November dinner is $38 for members and $48 for non-members.
Dinner choices are:
- Sliced Roast Beef with Bordelaise Sauce
- Seafood Casserole with Scallops, Shrimp and Scrod.
If you are interested in attending our November dinner, email me. I have extra copies of the registration form. The deadline for registration is October 23rd.
I have had a few busy weeks of late. First, Grace Lin and I attended the fabulous Rabbit Hill Festival of Literature in Westport in late October. (You can read my write-up here.) The following weekend, I was up in New Hampshire for the Keene State College Children’s Literature Festival. I haven’t even had a chance to post about the Keene Festival yet--which was wonderful. On election night, I was at a gathering of Obama supporters at the restaurant of a friend in Salem, Massachusetts. (There was a lot of loud cheering when the winner of the election was announced.) Then, on November 5th, it was the fall meeting of the PAS North Shore Council. And I’m the person responsible for making all the arrangements for the dinner and speakers.
At our council's fall dinner meeting in 2007, the panel discussion with the Blue Rose Girls was such a big hit with our members that I thought it would be a good idea to have another panel discussion this fall. This time we invited three male children’s authors and illustrators: Matt Tavares, Daniel J. Mahoney, and Wade Zahares. (Wade recently launched his brand new website. Check it out!)
OUR PANEL
Matt Tavares, Wade Zahares, & Daniel J. Mahoney
MATT TAVARES
WADE ZAHARES
DANIEL J. MAHONEY
Matt, Dan, and Wade told us about how they got started in children’s publishing, how they developed their own distinctive artistic styles, and the media they choose to work with. They explained their processes for making book dummies, for illustrating books, and told us how long it usually takes them to complete the art for a picture book. Matt and Wade, both of whom have illustrated nonfiction books about the Statue of Liberty, explained about all the research they had to do for the books. All three panelists described what types of school presentations they do--and spoke about projects they are currently working on. The panel discussion was great!
Thanks, gentlemen, for a wonderful evening!!!
From Left to Right: Dan, Me, Matt, Matt's Wife Sarah, and Wade
To learn more about the 2008-2009 PAS North Shore Council Speaker Series click here.
Today’s a big day for the PAS North Shore Council. Tonight we’ll hold our spring 2008 dinner meeting at the beautiful Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Janet Wong, a friend and one of my favorite children’s poets, will be our featured speaker. Grace Lin will be coming to our dinner, too.
Janet Wong & Grace Lin
Our council has hosted some outstanding children’s authors and illustrators at the Corinthian Yacht Club in the past:
Lois Lowry,
Anita Lobel,
Jack Gantos,
Bernard Waber,
Kevin Hawkes (2004),
Grace Lin (2005),
Wendell Minor (2006), and
Mary Ann Hoberman (2007).
After three years serving as president of our reading council, I’ll be stepping down. I will, however, remain on the board of directors. I will help with the planning of our council’s annual Speaker Series. Look what our council has scheduled for the
PAS North Shore Council 2008-2009 Speaker Series:
November 5, 2008: We’ll have a
panel discussion with picture book illustrators and authors,
Matt Tavares,
Wade Zahares, and
Daniel J. Mahoney, at the
Danversport Yacht Club in Danvers, MassachusettsMatt Tavares &
Lady Liberty
Wade Zahares & Lucky Jake
Daniel J. Mahoney & A Really Good Snowman
March 4, 2009: Jacqueline Davies, an author of fiction, nonfiction, and picture books, will be our featured speaker at the
Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts Jacqueline Davies at Boston College (May 2007)
The Lemonade War & The Boy Who Drew Birds
Grace Lin, Barbara McClintock, Elaine, & Pat Keogh
at Boston College in April
Three of Barbara McClintock's Picture Books
******************************
Note: If you live on the North Shore of Massachusetts and are interested in becoming a member of the PAS North Shore Council of Massachusetts, a local affiliate of the Massachusetts Reading Association and the International Reading Association, email me your address. I will send you a membership brochure.
On March 5, 2008, the PAS North Shore Council of Massachusetts will hold its winter dinner meeting at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts. Our guest speaker will be a gentleman who has been illustrating children’s picture books for more than four decades. He is the recipient of a Caldecott Medal and a Caldecott Honor Award. He has a son and a daughter who also illustrate children’s books. Can you guess who our guest speaker will be?
If you think you know the answer, email me the name of the illustrator. Send your email to: edotdrabik@yahoodotcom. If you are the first person to provide the name of our council’s featured speaker, I’ll send you a copy of Falling Down the Page, a book of poems edited by Georgia Heard that will be released in March by Roaring Brook Press. Note: My poem Things to Do If You Are a Pencil is included in the anthology.
For more information about this poetry book, check out page 13 of the Spring 2008 Catalog of Roaring Brook Press.
Some of you may remember a previous
Wild Rose Reader post,
PAS North Shore Council: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner???. Well, last Wednesday evening, the fabulous
Blue Rose Girls participated in a panel discussion at the fall dinner meeting of the
PAS North Shore Council. Our council had never hosted a panel discussion before…and I have to admit that I wasn’t sure how it would go over with our members and other attendees. I shouldn’t have worried. The panel discussion was a resounding success—one of the best events we’ve ever had! That’s really saying something because our council has had some mighty awesome speakers in the past:
Jack Gantos,
Lois Lowry,
Natalie Babbitt,
Joseph Bruchac,
Mary Ann Hoberman,
Wendell Minor,
Robert San Souci,
Kathryn Lasky,
Anita Lobel,
Natalie-Kinsey Warnock,
Andrew Clements. I could go on and on and on.
Grace Lin,
Anna Alter,
Libby Koponen,
Meghan McCarthy, and
Linda Wingerter all sat on the panel. I served as moderator. The “girls” told the audience how they met each other; how they got started in publishing children’s books; why they formed the
Blue Rose Girls; how they help, support, and advise each other about their creative processes and works-in-progress; and about books and projects that they are currently working on. Of course the name of fellow
Blue Rose Girl Alvina Ling came up in the conversation a number of times.
The panel discussion was over much too soon! Lucy Pikul, our council treasurer, told me she had only one complaint: “It wasn’t long enough!”
Which panelist is missing from this picture?
On Friday, my friend
Pat Purdy, owner of the
Banbury Cross Children’s Book Shop, left a message on my answering machine. She told me that two reading teachers had been in her shop absolutely raving about the panel discussion. This positive response has me wondering if I should arrange for more panel discussions for our council dinner meetings.
Now you see the missing BRG: Meghan McCarthy
For me, last Wednesday was a special—and an especially enjoyable—evening. Having my friends speaking and sharing their experiences with a group of teachers and school librarians with whom I have been affiliated for many years was a memorable occasion. It was also great to have my daughter Sara and her good friend Elaine there with me.
My daughter Sara & her friend Elaine
(I'm sorry that most of my photos came out so dark.)
Dates of upcoming events in the 2007-2008 Speaker Series of the PAS North Shore Council:
March 5, 2007 at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts
May 21, 2007 at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts
Guess who’s coming to dinner and win an autographed copy of Robert’s Snowflakes: Artists’ Snowflakes for Cancer’s Cure!!!
This is my third year serving as President of the PAS North Shore Council of Massachusetts, a local affiliate of the Massachusetts Reading Association and the International Reading Association. I’m really excited about our next council event. For the first time in our council’s history, we’re going to hold a panel discussion at one of our three annual dinner meetings instead of hosting a single speaker.
Five creators of children’s books will be the panelists at our fall meeting in November. One panelist is the author of a children’s novel that received a Massachusetts Book Award Honor. One is the illustrator of several lovely picture books. Three are authors who are also illustrators of picture books. That's all you get for clues.
Would you like to guess who the five panelists are? If you’re the first person to guess correctly, you will win a copy of Robert’s Snowflakes signed by the four Blue Rose Girls who created snowflakes for Robert’s Snow 2004.
Maybe some of you who live in my neck of the woods would like to attend our November dinner???
WHAT: PAS North Shore Council Fall Dinner Meeting
WHEN: Wednesday, November 7th
WHERE: Danversport Yacht Club in Danvers, Massachusetts
TIME: 5:00 PM
Email me (edotdrabikatyahoodotcom), if you would like further information about registering for the November council event. Deadline for registration is October 26th.
More snowflakes are now available for viewing at the Robert's Snow website. Check them out!!!
I had been waiting with excitement for May 23rd to arrive—the date of the spring meeting of the Massachusetts PAS North Shore Council of IRA. I had invited Mary Ann Hoberman to be our guest speaker—and was really looking forward to seeing her again.
Mary Ann Hoberman
On Wednesday evening, the weather was perfect for our gathering at the gorgeous
Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead. While most of our council members were sipping cocktails and basking in the sun on the club’s porch—which has a stunning view of the harbor—I was inside with my cell phone close at hand keeping my fingers crossed that Mary Ann would find her way to the club. She had called me earlier to tell me that she had gotten lost on her way to Marblehead—which is not easy to find. I was also worried because of the slow-moving traffic in this area—which can be a nightmare at rush hour. (It took
Anna Alter and
Mary Newell DePalma more than two hours to get to Marblehead from Boston—a distance of less than twenty miles!!!) And there was a DETOUR at the entrance to Marblehead Neck. There are just two main roads that split off from the causeway—and guess which one was blocked? Yep, the one that takes you directly to the yacht club.
Well…
Mary Ann Hoberman arrived around 6:15—not at 5:00, as we had planned. After nearly seven grueling hours on the road trying to find her way to the Corinthian Yacht Club, Mary Ann changed, freshened up, and was the epitome of elegance and composure as she stepped up to the podium and began her presentation. I was the one who was frazzled—and I forgot to take out my notebook so I could jot down Mary Ann’s words of wisdom and some important points from her talk. Fortunately, my memory didn’t fail me completely…so I do have a few things to tell you about her presentation.
Mary Ann shared some poems from her first published book ALL MY SHOES COME IN TWOS, which was illustrated by her husband, and from other books. She spoke about literacy and children learning to read and how she knew from a very early age that she wanted to be a writer. She never thought, however, that she would write books for children. Mary Ann feels English is a wonderful and rich language that can be used in inventive and playful ways by a poet. She told us about a children’s novel that she has written and about how she decided to censor the story herself. (You can learn more about this at the PEN link below.) She also talked about her series of You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You books, which were written for two voices.
This series of books, which were written in verse, are very popular with teachers and parents. In fact, the first book in the series, YOU READ TO ME, I’LL READ TO YOU: VERY SHORT STORIES TO READ TOGETHER, was on the New York Times Best Seller List for fifteen weeks! Mary Ann said she loves the illustrations Michael Emberley did for this series—and explained that the fourth book in the series, YOU READ TO ME, I’LL READ TO YOU: VERY SHORT SCARY TALES TO READ TOGETHER, was Michael’s idea. This book will be released in August. Judging from the “scary tale” she and I read aloud to the audience from her advance copy—the fourth book in the series will be just as outstanding as the first three.
Find Out More about Mary Ann Hoberman and Her Poetry
Mary Ann Hoberman’s Website
A Poem Is a House for Words: NCTE Profiles Mary Ann Hoberman
Insights Beyond the Movie, an Author Program In-depth Interview with Mary Ann Hoberman at TeachingBooks.net.
In Mary Ann Hoberman: And Yet… , Mary Ann tells about a children’s novel she wrote recently, looks back on her childhood, and discusses self-censorship. This article can be found at the PEN American Center.
Portraits from the Spring Meeting of the PAS North Shore Council
Leslie & Sally
Leslie was one of the fabulous first grade teachers at my school. She will retire in June.
Sally was my outstanding Library Assistant.
Kathy & Anna Alter
Kathy is one of my oldest friends. She retired from teaching last June.
Mary Newell DePalma and Dr. Margaret (Peg) Voss Howard
Peg is the author of HIDDEN LITERACIES, which was published by Heinemann. Peg and I used to be in a writers group together.
Kate & Virginia
Kate was a student in my children's literature course. Viriginia is a past president of our council.
Carolyn & Kristen
Carolyn is my niece and Kristen is Kathy's daughter.
This will be a quick post because I have to sit myself down and write welcoming remarks for tonight’s spring meeting of the
Massachusetts PAS North Shore Council of IRA and an introduction for
Mary Ann Hoberman—who is going to be the featured speaker. Mary Ann is one of my favorite poets…and a topnotch presenter. I am really looking forward to seeing and hearing her again!
Last night I attended the Annual Meeting of
The Foundation for Children’s Books at Boston College. It was also the last session of the
Conversations with…series,
New England Voices, which highlights the new work of area authors and illustrators. Last night we heard
Mitali Perkins,
Jamie Harper, and
Jacqueline Davies read from their most recent books.
Anna Alter, Judy O'Malley of Charlesbridge, & Mitali Perkins
Mitali read an excerpt from RICKSHAW GIRL. She also gave us a rundown of the kind of presentation she does at middle schools. I have no doubt that she’s a smash hit at every school where she presents. She’s personable, funny, and full of life.
Jamie Harper read her humorous picture book
MISS MINGO AND THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. She told us a truly funny story about a school visit, a tarantula, and her arachnophobia.
Jamie Harper Signing Books
Jacqueling Davies read her new picture book THE HOUSE TAKES A VACATION and an excerpt from THE LEMONADE WAR. 
Not only that—Jacqueline even brought along her famous lemonade stand…at which she did her book signing. What an ingenious marketing idea!!!
Now that I've figured out how not to take blurry pictures...I think I need to working on lighting. I guess I'll just have to READ THE MANUAL!!!
Poetry lover Laura Purdie Salas, one of the Wordy Girls and a poet herself, is the winner of a book that will be signed next week by the children’s author who is going to be the featured speaker at the spring meeting of the Massachusetts PAS North Shore Council of IRA. (You can read more about it here.) Laura correctly guessed that our speaker is going to be Mary Ann Hoberman, the award-winning author of more than forty outstanding children’s poetry books and picture books in verse. Mary Ann Hoberman was the 2003 recipient of the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. She is also the winner of a National Book Award.
Mary Ann published her first book, ALL MY SHOES COME IN TWOS, fifty years ago.
She is still writing wonderful books for children today. The books in her You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You series, written for two voices, are great fun to read aloud and have become popular with children and adults alike. You can read a review of one of the books in the series, YOU READ TO ME I’LL READ TO YOU: VERY SHORT FAIRY TALES TO READ TOGETHER, in my Poetry Friday: Fairy Tale Poems post at Blue Rose Girls.
I'll have more about Mary Ann Hoberman and her books tomorrow for Poetry Friday.
Would you like to win a children's book written by an award-winning children's poet?
I originally posted the paragraph you will read below on April 25th. Only one person, Tricia of The Miss Rumphius Effect, responded to my query. No one else chose to guess the answer to my question in hopes of winning a dinner at a beautiful yacht club in Massachusetts. I understand. Many of you don't live in the area...so I'm changing the prize!
The PAS North Shore Council of IRA will hold its 2007 spring dinner meeting on May 23rd at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts. The yacht club has one of the most glorious views of any place in the United States! I am getting excited because our featured speaker is one of my favorite children’s poets. I met this award-winning author at In Celebration of Children’s Literature at the University of Southern Maine in 2005. This writer is a recipient of the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. She is also a winner of a National Book Award. Her first collection of poems was published fifty years ago! Her energy and exuberance belie her age.
Can you guess who’s coming to our council dinner?
The first person to name our featured speaker and to give the title of her first published book will receive a book written--and signed--by this award-winning children's author.
NOTE: Individuals who are members of the PAS North Shore Council or who are on our council mailing list are disqualified because they already know the name of our guest speaker.
The PAS North Shore Council of IRA will hold its 2007 spring dinner meeting on May 23rd at the Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts. The yacht club has one of the most glorious views of any place in the United States! I am getting excited because our featured speaker is one of my favorite children’s poets. I met this award-winning author at In Celebration of Children’s Literature at the University of Southern Maine in 2005. This writer is a recipient of the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. She is also a winner of a National Book Award. Her first collection of poems was published fifty years ago! Her energy and exuberance belie her age.
Can you guess who’s coming to our council dinner?
The first person to name our featured speaker and to also give the title of her first published book is invited be my guest at the Corinthian Yacht Club on May 23rd!
NOTE: Individuals who are members of the PAS North Shore Council or who are on our council mailing list are disqualified because they already know the name of our guest speaker.
Spring Dinner Meeting of the PAS North Shore Council
Date: May 23, 2007
Time: Five O’clock
Place: Corinthian Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts
Dinner fee for non-members: $52
Dinner choices: Chicken Florentine or Seafood Stuffed Sole with Newburg Sauce
Guest speaker: Can you guess?
Deadline for registration is May 11th. For further information, email me.
In my last
Poetry Friday post, I wrote about Valerie Worth, one of my children’s poetry idols. In last Wednesday’s post,
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, I mentioned a number of awards bestowed upon another children’s literature idol,
Joseph Bruchac, the author who was the guest speaker at the winter dinner meeting of the Massachusetts PAS North Shore Council of IRA. I had tried for three years to arrange for him to address our membership. The wait was worth it. Joe Bruchac made a wonderful presentation.
Here are some of the reasons why Joseph Bruchac is someone who I admire for his work and respect for the kind of individual he is. The following five paragraphs were taken from my introduction of Joseph Bruchac at the PAS North Shore Council Meeting:
Historical fiction can be a wonderful vehicle for helping children to understand history, to truly get a flavor and a feeling for what different periods of the past were really like, to develop an understanding of how people lived their daily lives, of what they believed, of political intrigues and wars, of how innocent people’s lives can be ruined or destroyed because of actions taken by their governments. But we should be vigilant in providing our students with different perspectives of history. We should make sure to give them both—or many—sides of the story.
Joseph Bruchac has written some fine works of historical fiction:
The Winter People,
Arrow Over the Door, and
The Code Talker—to name three. One of the things I appreciate most about his works of historical fiction is that he includes extensive author’s notes with background information for his readers. His books also give us another side of American history. They give readers a Native American perspective. A perspective of my country’s history I didn’t get when I was in school.
Of Abenaki heritage, Joseph Bruchac has dedicated his life to bringing us stories with historically accurate depictions of American Indians. Books that we can read with our students, books that do not stereotype Native Americans, books that we can share with children in addition to—or maybe instead of—perennial favorites like
Brother Eagle, Sister Sky;
The Sign of the Beaver; and the
Little House books that may stereotype or misrepresent those who were here before the Spanish and the Pilgrims.
Joseph Bruchac has also been dedicated to conserving Native American oral legends and myths. His wonderful retellings of these tales are great to read aloud in the classroom—tales like
The First Strawberries,
How Chipmunk Got His Stripes, and
Raccoon’s Last Race—the last two of which he co-wrote with his older son James. The author of more than one hundred books, Mr. Bruchac has written for people of all ages. He has also published books in a variety of literary genres in addition to historical fiction and Native American tales—poetry, nonfiction, biographies, contemporary realistic fiction, and fantasy.
Having been a classroom teacher, a school librarian, and now an instructor of a children’s literature course—I have often been asked who my favorite children’s authors are. Yes indeed, Joseph Bruchac is one of my favorites—but he is more than that. He is the children’s author I have the utmost respect for—not just because he is the recipient of so many awards, not just because he writes for people of all ages, not just because he writes so well in so many literary genres—but because he is a man of substance who writes from his heart, from his beliefs…because he writes from the life lessons he learned from his Grandpa Jesse who helped raise him…Grandpa Jesse who was an Abenaki Indian who never finished grade school but who was kind and understanding and wise and an exceptional role model. I respect Joseph Bruchac because he is a grandson who honors his grandfather’s memory through his work. I respect him because of his lifelong commitment to sharing stories about a people who have too often had little voice in our society and who need—and deserve—to have their stories heard.
PAS North Shore Council Meeting (March 7, 2007)
David McPhail was the featured speaker at the PAS North Shore Council fall dinner meeting last November. I felt like kicking myself the morning after our event for not having taken notes during Mr. McPhail’s wonderful presentation. I learned my lesson. I brought a notebook with me on Wednesday evening so I could jot down all the interesting things Joseph Bruchac would say during his talk.
You’ve heard about people who can’t walk and chew gum. Well… I’m the kind of person who has trouble listening intently and writing at the same time. I really didn’t want to miss a word he said. He is such an exceptional repository of information about American Indians, their culture, and their history. (I apologize, too, for my photographs. They aren’t the best quality.)
I was able to record some of the interesting topics from his talk and from the responses he gave to questions from the audience. I am not going to use quotations marks—but I will use italics in some cases to show that I am paraphrasing his words because I am not the best note taker.
Joseph Bruchac had this to say about those who want to be writers:
If you want to write…write. If you want to be read, rewrite. He had another suggestion for writers:
Write from your heart, write about what you believe in, write about the things you care about.
When asked who his favorite authors were, he said there were so many he couldn’t name them all—but he did mention four: Terry Pratchett, Louise Erdrich, Gary Snyder, and William Stafford.
He told us that many of his books are years in the making and how much he feels indebted to other Native Americans who have related their stories and old tales to him. He talked about an American Indian named Swift Eagle, a man who knew Jim Thorpe, who told him stories about Thorpe. (Recently, Joe published two books about Thorpe—JIM THORPE’S BRIGHT PATH, a picture book biography that was illustrated by S. D. Nelson, and JIM THORPE, a book for older readers, which is written in the voice of Jim Thorpe.)
Joseph Bruchac talked about his book
CODE TALKER and the residential boarding schools for Indians, including Carlisle, that Native children were compelled to attend—schools where they were taught menial trade skills; schools where children could be severely punished for even speaking one word in their Native tongue; schools whose philosophy was “Tradition is the enemy of progress.” Schools that felt they had to “kill the Indian to save the man.”
He spoke about the Vermont “eugenics program” that began in the 1930s. This state sponsored program sterilized people, many who were Abenaki Indians, who were believed to be unworthy of procreation. The program was considered a model by German scientists of that time.
1933
With the help of Prof. Perkins, Vermont Governor Stanley Wilson signs into law “An Act for Human Betterment by Voluntary Sterilization,” seeking to control the population of the “feeble-minded.” “Henceforth it shall be the policy of the state to prevent procreation of idiots, imbeciles, feeble-minded or insane persons,” the law read in part. Two years later, an almost identical law is passed in Germany. (Taken from the website of the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity at the University of Vermont.)
A Sampling of Books by Joseph Bruchac
Books Written by Joseph & James Bruchac and Illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey
RACCOON'S LAST RACE:A TRADITIONAL ABENAKI STORY
Published by Dial Books, 2004
HOW CHIPMUNK GOT HIS STRIPES:A TALE OF BRAGGING AND TEASINGPublished by Dial Books, 2001
I am getting really excited. Tonight’s the night. The PAS North Shore Council of the International Reading Association will hold its winter dinner meeting in Salem, Massachusetts. I have been trying to arrange for tonight’s guest speaker to address our membership for three years. This guest speaker is one of my favorite authors. He has published more than one hundred books. He has written books for people of all ages. He has also written books in a variety of literary genres—including poetry, biographies, nonfiction, historical fiction, and fantasy.
Over the years, this superman has had a profusion of honors bestowed upon him. He is an award-winning Native American storyteller. He was the 2005 recipient of the prestigious Virginia Hamilton Award for his body of work. In 1999, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas. His other honors include a Rockefeller Humanities Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Writing Fellowship for Poetry, the Cherokee Nation Prose Award, the PEN Syndicated Fiction Award, and the Hope S. Dean Memorial Award for Notable Achievement in Children's Literature.
I will have the honor of introducing this distinguished gentleman. I have been working diligently on my introduction. I want to get it just right.
Don’t you wish you could join us this evening?
Can you guess who’s coming to our council dinner?
I can't wait! And my paintings will be on the walls of two galleries in the north shore come March!
www.wavepaint.com
www.gallerydellapiana.com
what is the date of the march dinner?
Jarrett,
Thanks for the information. I'll check out the websites of those galleries.
Grace,
Wednesday, March 10th. Let me know if you want to come.
Grace,
So glad you asked when the council dinner was going to be. I somehow omitted that information when I was cutting and pasting my post before I published it.
Yay for Jarrett! Always.