Tuesday Blurbs

Wow, where has today gone? I can’t even blame it on spending time over at the Cybils site looking at Easy Reader/Short Chapter Book nominations …There are just two more days to nominate your favorite book of the last year.

Speaking of Easy Readers, today at Booklights I have a post about where to find books to help your new reader gain confidence … and a little Dr. Seuss-ia, too.  If you’re ever on Jeopardy, you’ll be able to say “Seuss for 500, Alex!” with great confidence!

I was saving these for a Thursday Blurbs, but with the KidLitCon09 looming on the horizon, I’m thinking Thursday could be even crazier than today so here goes.

I know I tweeted it yesterday, but you have GOT to see the pictures from the Read for the Record event at Nationals Park.  There were lots of celebrity readers who not only read The Very Hungry Caterpillar at the park, but also at USO Centers in the area. I loved that the book was read in both English and Spanish. They may not be a great baseball team, but they are great community stewards. Thanks to Nats320 (the team blog) for sharing the events of the day.

Also be sure to read Teresa Walls’ Partnership Profile on the ALSC blog. Teresa introduces two library programs sponsored by the Multnomah County Library School Corps.

• Great Library Card Adventure is geared toward students in Kindergarten. This year, they are expanding participation up to fifth grade.  The goal is for all faculty, staff, and students at MC schools to have a library card. Teachers can earn a free drink at Starbucks; students get GLCA stickers; and Kindergarten classrooms with 100% participation can win one of three collections of age-appropriate nonfiction and fiction books for their classroom.
• Get Carded is a program for middle and high school students.  School return tally sheets to us with the numbers of students who already had cards, and the applications of those who are applying. All students and teachers who participate in the program (whether they already had cards or applied them) received a card with discount offers from local businesses.

Wouldn’t it be cool if you could collect commemorative library cards like kids collect baseball cards? Or maybe have a passport-like stamp?

Have you heard about An Imaginary Library: Children’s Books That Don’t Exist (Yet)? It is a 3-month exhibit currently at the Evanston Public Library.  From Peter Scott’s Library Blog: “[The exhibit] brings together 75 original paintings, sketches, and drawings by many of the world’s most successful and best-known artists for children, including Americans Peter Sis, David Wiesner, and Vladimir Radunsky. These artists were invited by the International Youth Library in Munich, Germany, to create an original book cover for a book that does not exist – but which someday the artist would like to create.”

The National Day of Writing is just around the corner. Mary Lee Hahn and Franki Sibberson have a gallery called A Lifetime of Reading. If you’ve got a blog post about your reading life, or want to write one (hint!) then NOW is the time to get started. From Mary Lee: “We are looking for a variety of short pieces (think blog post length) from anyone in the Kidlitosphere, including bloggers, authors, illustrators, readers of blogs, etc.” Here is the link to their gallery: http://galleryofwriting.org/galleries/131046

If things are quiet here the rest of the week, it’s because I’m prepping for Coming Together, Giving Back: Building Community, Literacy and the Reading Message . Can I just say (again) how excited I am to be attending the event, much less participating on a panel? Still thinking about attending? Last I heard, Pam still had a few spots left. If you are within driving distance  but not sure you want to drive home that night, OR if you find an incredible last-minute deal on a plane ticket,  email me … we can talk.