Friday, March 30, 2007

Quotes of Note:
Barbara Harrison, Betty Levin, Katherine Paterson

By the very act of writing, some children’s authors make a political statement. Children cannot be written off. Children are not an undifferentiated mass; they are not nonpersons.
They have names and dreams.
Barbara Harrison
Children's Literature New England 1994

Children who find a single important life in the ordinary, unimportant, and unheroic are less likely to succumb to the human fallacy of
Us versus Them. They will be less likely to accept the notion that thousands of terrified refugees of war do not feel as we do, or that millions crammed into cattle cars on journeys they could not escape belong to a subhuman horde.
Betty Levin
Children's Literature New England 1995

Perhaps the most troubling phrase
to come out of the Gulf War
was the oft repeated sentence of our leaders:
"Thank God there was so little loss of life.”
And yet we know that 100,000 men, women, and
children died in that war.
A woman in Ohio has made
a mural with 100,000 faces on it.
It takes a long time, my friends, to walk past 100,000 faces.

Katherine Paterson
Children's Literature New England 1993
Activist Alert!

The Leave No Child Behind Act
is up for Reauthorization

READ>THINK>ACT = DEMOCRACY
The United States Congress needs to hear from individuals, not just professional organizations, concerning the Leave No Child Behind reauthorization, and about other issues related to K-12 education, teacher education, preschool education, school libraries, higher education, student loans, etc.

Whatever your concerns, questions, opinions, and feelings the NCBLA urges you to be an responsible citizen!

Go to the NCBLA website to find out how to contact your national representatives to Congress:
http://www.thencbla.org/BPOSpages/activistbasics.html

Information and a variety of opinions that may be of interest to you related to the
Leave No Child Behind Legislation:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h107-1990

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20

http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/144295.html

http://www.nea.org/lac/esea/eseaposition.html

http://www.pbs.org/now/society/nclb.html

http://charlotte.com/127/story/68282.html

http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml

In case you missed it...
New York Times Magazine features article on NCBLA Board Member Author Gregory Maguire!

A great article, "Mr. Wicked," on Gregory Maguire and his beautiful family appeared in a past New York Times Sunday Magazine, you can still read and enjoy at: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/11/magazine/11maguire.t.html?ex=1175400000&en=771935df0326ffaa&ei=5070
Jacket Covers for Last Harry Potter Book Unveiled!

Three covers, a UK version, an American version, and an “adult” cover have been released to promote the final adventure of Harry Potter and company, as if the book needed promotion. Go to:
http://books.guardian.co.uk/harrypotter/story/0,,2044781,00.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eat-the-press/2007/03/29/harry-potter-and-the-fina_e_44497.html

Monday, March 26, 2007

Apologies to All!

This blogger has been very ill, on doctor ordered bed rest for two weeks and is now finally getting back into the swing of things. I will be posting new information and news later this week!

Thank you!
MB2

Friday, March 2, 2007

Great event for New Englanders!
Come Hear
Riveting Jacqueline Woodson Speak!

Free and Open to the Public

Noted children's and teen author Jacqueline Woodson will be speaking at the Boston Public Library's Connolly Branch in Jamaica Plain on Monday, March 12 at 6:30 p.m. Ms. Woodson is the author of many award-winning books, including Newbery Honor picture book Show Way; middle-grade novel Locomotion; and teen novels I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This and Miracle's Boys. Her new novel is Feathers. She is a two-time winner of the Coretta Scott King award and received the 2006 Margaret A. Edwards Award, which honors an author's lifetime contributions to young people's literature. Ms. Woodson will speak about her books, take questions, and sign books, including books for sale that evening from Jamaicaway Books. Children over 5 are welcome to attend.

This event is co-sponsored by the Foundation for Children's Books
and the Boston Public Library.

When & Where
Monday, March 12, 6:30-8 p.m.
Connolly Branch, Boston Public Library
433 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain
617-522-1960
FREE
For directions and more information:Call the library at 617-522-1960
NCBLA BOARD MEMBERS
PATRICIA AND FREDRICK McKISSACK
FEATURED IN
GREAT HORN BOOK ARTICLE
by Barbara Bader!

"For the McKissacks, Black Is Boundless- — stories of struggle, stories with a lineage, stories that are plain entertaining. Any of them might come with the McKissack name."
Check it out at: http://www.hbook.com/publications/magazine/articles/mar07_bader.asp