Celebrate National Children's Book Week!

Everyone be sure to check out the website for National Children's Book Week, which is being celebrated this week, May 10-16. You can see if there are any events being celebrated in your area, and there are a number of activities for kids and parents alike. For kids, there is a great contest going on in which they can create their own children's book, and tomorrow they will announce the winners of the 2010 Children's Choice Book Awards! Here is a little about this week from their website:

Since 1919, Children's Book Week has been celebrated nationally in schools, libraries, bookstores, clubs, private homes -- any place where there are children and books. Educators, librarians, booksellers, and families have celebrated children's books and the love of reading with storytelling, parties, author and illustrator appearances, and other book-related events.

It all began with the idea that children's books can change lives. In 1913, Franklin K. Matthiews, the librarian of the Boy Scouts of America, began touring the country to promote higher standards in children's books. He proposed creating a Children's Book Week, which would be supported by all interested groups: publishers, booksellers, and librarians.

Mathiews enlisted two important allies: Frederic G. Melcher, the visionary editor of Publishers Weekly, and Anne Carroll Moore, the Superintendent of Children's Works at the New York Public Library and a major figure in the library world. With the help of Melcher and Moore, in 1916 the American Booksellers Association and the American Library Association cooperated with the Boy Scouts in sponsoring a Good Book Week.

In 1944, the newly-established Children's Book Council assumed responsibility for administering Children's Book Week. In 2008, Children’s Book Week moved from November to May. At that time, responsibility for Children’s Book Week, including planning official events and creating original materials, was transferred to Every Child a Reader, the philanthropic arm of the children’s publishing industry.

Also in 2008, the Children's Book Council created the Children's Choice Book Awards, the only national child-chosen book awards program, giving young readers a powerful voice in their own reading choices.

The need for Children’s Book Week today is as essential as it was in 1919, and the task remains the realization of Frederic Melcher’s fundamental declaration: “A great nation is a reading nation.”

Guest Blog on Travelin' Local

I just did a guest blog over on Lisa Newton's Travelin' Local all about Reach Out and Read...check it out here! Travelin' Local is a great blog all about Southern California...perfect if you're looking for something new to do in the LA area!

Happy Earth Day!

"Yes, I am the Lorax who speaks for the trees, which you seem to be chopping as fast as you please. But I'm also in charge of the brown Bar-ba-loots, who played in the shade in their Bar-ba-loot suits and happily lived eating truffula fruits. Now, thanks to your hacking my trees to the ground, there's not enough truffula fruit to go 'round!"

Today is the fortieth anniversary of Earth Day! (Check out www.earthday.org for tips on going green, and of course visit www.shoporganicallygrown.com for environmentally friendly fashion!)

I was inspired by my roommate to write about one of my favorite picture books, The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. I know I have already written a blog post about this book, but I think its message is one that bears repeating. Without being didactic in getting his message across, Dr. Seuss spreads the message of conservation.

Another book that spreads a similar message is Aani and the Tree Huggers, written by my mom Jeannine Atkins. When this book first came out, I was in about first grade, and this book made it "cool" to want to save trees.

Any other books that spread the message of saving the environment?

Have a great & green Earth Day, everyone!

Barnes and Noble Book Fair This Weekend!

This weekend, from April 22-25, support the Los Angeles branch of Reach Out and Read with any purchase you make from Barnes & Noble!

When you use our coupon code, a 10% rebate will be given to support the efforts of Reach Out and Read to promote literacy in children.

There are three easy ways to support Reach Out and Read Los Angeles this weekend:

1.) Visit bn.com/bookfairs to support us online from 4/22 to 4/25 by entering Bookfair ID # 10182228 at checkout.

2.) Shop at: Barnes & Noble, Woodland Hills

The Promenade, 6100 Topanga Canyon Blvd

Thursday, April 22nd – Sunday, April 25th

The voucher is attached that needs to be presented at the store for ROR to receive credit for a purchase.

3.) Visit any Barnes & Noble and show the voucher

Please e-mail me at emily@rorla.org if you need a copy of the voucher!

ROR Los Angeles Website Launch!

VERY exciting news! Our brand new website for the Los Angeles branch of Reach Out and Read is now LIVE! Please visit and tell us what you think!

Also, be sure to become a fan on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter!

A Celebration of Jewish Picture Books

My roommate Colleen and I just got back from an amazing lecture and exhibit opening at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, celebrating the art of the Jewish picture book. The exhibit, entitled "Monsters and Miracles: A Journey through Jewish Picture Books," was curated in conjuction with The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art of Amherst, Massachusetts, and showcases the history of classics and modern favorites from Jewish picture book authors from all over the world.

Hosted by Amherst College professor Ilan Stevens, the lecture we attended, "A Celebration of Jewish Picture Books," featured French artist Serge Block, Caldecott winner Mordicai Gerstein, and Laurel Snyder, author of Max: The Pig who Wanted to be Kosher. The lecture examined some very interest points about children's books, specifically relating to those featuring Jewish themes.

Although all three authors were clearly chosen for their Jewish heritage, they all had very different stories as well as unique perspectives on children's literature.

Gerstein first began drawing when he was inspired by the pictures his mother cut out and scrapbooked from LIFE magazine, and although he spent time working on animated films, he always knew he wanted to tell the stories of the Old Testament. When Stevens asked him what drove him to tell stories with a biblical narrative, he responded with one of his favorite sayings: "Nothing is new but you," meaning that there are no new stories, it's all in the way you tell them.

In fourth grade, Snyder decided that when she grew up, she wanted to become rich and famous by writing books and plays for children. When she was growing up, she gravitated towards the midcentury canon of children's books featuring kids in nuclear families, having magical adventures. She realized she wanted to focus on the Jewish experience when she saw a divide between the Jewish picture books she saw in stores and the ones she wanted to read.

Block began his career as an illustrator for children's books "par hazard," that is to say, by accident. He furthered his career when, by chance, an American agent offered to represent him, and his horizons expanded when he moved to New York, where he admired the work of illustrators such as William Steig.

I was thrilled to see that one of the common themes of the lecture was the importance of reading picture books as a way to connect parents with their children, which is, of course, one of the most important messages of Reach Out and Read. Stevens stressed the importance of the aural tradition, as a method in which parents can introduce their children to the act of reading.

"I just finished the most wonderful story..."

While my mom was in town last week, the two of us went to see an amazing documentary called Waking Sleeping Beauty, which tells the story of the renaissance of Disney animation between 1984-94, including their masterpieces The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. Using old footage, interviews, and caricatures drawn by the animators, the movie was moving, funny, and memorable. We would both definitely recommend it to any Disney fan.

As we drove home that night, we of course put on my playlist of Disney tunes to sing along to the songs we've heard a million times.

Listening to some of the songs from Beauty & the Beast reminded me of what a great role model Belle is. She is a princess who truly loves and values books. The people in her town think she is bizarre for having "her nose stuck in a book," but Belle literally sings the praises of the book she is reading: "Oh! Isn't this amazing? It's my favorite part because you'll see. Here's where she meets prince charming. But she won't discover that it's him till chapter three." Even when she is living at the Beast's enchanted castle, her favorite room is not the ballroom or dining room...It's the library.

I might be biased as a diehard Disney fan, but I think Belle is a great role model for young girls, as she shows how reading can truly be magical.

Who's ready for Twilight 5?

Big news today for fans of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga. On her website today, Meyer announced that there would be a fifth installment of the series, due out on June 7th. Unfortunately for fans, this is not a continuation of Bella and Edward's story. Instead, it is a short novella told from the point of view of Bree Tanner, one of Victoria's newborn army from Eclipse.

I'm not so sure I'm interested in hearing the backstory of one of such a minor character, but it might be an interesting read in preparation for the June 30 release of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. And it's free! Meyer and her publisher at Little Brown have agreed to release the entire novella on www.breetanner.com. For those who want to add a tangible book to their collection, it will also be available for purchase, with $1 of each US purchase donated to the American Red Cross' Haiti efforts. Two great choices! Try out the story for free online, and if you like it, indulge your Twilight obsession while helping out with a great cause!

From Meyer's website:

I began this story a long time ago—beforeTwilight was even released. Back then I was just editing Eclipse, and in the thick of my vampire world. I was thinking a lot about the newborns, imagining their side of the story, and one thing led to another. I started writing from Bree's perspective about those final days, and what it was like to be a newborn.

This story was something that I worked on off and on for a while, just for fun, in between the times I was writing or editing other Twilight novels. Later, when the concept for The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide came up, I thought that might be a good place for Bree. Her story is a nice complement to Eclipse; it explains a lot of the things that Bella never knew. So I dusted it off and finished it up for placement in the Guide.

Look Who's Buying Children's Books...

...It's our commander in chief! While in Iowa City to discuss small businesses and healthcare reform, President Obama popped into an independent bookstore called Prairie Light Books, where he purchased "Journey to the River Sea" by Eva Ibbotson and "The Secret of Zoom" by Lynne Jonell for his daughters, and a pop-up Star Wars book for White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs' son, according to the Los Angeles Times. I bet that clerk was pretty happy with her very famous customer!

"It feels ridiculous to be thinking about children’s books.”

Another day, another fascinating New York Times article found simply by typing "Children's Books" into Google News. This one, entitled "Monkey Business in a World of Evil," reviews the current Jewish Museum exhibit “Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H. A. Rey” as well as telling the story behind the Curious George books.

Curious George is one of those characters who I think anyone and everyone would recognize. Everyone has either read these stories or been read them, or at least is familiar with who he is. I think there is even a live-action movie in the works. The seven Curious George books have sold over 30 million copies.

What many people may not know is the story of the creators of Curious George, the husband and wife team Margret and H.A. Rey. The Reys began their stories while they were taking refuge in a French chateau as World War II began, with H.A. writing to a friend, "it feels ridiculous to be thinking about children’s books.” Even so, their illustrations saved them more than once:

When suspicious villagers reported the strange couple in the old castle to the authorities, gendarmes searched the place for expected bomb-making material, but the studio with pictures of the mischievous monkey convinced them of the Reys’ innocence.

Apparently, Fifi/George served much the same function when, in more serious straits in June 1940, his creators fled Paris on bicycles Hans Rey built from parts. As Louise Borden described in her 2005 picture book, “The Journey That Saved Curious George,” they left two days before the Nazis entered Paris and rode 75 miles in three days. Their four-month journey on bicycle, train and boat led them to Lisbon, then to Rio de Janeiro and New York, the drawings offering proof of their occupations when they sought American visas.

Who knew Curious George was such a hero? I don't remember ever being to attached to these books, but I know I read them. Obviously, they are tremendously popular if their sales exceed 30 million. I loved this anecdote as well:

The Reys never had any children themselves, though many young readers may have pledged familial allegiance. Later in life, we read, Margret Rey told of a little boy who came to meet them, thinking they were the parents of Curious George. With “disappointment written all over his face,” the boy said, “I thought you were monkeys too.”

“Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H. A. Rey” is on view through Aug. 1 at the Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Avenue, at 92nd Street; (212) 423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org.

NYT: "Father and Daughter Bond by Years of Reading"sevide

After coming across this New York Times article on the Reach Out and Read Facebook page, I knew I had to share it on the blog. The story of a New Jersey librarian who read to his daughter every night for over 3,000 nights during a reading marathon they named "The Streak," it is evidence of the positive effect consistent reading can have on a child. Beginning with L. Frank Baum's The Tin Woodman of Oz when Jim Brozina's youngest daughter Kristen was in fourth grade, they agreed to a pact in which he would read to her every night for 1,000 nights. The Streak ended up lasting for 3,218 nights, ending with the day Mr. Brozina moved Kristen into her college dorm room. Ranging from picture books such as the George and Martha series to the Harry Potter series to eventually Dickens and Shakespeare, they faithfully read for at least ten minutes before midnight each night.

For Jim and Kristen, their reading nights were about more than just instilling a passion for reading. It was also a way for them to bond after Kristen's grandparents died, her mother left Jim, and her older sister went off to college. Kristen told the Times, "It was just the two of us. The Streak was stability when everything else was unstable. It was something I knew would always be there. People kept leaving me, but with The Streak, I knew that nothing would come before The Streak."

The message of Reach Out and Read is that kids who grow up with parents who read to them and encourage them to learn to love books and reading are better prepared to succeed in school and in life. Kristen is a prime example of this idea: She is about to graduate from Rowan University as an English major with a 3.94 GPA, and was recently accepted to the University of Pennsylvania.

When Mr. Brozina was asked if they planned to keep up the tradition of The Streak in the next generation, he deferred, saying it was up to Kristen. He added, "These books, she'll read to hers and they'll read to theirs. And they'll read to the generations down the lines. It's a means for me to touch generations I'll never see. They'll all be smart. I can't imagine these books will never be used. Every single one of them is so good."

This article made me wonder, in how many families are the fathers the one who do the reading? Without any research on this topic, I would guess not very many. Although we never read for 3,218 nights in a row, I have very fond memories

of my dad reading to me when I was growing up. While my mom and I read everything from My Way for Ducklings and the Disney Princess books I insisted upon to Judy Blume and The Little House on the Prairie, my dad had a different style. Although I'm sure he read me plenty of picture books, he also read all of Bram Stoker's Dracula to me when I was in fourth grade.

In fact, my supportive father even wrote this comment on the first post of this blog:

Nice blog, Em! Got a question -- what is RO&R's position on comic books and comic strips as reading material? I think a lot could be learned by reading, say, collections of "Calvin and Hobbes" comic strips. As the very least, a kid would come to know that "BATS AREN'T BUGS!!!" -- PL

Even if we didn't have a catchy nickname like The Streak, my dad and I did have a very special reading tradition, which was reading Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes collections. To this day, we can still quote some of our favorite lines from these comics. I vividly remember begging for "Just one more story, Dad!" and us cracking up at the antics of Calvin and his imaginary tiger Hobbes when he consented. Although they are not the traditional bedtime story material, many of these stories do teach a lesson and they show that comic books or strips can engage children in reading much like books can. I'm proof of that. Thanks, Dad!

You can read the full NY Times article here.

Great Books for Kids 6 Months-5 Years?

Although the aim of Reach Out and Read is to encourage the importance of reading and literacy in the long run, the books which the program purchases for the clinics are primarily for children aged 6 months-5 years. The foundation also accepts new and used books from book drives organized by volunteers. The criteria for the books is as follows:

Reach Out and Read (ROR) clinics are happy to accept new and used children’s books. As many clinics have limited storage space, it is helpful to check with the clinic before you start your book drive.

Donations of new books are welcome and should be:

• For children 6 months to 5 years of age
• For younger children, books about numbers, the ABCs, colors, shapes, etc.; nursery rhymes are always excellent choices
• For 3-5 year olds, books with simple words and sentences
• Books that you would enjoy reading aloud to a child

They should NOT be:

• Books about death, religion, holidays, divorce, medical issues or abuse

So, what are some of your favorite books for children in this age group? One of my favorite children's books, which I still love to read, is The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. Besides having the gorgeous illustrations and clever rhymes expected from a Dr. Seuss book, The Lorax has a valuable message about the environment, which was as relevant when it was written as it is to this day.

What Children's Books could be turned into Blockbusters?

An article on today's Los Angeles Times movie blog brought attention to one of the top movies from this past weekend, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the Fox film based on the series of graphic novels by Jeff Kinney. In addition to the $22 million raked in by Wimpy Kid, Disney's adaptation of the classic Lewis Carroll children's story Alice in Wonderland was the number one movie at the box office for the third week in a row.

Following the massive success of the first Harry Potter movie in 2001, it seemed like children's books could be a blockbuster trend on par with superheroes. Even so, Hollywood has come up short with a children's franchise that could take its place after the final chapter in the series comes out in summer 2011. Besides the JK Rowling-inspired films, and to some extent, the two Chronicles of Narnia movies, most movie adaptations of children's books have not caught on with audiences. For example, the movies based on Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events and the recent Percy Jackson & the Olympians were both box office disappointments. In addition, The Golden Compass, starring Nicole Kidman, helped bankrupt New Line Cinema.

So what made Alice in Wonderland and Diary of a Wimpy Kid such successes? It's hard to tell. The Times points to the smaller budget and younger stars of Wimpy Kid; it's a story that its target audience can relate to.

With "Diary" (and, in a somewhat different sense, with "Alice in Wonderland"), there are signs that the post-Potter boom is finally here. "Diary" producers pulled off a well-regarded pre-teen film despite a smaller budget than many of their more action-oriented counterparts. And they did so by showcasing a central character who's roughly the same age as much of the film's target audience. (The conventional wisdom among producers of youth-skewing movies is that most kids in elementary school and junior high want to see older characters, a la "Twilight" and "Pirates of the Caribbean").

In addition, both Wimpy Kid and Alice in Wonderland received generally favorable reviews from critics and audiences alike, while movies like Percy Jackson and Lemony Snicket had much more negative reactions. Perhaps the reason why no movies based on children's books have lived up to Harry Potter expectations is that none have lived up to the quality of the Harry Potter series. Hopefully upcoming movie adaptations of children's literature, such as the Selena Gomez vehicle Beezus and Ramona, will have similar success.

There's something wholesome, almost quaint, about children's books now getting all this movie attention (Cleary began writing her books in the 1950s -- she's not exactly J.K. Rowling), especially as books written for adults figure less into Hollywood's plans.

But with seemingly every toy and board game out there now mined for its movie potential, there's also something refreshing about seeing Hollywood look to literary material for a big hit -- until the next one flops, anyway.

What children's books would you like to see turned into a movie?

You can find the whole article here.

Welcome to the Blog!

In my first blog post, I would like to encourage visitors to learn more about Reach Out and Read on www.reachoutandread.org, or to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.

From the national site's website:

Reach Out and Read (ROR) is an evidence-based nonprofit organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud.

ROR builds on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop critical early reading skills in children, beginning at 6 months of age. The 3.8 million families served annually by ROR read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten better prepared to succeed, with larger vocabularies and stronger language skills.

The Reach Out and Read mission statement is as follows:

Reach Out and Read prepares America's youngest children to succeed in school by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together.

Reach Out and Read trains doctors and nurses to advise parents about the importance of reading aloud and to give books to children at pediatric checkups from 6 months through 5 years of age, with a special focus on children growing up in poverty. By building on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers, Reach Out and Read helps families and communities encourage early literacy skills so children enter school prepared for success in reading.