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You are currently browsing the First Book Blog weblog archives for January, 2007.
Archive for January 2007
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NLAW and SCALE at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
January 31st, 2007
Nicole T.
Leave a Comment »This post was sent from Meredith H. who is a coordinator for National Literacy Action Week (NLAW) at the Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education (SCALE), a First Book Campus Parter.
What is SCALE?
SCALE stands for Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education. SCALE is based out of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and it supports campus-based literacy programs locally, statewide, and nationally through Literacy Action Networks. SCALE encourages campus-based literacy groups to raise awareness in their area and to incorporate literacy action into their work.
NLAW at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH)
The student body at UNC-CH and neighboring campus and community groups are dedicated to literacy action. Orange County-Community Collaborative (OCCC) is a group of at least five such campus and community groups working in the region for a common goal.
During National Literacy Awareness Week (NLAW), OCCC will be hosting a training focusing on adult English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) learners. This training will be open to all campus and community ESOL groups.
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National Mentoring Month
January 31st, 2007
Kevin M.
Leave a Comment »Did you know that January is National Mentoring Month? This month, mentors and mentoring organizations across the country were highlighted for the positive impact that they have on young lives.
The Cincinnati Enquirer featured a story about three generations who were involved in mentoring, in which the successes of “mentee” inspired her to become a mentor for someone else. This mentoring relationship was made possible by “UC Med Mentors“, a program run through the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative and located at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
UC Med Mentors also happens to be a First Book recipient! Not only have they been granted books from a First Book Advisory Board, but they have also received books from the First Book National Book Bank, and have purchased books from the First Book Marketplace!
First Book is proud to support such wonderful programs by providing them with the educational materials they need to succeed. And I am especially proud of our support, because it just so happens that my mother founded UC Med Mentors!
If you are interested in mentoring a child, the MENTOR website allows you to locate a mentoring opportunity in your community.
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SCALE Recognizes a First Book NLAW Leader
January 30th, 2007
Nicole T.
Leave a Comment »Several First Book Campus Advisory Boards are participating in National Literacy Action Week (NLAW) this week. SCALE, the sponsor of NLAW, wrote the following in recognition of Carrie Hovland as an outstanding leader in NLAW activities.
Carrie Hovland
Carrie Hovland is the service-learning coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac and the chair of the First Book-UW-Fond du Lac Advisory Board. Ms. Hovland’s careful planning of innovative literacy action for NLAW warrants her recognition as an NLAW leader.
With Ms. Hovland’s leadership, the First Book-UW-Fond du Lac Advisory Board has planned excellent NLAW activities. The campus group is working this week with students at a local elementary school to create an interactive traveling literacy trunk. The group is also sponsoring two mini-conferences focusing on literacy issues.
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National Literacy Action Week Begins Today!
January 29th, 2007
Nicole T.
1 Comment »This post was sent from Meredith H. who is a coordinator for National Literacy Action Week (NLAW) at the Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education (SCALE), a First Book Campus Parter.
Why is NLAW so important to SCALE?
National Literacy Action Week (NLAW) is a nationwide SCALE initiative where campus literacy programs across the country join together to raise awareness about literacy and create change on their campuses and in their communities.
This year, NLAW is January 29-February 3, 2007, scheduled to commemorate the anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement’s first lunch counter sit-in on February 1, 1960, in Greensboro, North Carolina. Following this sit-in, college students around North Carolina formed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), one of the most effective and creative components of the civil rights movement!
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Results of the Borders Holiday Campaign
January 26th, 2007
Stephanie R.
Leave a Comment »This week, Borders released the results of our 2006 holiday campaign, and we couldn’t be more excited. Thanks to Borders and its customers, more than $780,000 was raised for First Book — bringing the grand total since we’ve started working together to $1.6 million!!!
First Book provides the funds in the form of Borders gift cards to incredible community and literacy programs across the country, and in many cases Borders stores hold fun events for the kids when they come to pick out their brand new books. Just look at the joy in this little girl’s face as she opened her bag full of books at Borders.Thanks again to everyone who made this happen, from the team at Borders to all of our friends who donated. You are truly our heroes. Visit again soon to see how Borders, First Book and community groups across the country have come together to put beautiful smiles on kids’ faces and new books into their hands.
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Reading with First Book - Mysteries
January 25th, 2007
Stephanie R.
Leave a Comment »This post is part of a weekly series of synopses of children’s books, written by First Book staff members.
Peanut, by Heidi Kilgras, illustrated by Mike Reed. Peanut, a little dog, sniffs everything! But his sniffing comes in handy when a baby gets lost in the grocery store and Peanut has to help find it. Grades K-2.
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Wanted: Kids Doing Their Part with Heart
January 24th, 2007
Erin T.
Leave a Comment »
At First Book we are delighted to hear of campaigns that recognize amazing kids across the country. If you know children or teenagers who are making a difference in your community, Build-A-Bear Workshop®, a long-time supporter and partner of First Book, wants your help in finding them. The company is now taking nominations for its fourth annual Huggable Heroes® program which recognizes everyday kids in communities all across North America, Canada and the United Kingdom who go to extraordinary lengths to make life better for others. Nomination forms can be found on the Build-A-Bear website and will be accepted through February 14, 2007.
Ten great kids will be selected and recognized as the 2007 Huggable Heroes. Each Huggable Hero will receive a prize worth $10,000 ($7,500 in the form of a scholarship and $2,500 from the Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation to be donated to the charity of the hero’s choice and awarded in the winner’s local currency).
In addition, they receive a trip to St. Louis where the winners will be honored for their good deeds, meet the other Huggable Heroes and participate in a photo shoot for the 2008 Build-A-Bear Workshop Huggable Heroes calendar.
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First Book Appreciated in Louisiana
January 23rd, 2007
Matthew W.
Leave a Comment »We recently received this email from a Recipient Group in Louisiana:
Hello Friends at First Book,
I just wanted to let you know how important First Book has been to those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
I was the Assistant Director in Plaquemines Parish La. where the eye of Katrina crossed over first. We lost our home and all our belongings. I have relocated to Rapides Parish
(Alexandria) La. where I was blessed to find a great job here at the library.Rapides has received and distributed hundreds of First Books to evacuees and I have sent them back with my grandchildren when they returned to St. Bernard, La. (another area hit hard by Katrina). For a while after Katrina, these were the only books they had, having lost theirs in the storm.
I thought that you should know that the books are getting in to the hands of those who need them and that they are appreciated.
Sincerely,
Tammy DiBartolo
Youth Services Manager
Rapides Parish Library -
2007 ALA Award-winning Books
January 22nd, 2007
Clarissa P.
Leave a Comment »This morning, the American Library Association (ALA) announced this year’s award-winning books.
The Newbery Medal winner (most outstanding contribution to children’s literature) is The Higher Power of Lucky, written by Susan Patron and illustrated by Matt Phelan.
The Caldecott Medal winner (most distinguished American picture book for children) is Flotsam, illustrated by David Wiesner.
The Printz Award winner (excellence in literature written for young adults) is American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang.
You can view a full list of 2007 literary award winners on the ALA’s website.
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Raise Awareness and Create Change: January 29 - February 3, 2007
January 22nd, 2007
Nicole T.
Leave a Comment »National Literacy Action Week (NLAW) is a nationwide event where campus literacy programs join together to raise awareness about literacy and create change on their campuses and in their communities. NLAW is sponsored by our First Book Campus Partner SCALE (Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education).
This year SCALE offered $100 mini-grants to campus groups that committed to planning and implementing at least three NLAW activities on their college campuses during the week of January 29 to February 3, 2007. We are proud that three First Book Campus Advisory Boards have received this grant: First Book-Manhattan College, First Book-University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac and First Book-University of Wisconsin-Kenosha/Racine! First Book-University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is also collaborating with another organization on their campus who received the grant.
We encourage everyone to participate in National Literacy Action Week to raise awareness about literacy and create change in your communities. If you are planning a NLAW activity, we’d love to hear about it. We will have postings about your activities throughout National Literacy Action Week.
