Another day, another award! National Book Foundation (NBF) announced the first winners of the Innovation in Reading Prize yesterday. The NBF awards the prize to individuals or institutions, or partnerships between the two, that have unique methods of encouraging or supporting life-long enjoyment of reading. The jurors looked first for innovative methods, but where there were two equal candidates, the jurors then examined the need in the community that the candidate satisfied. The winners receive up to $2,500. Claire and I rooted for a bookstore to win. Alas, our hopes were quashed by some truly terrific individuals and institutions:
James Patterson’s ReadKiddoRead.com – James Patterson’s son didn’t enjoy reading, so James spent summers looking for books that his son would enjoy. Then, being who he is, he started writing books his son would enjoy. Now he’s sharing all that he’s learned on a website ReadKiddoRead.com. This is a terrific website, it has lists of great books that kids will love by age. There are even lesson plans for teachers. Okay, how many parents out there take solace from the fact that James Patterson’s son didn’t like to read? While my kids love to read, there are other things that I love that they can’t stand; I look and them and wonder how they could be my child.
readergirlz - I LOVE THIS SITE! Claire is going to die when I send it to her. readergirlz is an online community for teen girls that pairs up a YA novel with a community service project each month. This month the book is Red Glass by Laura Resau. The book is about illegal immigration and the activity is awareness of Dream Act and possible participation May Day marches. readergirlz interviews the author (and asks about her favorite bookstore, the most important question) and this month is holding an online chat with Laura Resau.
Fathers Bridging the Miles, a program of Read to Me International – The goal of Read to Me International is to have every child read to at least ten minutes a day. Fathers Bridging the Miles is an opportunity for incarcerated men to send their children a book and a tape of them reading it. The hope, which is frequently achieved, is that fathers will continue to read to their children when they return home and that the process will help the father and child grow closer.
Maricopa County Library District - After customer surveys relayed a desire for the library to be “browser friendly,” the staff redesigned it to look and feel like a bookstore, even dropping the Dewey decimal system. The neighborhood loves the new feel and “Dewey-less” organization.
Robert Wilder – Robert Wilder said “[l]ike many other teachers and writers, I try to find myriad ways to get good books into other people’s hands. Whether it’s a kindergartner struggling over his first sentence, a high school student trying to find her voice in the wilderness of adolescence, or an intellectually starved friend at a dinner party, books are my gesture toward a better life for anyone willing to turn some pages.” I couldn’t agree more, best way to improve your life, your mood, your conversation skills – pick up a book!
There are very impressive activities in the world of reading. But really, next year, I want a bookstore to win.
Tags: childrens, community service, library, read aloud, reading award, teenage girls, young adult
Reply
Recent Articles
-
Wonderful Video of What Happens in a Bookstore at Night
I’ve been in a bit of a posting slump, but I’m working my way out and what better way to start the new year than with this lovely stop action video, “The Joy of Books,” about what happens in Type bookstore at night. I can’t wait to visit Toronto just to stop by Type Books to [...]
-
Scrambling For A Last Minute Gift? Head To Your Local Bookstore!
Farhad Manjoo ignited the latest round of ‘will the local bookstore survive’ with his “Don’t Support Your Local Bookstore” tirade on Slate. (I couldn’t fail to notice that while Salon promotes a campaign to support local bookstores, Slate is bashing them.) Numerous responses Manjoo were published, twitter feeds with special hashtags popped up, and even [...]
-
57th Street Books – Chicago, IL
57th Street, the actual street, is perfect for the meandering bookworm. We started with lunch at the graffiti clad Medici Restaurant. Famous for its burgers and scribbled upon walls and furnishings, we filled the time waiting for our food by adding our own “tags” to the table top. More importantly, within blocks there are three [...]
-
Essay Challenge Recap
I coming in just under the wire this year, this challenge must be completed today!! The Essay Challenge over at Books and Movies is the only one I joined this year, even so, I didn’t keep up with it the way I have the past two years. Not that I haven’t read essays all year [...]
-
Salon says “Support Your Local Bookstore!”
In the latest pitch to keep bookstores alive and well, or at least breathing, Salon.com gave credit to indies for finding and promoting the latest excellent book most of us don’t know: An independent bookstore brings a lot to a city or a town: a showroom for the latest literary releases, an auditorium where authors [...]
-
Small Business Saturday – Shop at Local Businesses on November 26th!
Actually shop at them as much as possible, they are the engine that drives your local economy. But, let’s give the little guys a leg up in the middle of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Drop by a local business, chat with a real person, and contribute to your neighborhood economy by purchasing a Christmas [...]
-
Which authors would you invite to Thanksgiving dinner?
Taking a riff from NPR’s story last week about which deceased composers Miles Hoffman would invite to Thanksgiving dinner, I pondered the same question for authors and asked quite a few friends. Here are the guidelines: which dead authors would you invite to Thanksgiving dinner? Which author would you invite to give a reading Thanksgiving [...]
-
Breaking Dawn – Part 1 Opens Today
One of the pleasures of having a teenage daughter is the opportunity to share silly, girlly experiences. While I understand all of the criticism about the Twilght series, and agree with some, as I’ve written before, I’ve enjoyed the ride. Even more, I’m grateful for the opportunity to share the sheer reading fun with my daughter. [...]
-
Abbey Books & Gifts – Valyermo, CA
I spent just over 24 hours last week at St. Andrews Abbey. I’m not Catholic, but I enjoy joining the monks in the Daily Office. For those of you new to that term (and that would’ve been me a couple of years ago), it’s the practice of pausing at several set times through out the [...]
-
Alexander Book Co. – San Francisco, CA
Alexander Book Co. is a traditional independent bookstore tucked around a corner in downtown San Francisco. Wedged between office towers and the Academy of Arts complex, it’s a cozy respite from steel, glass, and marble. The store even smells like good books waiting to be discovered. The first time I tried to visit the store, [...]
No comments
Comments feed for this article
Trackback link: http://www.bookstorepeople.com/2009/05/winner-of-innovations-in-reading-prize-announced/trackback/