Keep Jersey City Children Reading this summer, Support the JCPL Summer Reading Program!

Message from: Ms. Sonia Araujo, Assistant Library Director
Jersey City Free Public Library
472 Jersey Avenue
Jersey City, New Jersey 07302
201-547-4549

Greetings:
It is with much expectation and enthusiasm, the children of Jersey City are invited each year to participate in the annual Jersey City Free Public Library Summer Reading Program, one of the most successful and rewarding programs the Library offers to the public. The program runs for 8 weeks from end of June to August and is offered in the Bonetti Children’s Room at the Main Library and in all library branches throughout the City, it includes children from public, charter, parochial and home-schooled children. The Bookmobile is also on hand to fill in any gaps at local parks, festivals, and summer schools sessions. This program attracts over 500 children each year, who collectively read over 2,000 books every summer!

This year, the New Jersey Statewide Summer Reading Program (SRP) theme is "One World, Many Stories" for children in grades K-5. Imagine all the wonderful places children can read about! The accompanying activities – crafts, movies, and participating in educational/recreational trips – punctuate the theme, while creating lifelong friendships in a safe environment. A separate program theme, "You are Here," which is for young adults in grades 6-8 and up, is specially geared to bring in those hard-to-reach, “too old to read” young adults by offering them special performers, movies, trips and crafts, while encouraging them to read to the top of the charts!

The Library provides a warm, supervised and welcoming environment, surrounded by their peers, where they can listen to, discuss and read books on topics they select, and the program encourages continued reading independently in the future. Students participating in public library summer reading programs scored higher on reading achievement tests at the beginning of the next school year, and were more motivated and confident in their reading.

The Library is eager to start preparations, for we want parents and children alike to know the Library will be available to them, again, this coming summer. However, due to massive cuts in the Library’s budget t your help is needed to implement the program. All contributions are tax deductible and can be made out to the Jersey City Free Public Library Foundation / 2011 Summer Reading Program.

Please contact me at (201) 547-4549, or by email, saraujo@jclibrary.org, with your desire to help the Library’s Summer Reading Program in 2011!

Respectfully,

Sonia Araujo

P.S. Your monetary or in-kind contribution can assure the safety and happiness of Jersey City children this summer by helping them gain access to a world of learning through reading at their local library, along with access to a summer of fun! The Gold Coast can be made more golden if the opportunity to achieve is open to everyone, especially to our children. Please check out the attached Wish List to see how you can help!

Here are a few of the expenses that we will incur for the 2011 Summer Reading Program. We understand the economy is hard for everyone; however, you can make the difference. The following is a breakdown of expenses:

Incentives: T-Shirts, bookmarks, key rings, erasers, pencils& certificates for Children &YAs -
$ 1,200.00

Children’s Trip: 80-90 children, with chaperones, to Keansburg Amusement Park - $ 1,600.00

YA trip: 80-90 Young Adults, with chaperones, to Great Adventure - $ 2,500.00

One day @ Camp Liberty in Liberty State Park for 125-150 children, transportation & snacks included: Children are able to swim, play ball, do crafts, and experience camp for a day, free of charge $ 2,000.00
Transportation: Four buses @ 500.00 each - $ 2,000.00

Craft Materials: Paper, glue, glitter, magic makers, paints, brushes, and other art supplies for 500 participants - $ 1,600.00

Movies/DVDs: Purchase on themes for both Children/YAs - $ 1,740.00
Refreshments:
Participants are awarded a Certificate of Achievement at culmination parties, whether they read one or 100 books. All children/YAs from branches /departments participate in their achievements! -
$ 3,300.00

Total Expenses for SRP 2011
$ 1,200.00 Incentives
$ 1,600.00 Children’s Trip
$ 2,500.00 YA Trip
$ 2,000.00 Camp Liberty admission, transportation & food
$ 2,000.00 Trip Transportation
$ 1,600.00 Craft Materials
$ 1,740.00 Movies/DVDs
$ 3,300.00 Refreshments
____
$15, 940.00 GRAND TOTAL

Please make your tax-deductible donations payable to: Jersey City Free Public Library Foundation, Inc. / 2011 Summer Reading Program. Please send to: 472 Jersey Avenue, Jersey City, New Jersey 07302,
ATTN: Priscilla Gardner, Executive Director


The Jersey City Free Public Library Foundation, Inc. is chartered in Jersey City as a 501(c)(3) organization to receive charitable gifts. Benefactors can contribute to the foundation with gifts of cash, property, securities or real estate, trust arrangements, bequests in wills and by naming the foundation as beneficiary of a life insurance policy. The JCFPL Foundation hopes to encourage individuals and organizations to make financial contributions to the Foundation to assure that the library can continue its exceptional service far into the future. The Jersey City Free Public Library Foundation, Inc. was established on January 27, 2004 to support the mission of the library: to provide services and materials for the education, enrichment and entertainment of the people of Jersey City. http://www.jclibrary.org/libinfo/libraryfoundation.php

Thank you! During SRP 2011, please drop by the branches or the Main and see what your contributions have made possible.

Teachers' Alert-A conversation on Multicultural education and curriculum

Like It Is with Gil Noble and Adelaide Sanford- May 15, 2011

This episode of Like It is of interest to all educators especially those in urban and multicultural education. It provides a history of parallel cultures in the United States, a viewpoint on the difficulties of curriculum reform and strategies to be used to overcome disparities in education.

If you missed it, please use this link http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=resources/lifestyle_community/community&id=6650885

Jersey City Girls Talk Back on Monday, May 9, 2011

JERSEY CITY GIRLS!
LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW WHO YOU ARE,
WHAT YOU HAVE ACHIEVED,
WHAT CHALLENGES YOU HAVE OVERCOME,
AND HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING LABELED “THE COMMUNITY’S WORST ENEMY”
http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2011/04/jersey_city_schools_chief_says.html

The Community's Worst Enemy?
Jersey City Girls Talk Back!
Monday, May 9th , 2011
6pm-8pm
Gothic Lounge ( Hepburn 202)
New Jersey City University

2039 Kennedy Boulevard

Jersey City, NJ 07305

http://www.njcu.edu/i2e/visit/directions.asp

A forum facilitated by: Dr. Jacqueline Ellis, Dr. Ann Wallace, and Dr. Antoinette Ellis-Williams
Featuring: Patricia Bombelyn, Lawyer and social activist; Nathaniel Briggs, Vice-President, New Jersey NAACP; Barbara Milton, Ph.D., LCSW, author of “Our Pride and Joy: Stories about Hudson County Teens” blog.

Sponsored by the Black Alumni, Administrators, Faculty, Staff and Students Organization, the Lee Hagan Africana Studies Center, Women’s and Gender Studies.

AND
Tell our Young Women Stories of Those Female Teens Who Have Proceeded Them:

Melba Patillo Beals
Warriors Don’t Cry: a searing memoir of the battle to integrate Little Rock's Central High
Juv. 371.97 .B366w 2002

Claudette Colvin : twice toward justice
Juv. 323.0The Community's Worst Enemy?
Jersey City Girls Talk Back!

Claudette Colvin : twice toward justice
Juv. 323.092 .H789c

Freedom riders : 1961 and the struggle for racial justice
E185.61 .A69 2006

Defying the odds : triumphant Black women of Newark
F144 .N653 K85 2005


Learn What Can Be Done

Urban girls revisited : building strengths HV1431 .U734 2007
Beyond appearance : a new look at adolescent girls F144 .N653 K85 2005
Coming into her own : educational success in girls and women LC1503 .C65 1999
Stand by Me: the risks and rewards of mentoring today’s youth HV 1431.R48 2002

Watch

The souls of Black girls: a documentary film V3088

http://www.soulsofblackgirls.com/

Monday, May 9th, 2011 at 6pm (H202, NJCU ) Stand Up for our Young Women as they Speak Up for Themselves!

For more information call: Dr. Jacqueline Ellis, (201) 200 3170 or Dr. Ann Wallace, (201) 200 2015

Free Comic Book Day- 5/7/11

It is the 10th anniversary of Free Comic Book Day!



Where can you get your free Comic Book?
http://www.freecomicbookday.com/fcbd_locator.asp

Where can you attend Creator Signings of Comic Book Writers and Illustrators on Free Comic Book Day?
http://www.freecomicbookday.com/signings.asp

For more information see
http://www.freecomicbookday.com/

New Jersey School Board Elections-4/27/11-VOTE

VOTE

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Annual School Board (and School Budget) Elections



Call your School BOARD for Polling Times

More Information at http://www.vote411.org



Don’t forget to Vote on the Public Questions TOO!



JERSEY CITY RESIDENTS

VOTE

7am-9pm

Information for Jersey City Residents

Candidate Links

http://www.hudsoncountyclerk.org/elections/default.htm

( Scroll down for Jersey City )

Six 2011 Board of Education candidate interviews from Talking
Politics
http://www.channel125.com/tp12.htm

JCBOE forum at Historic Paulus Hook Association April 7, 2011
http://www.youtube.com/user/followjcboe

Jersey City Independent

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2011/04/19/meet-the-school-board-candidates-amanda-khan-and-suzanne-mack/

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2011/04/18/meet-the-school-board-candidates-vidya-gangadin-and-carol-harrison-arnold/

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2011/04/18/meet-the-school-board-candidates-vidya-gangadin-and-carol-harrison-arnold/

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2011/04/21/meet-the-school-board-candidates-aury-masa-nunez-and-frances-o-thompson/

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2011/04/22/meet-the-school-board-candidates-hiral-patel-and-nabil-youssef/

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2011/04/meet_the_hudson_county_school.html

All of the candidates are on Facebook


AND READ A FEW BOOKS on NEW JERSEY EDUCATION


Framing equal opportunity : law and the politics of school finance reform / Michael Paris.
KFN2190 .P375 2010

Other people's children : the battle for justice and equality in New Jersey's schools / Deborah Yaffe.
KFN2190 .Y34 2007

Church and school in the immigrant city : a social history of public education in Jersey City, 1804-1930/ Barbara Burns Petrick.
LA333.J4 .P48 2000

Putting the children first : the changing face of Newark's public schools / edited by Jonathan G. Silin, Carol Lippman ;foreword by Gloria Ladson-Billings.
LA333 .N4 P88 2003

The wasted years : American youth, race, and the literacy gap / James McCabe.
LC151 .M274 2003

In plain sight : simple, difficult lessons from New Jersey's expensive efforts to close the achievement gap / Gordon MacInnes.
LC213.22 .N5 M33 2009

2010 ALA "Banned Books List"

The ALA’s Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2010 include the following titles; each title is followed by the reasons given for challenging the book:

1. "And Tango Makes Three" by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
Reasons: Homosexuality, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group

2. "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: Offensive language, Racism, Sex Education, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group, Violence

3. "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
Reasons: Insensitivity, Offensive Language, Racism, Sexually Explicit

4. "Crank" by Ellen Hopkins
Reasons: Drugs, Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit

5. "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group, Violence

6. "Lush" by Natasha Friend
Reasons: Drugs, Offensive Language, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group

7. "What My Mother Doesn’t Know" by Sonya Sones
Reasons: Sexism, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group

8. "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By In America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
Reasons: Drugs, Inaccurate, Offensive Language, Political Viewpoint, Religious Viewpoint

9. "Revolutionary Voices" edited by Amy Sonnie
Reasons: Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit

10. "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
Reasons: Religious Viewpoint, Violence

For more information on book challenges and censorship, please visit the Office for Intellectual Freedom’s Banned Books Week Web site at www.ala.org/bbooks.

Jersey City Library featured on Wendy Williams and Who Do You Think You Are? faces 800K budget cut, Happy National Library Week!

National Library Week will be celebrated April 10-April 16, 2011

Jersey City Public Library in New Jersey may not be celebrating.

The Jersey City Public Library is facing $800,000 in budget cuts.

This would mean:-

• closing branches


• laying off staff


• termination of the Bookmobile program


• no computer access for teens, seniors, and the unemployed


• no new books

Interested Jersey City Public Library supporters are asked to call the City Clerk at 201-547-5150 to go on the speakers list for the next City Council Meeting, April 13, 2011, at 6pm at 280 Grove street.

Suggested talking points:

• Why do you oppose Jersey City Public Library budget cuts?

• Why is the Jersey Public Library important to you?

Please support the Jersey City Public Library ( and all public libraries) during NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK.

(Note to fans of Who Do You Think You Are?- The main branch of the Jersey City Public Library has been featured on several episodes, especially the Rosie O'Donnell episode. http://www.nbc.com/who-do-you-think-you-are/episode-guide/

The staff of the library was featured on the Wendy Williams show. http://educationservicesnews.blogspot.com/2009/10/jersey-city-public-library-staff-on.html

It was also featured in the movie, Party Girl http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114095/)

Sister Souljah at Newark Public Library, 4/19/11-6:30pm

Sister Souljah

Newark Public Library

5 Washington Street

Newark , NJ

Tuesday, April 19, 6:30pm

(Booksale begins at 5:00 pm,

Book Purchasers get Priority seating!

General Searing begins at 6:15pm)

Free and Open to the Public)

Teachers, Librarians apply for NJ Council for the Humanities 2011 seminars

From: NJ Council for the Humanities

Attn: School Librarians and K-12 Educators in NJ

Each year the NJ Council for the Humanities offers school librarians and K-12 educators in NJ the opportunity to earn professional development and graduate credit by attending a six-day residential seminar exploring a humanities topic.

Held on the campus of The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, this year’s seminars are :

• Race in American History and Culture: New Perspectives, lead by Dr. Clement Price (July 10-July 15);


• Narratives of Immigration: Latino/a Lives, lead by Dr. Ben Sifuentes-Jauregui (July 17-July 22);


• Poverty, Affluence and the American Dream, lead by Dr. Matt Ruben (July 24-July 29); and,


• Adolescent and Young Adult Literature, lead by Dr. Cheryl McClean (July 31-August 5).

These seminars provide a stimulating immersion experience with ample time for discussion, writing and curriculum workshops, field trips, and conversation with colleagues. These summer courses in the humanities are designed to inform teachers about recent scholarship in their fields and to help them incorporate new knowledge into their classroom teaching.

Books, materials, and room and board are included in this tuition-free program. A $100 registration fee is required of all accepted applicants

In addition to the possibility of earning 45 hours of professional development credit, $250 for completing a curriculum project, or 3 graduate credits and $250 stipend for completing a research paper, teachers and librarians leave the seminar invigorated and inspired. As one participant from last year’s Teacher Institute raved, “This seminar is just like other NJCH seminars: wonderful! It is a shame that I can’t find other workshops like these. NJCH knows the recipe for exceptional PD – please keep offering them!” Applications are due by June 1, but admissions are on a rolling basis, so please apply as early to possible to insure that you will be able to have a space in the seminar of your first choice. For more information about the Teacher Institute, contact NJCH at (888) 394-6524 or e-mail njch@njch.org. Information is also available at www.njch.org/teacher.html.

NJ Center for the Book honors Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers honored by the NJ Center for the Book

2:30 to 4:30 pm

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Rutgers University Zimmerli Art Museum

New Brunswick campus

Walter Dean Myers will receive the Rutgers School of Communication and Information Award for Distinguished Literature for Children and Young Adults at an open event, free to the public, on Wednesday, April 27, 2011, from 2:30 to 4:30 pm in the Rutgers University Zimmerli Art Museum, New Brunswick campus. The award ceremony commemorates the tenth anniversary of the New Jersey Center for the Book. Mr Myers is considered a towering presence in service to youth who has, through his fiction, nonfiction and poetry, redefined young African American males in literature by opening their confrontation with urban life and their survival with pride and belief in the future. Mr. Myers is called, “one of today’s most important authors of young adult literature,” “a giant among children’s and young adult authors,” and "one of the most important writers of children’s books of our age.” Mr. Myers' work has earned many accolades. His first book, “Where Does the Day Go,” was selected by the Council on Interracial Books for its Children's Award. Other works have also won on seven occasions a place among the American Library Association (ALA) Notable Books for Children and five times among the ALA Best Books for Young Adults. The Child Study Association of America has twice awarded his fiction the Children’s Book of the Year. He has six times received the Coretta Scott King Award, was a Newbery Honor Book recipient twice; and, with his illustrator son Christopher, a Caldecott Honor Book recipient twice. The author was honored with two Lifetime Achievement Awards for the entire body of his work, the first sponsored by School Library Journal, and the second by the Margaret A. Edwards Foundation.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory-100 Years later at NJCU

100th Anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire” Presentation,

10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

New Jersey City University

2039 Kennedy Blvd.

Jersey City, NJ 07305

Gilligan Student Union Building 129

Program:

Prof. Tim White, History Department: 3/25/1911: Understanding the Triangle Fire.

Dr. Jason Martinek, History Department: “The Rebel Girls”: Immigrant Women, the IWW, and the Paterson Silk Strike of 1913.

Dr. Jacqueline Ellis, Women's and Gender Studies: History Repeating: Women Workers and Sweatshop Labor.

Commemorative songs by Musical Theatre Studies students, directed by Marc Dalio:
“‘Til We Reach That Day” by Ahrens & Flaherty
“Someday” by Steven Schwartz

Sites of interest:

http://rememberthetrianglefire.org/

Weiss Center Spring 2011 Events

M. Jerry Weiss Center for Children’s and Young Adult Literature http://web.njcu.edu/programs/mjwc/Content/announcements_and_events.asp New Jersey City University 2039 Kennedy Boulevard Jersey City, NJ 07305 is sponsoring/co-sponsoring the following programs: Tuesday, March 22, 2011,Tonya Bolden, author of Finding Family, Time: Thursday, March 22, 5-7 pm Location: Gothic Lounge (Hepburn Hall 202) (click here for campus map) Lecture, panel discussion, book signing, and reception

See http://www.tonyaboldenbooks.com/ to view books.)

(Attention teachers: Finding Family study guide http://www.bloomsburykids.com/node/8664)

Monday, April 4, 2011, University Lecture Series, Walter Dean Myers, Time: Monday, April 4, 4pm, Location: Gothic Lounge (Hepburn Hall 202) (click here for campus map) Lecture Tuesday, April 5, 2011,William Low, Author/Illustrator, Old Penn Station, Machines Go To Work , Henry and the Kite Dragon . Time: Tuesday, April 5, 1:30 pm, Location: TBA. Lecture Wednesday, April 13, 2011,Yvonne Thornton, author of Something to Prove and The Ditchdigger's Daughters, Time: Wednesday, April 13, 5-7 pm, Location: Gothic Lounge (Hepburn Hall 202) (click here for campus map),Lecture, panel discussion, book signing, and reception

Graphic NOvelist wins Academy Award

Shaun Tan author of The Arrival (Juv.T1617a) and Tales from Outer Suburbia( Juv. T 1617t) won an OSCAR for best animated short for "The Lost Thing"!

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Tan is in discussions to make a movie out of the Arrival.
(http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/underdog-aussies-oscar-triumph-20110228-1bb1l.html)

Copyright Law and Fair Use Don't Copy That-2

Don't Copy That Floppy-2

updated for Schools!

Don't Copy That 2 - School Version from SIIA Video on Vimeo.

A new video for on Copyright and fair use is now available for classrrom use

For classroom resources and more information see http://dontcopythat2.com/

For Fair Use resources

See the comment by Chris

and this older blog entry

http://educationservicesnews.blogspot.com/2008/11/copyright-law-and-fair-use.html

Calling Newark-Teen Girls -Apply NOW for the SNLP Summer Institute

Sadie Nash Leadership Project's Summer Institute

is a 6-week program for young women housed at Rutgers University!***

Please visit us on our website - http://www.sadienash.org/

SADIE NASH LEADERSHIP PROJECT

Frequently Asked Questions

What do we do?

SNLP is a unique educational leadership program that is made up of young women ages 14-21 in New York City and Newark, NJ. We are currently recruiting for our Summer Leadership Institute for 2011. SNLP gives young women a chance to meet amazing peers and accomplished leaders (like filmmakers, activists, scientists, artists, writers); take fun exciting courses (about things like human rights, creative writing, medicine, sociology, the environment); and to develop unique ways of leading with your peers and with our support. SNLP is about young women, run by young women and for young women.

Why do we do it?

The Sadie Nash Leadership Project is designed to guide young women through a process in which they come to understand the importance of their life experiences, and how these experiences can be applied to taking action and making change. We believe young women have the ability to change the world, now and in the future. The Sadie Nash Leadership Project is their opportunity to take some time and look at their own leadership, their potential leadership, and the leadership of the women around them.

How does it work?

The Sadie Nash Leadership Project requires an initial commitment of six weeks. The summer program lasts for six weeks from July 5th to August 12th, Monday through Friday from 10am until 4pm (on Fridays, we have special events and the hours are different). The summer program will be located in downtown Newark which is accessible by bus and train. There will be required pre-session orientation meetings in early June to prepare you for the summer, and to provide an opportunity to meet the staff and to get to know each other. During the summer you and your peers will take classes, meet women involved in different forms of leadership, take workshops on issues that are important to you, and explore your own and others' leadership. The program is FREE, and in fact you will receive a weekly stipend to attend.

What is the stipend? To help you cover your expenses (food and transportation) during the summer you will receive astipend during the program for everyday you attend. You only receive the stipend when you are at the program because it covers those two direct costs that come with attendance

Application Deadlines

Sadie Nash Newark:

Friday, February 28th

Monday, April 29th

If you would like a presentation at a Newark school please contact Tynesha at tynesha@sadienash.org

Garden State Teen Book Award Winners-2011

From NJLA

The Young Adult Section of NJLA is pleased to announce the winners of the 2011



Garden State Teen Book Award!For a full listing of annotated nominations and more information on how the GSTBA works, check out our wiki page: http://njla.pbworks.com/w/page/12189805/Garden-State-Teen-Book-Awards.



Fiction:

Grades 6-8

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The boy, Nobody, has been raised by gentle ghosts in a graveyard following his escape from his family’s murderer. What will happen when the murderer returns for him?


Fiction:

Grades 9-12

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
In Panem, winning the lottery changes the lives of 24 children each year, but not for the better. These girls and boys become contestants in The Hunger Games, a televised battle to the death.


Nonfiction:

Grades 6-12

Eminem : The Way I Am by Eminem
One of the most influential rappers of all time allows readers to gain insight into his life and his emotional struggles. The book is as raw and personal as his music.

The 2012 Garden State Teen Book Award ballot will be available May 2011. (Print copies will be available at the NJLA Conference!) In the meantime, click here to view the 2011 ballot, current and past annotated lists of nominated titles, and past winners documents

No Name calling Week-1/24-1/28/11

There is still time to celebrate No Name Calling Week- Jan. 24-28.2011
No Name-Calling Week is coordinated by GLSEN in collaboration with over 40 national education organizational partners, No Name-Calling Week is an annual week of educational activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and providing schools with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities.
For more information about No Name-Calling Week, click here:
History of No Name-Calling Week
National partners
Resources (including lesson plans)

For more info see http://www.nonamecallingweek.org


No Name-Calling Week 2011 Creative Expression Contest
The Creative Expression Contest is an opportunity for students to submit essays, poetry, music, original artwork, or other pieces that convey their experiences and feelings about name-calling, and their ideas for putting a stop to verbal bullying in their schools and communities.

The goal is to have students working on their art pieces during the week as a way to learn about and deal with name-calling and bullying.

THREE ENTRY CATEGORIES: The contest is divided into three different judging categories.
It is open to all individual students in grades K - 12.

Click on the category you wish to enter for specific guidelines and entry forms:
Primary School (Grades K - 5)
Middle School (Grades 6 - 8)
High School (Grades 9 - 12)
In the High School category to the contest short-film submissions that focus on anti-LGBT name-calling and bullying in school can be submitted.
Only U.S. residents are eligible to apply. Students may work in groups, as long as an entry form is submitted for every student that worked on the artwork.

DEADLINE: Monday, February 28, 2011
All entries must be postmarked on or received via fax or e-mail by 6pm Eastern time on Monday, February 28, 2011. Winners will be notified by telephone, mail, or e-mail by April 2011.

HOW TO ENTER: Download the appropriate rules and guidelines and the corresponding entry form.
Fill out the form and send (along with your entry) to GLSEN:

Via fax: 646-388-8060

Via mail:
No Name-Calling Week Creative Expression Contest
c/o GLSEN Education Department
90 Broad Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10004

Via email: contest@nonamecallingweek.org
Please note that all electronically submitted work must be accompanied by an electronically signed entry form.
Alternately a hard copy of the form, with signature, may be mailed or faxed simultaneous to electronic submission.

ALA Book Awards 2011

American Library Association Announces Youth Media Award Winners

View announcement webcast http://alawebcast.unikron.com/__view2011.php?

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature

2011 Newbery Medal
"Moon over Manifest," written by Clare Vanderpool, is the winner. The book is published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc. ( Juv.V2393m)

2011 Newbery Honor Books
Turtle in Paradise," by Jennifer L. Holm and published by Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc. (Juv.H7474t)

Heart of a Samurai," written by Margi Preus and published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS ( Juv.P934h)

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night," written by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Rick Allen and published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt;

(Juv.811.54.S568d)

One Crazy Summer," by Rita Williams-Garcia and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. (Juv.W729o)

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children

2011 Caldecott Medal
"A Sick Day for Amos McGee," illustrated by Erin E. Stead, is the winner. The book was written by Philip C. Stead, and is a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing. (JuvS7995s)

2011 Caldecott Honor Books
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave," illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Laban Carrick Hill and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; (Juv.738.09.H645d)

Interrupting Chicken," written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein and published by Candlewick Press. (Juv.S8194i)

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults

2011 Printz Award winner
Ship Breaker," written by Paolo Bacigalupi, is the. The book is published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. (Juv.B1255s)

2011 Printz Honor Books
Stolen, by Lucy Christopher and published by Chicken House, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.; (Juv.C5566s)

Please Ignore Vera Dietz," by A.S. King and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc.; (Juv.K522p)

Revolver," by Marcus Sedgwick and published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of the Macmillan Children's Publishing Group; (Juv.S4486r)

Nothing," by Janne Teller and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division.

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author of outstanding books for children and young adults

2011 Coretta Scott King Author Book winner
"One Crazy Summer," written by Rita Williams-Garcia is the winner. The book is published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. (Juv.W729o)

2011Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books

Lockdown," by Walter Dean Myers and published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; (Myers is a Jersey City resident and a member of the Advisory Board of the M. Jerry Weiss Center at New Jersey City University.) (Juv.M9967L)

Ninth Ward," by Jewell Parker Rhodes and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; (Juv. R4767n)

Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty," written by G. Neri, illustrated by Randy DuBurke and published by Lee & Low Books Inc. (Juv.305.89.N445y)

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award recognizing an African American illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults

2011 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Book winner

"Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave," illustrated by Bryan Collier, is the 2011 King Illustrator Book winner. The book was written by Laban Carrick Hill and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. (Juv.738.09.H645d)

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book

Jimi Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix," illustrated by Javaka Steptoe, written by Gary Golio and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. (Juv.927.84.H4989)

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent (Author) Award
"Zora and Me," written by Victoria Bond and T. R. Simon, is the 2011 Steptoe author winner. The book is published by Candlewick Press. (Juv.B7117z)

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent (Illustrator) Award
"Seeds of Change," illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler, is the 2011 Steptoe illustrator winner. The book is written by Jen Cullerton Johnson and published by Lee & Low Books Inc.

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Practitioner Award for Lifetime Achievement
Dr. Henrietta Mays Smith is the winner of the 2011 Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Practitioner Award for Lifetime achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children's author Virginia Hamilton's contributions through her literature and advocacy for children and youth.

Pura Belpre Awards honoring a Latino writer/illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.

2011 Pura Belpre Illustrator Award
Grandma's Gift," illustrated and written by Eric Velasquez, is the 2011 Belpre Illustrator Award winner. The book is published by Walker Publishing Company, Inc., a division of Bloomsbury Publishing, Inc. (Juv.V434gg)

2011 Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor Books

Fiesta Babies," illustrated by Amy Cordova, written by Carmen Tafolla and published by Tricycle Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.;

(Juv.T1246f)

Me, Frida," illustrated by David Diaz, written by Amy Novesky and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS; (Juv.927.59.K12n)

Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin," illustrated and written by Duncan Tonatiuh and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS

Pura Belpre (Author) Award honoring a Latino writer whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience

2011 Pura Belpre Author Award
"The Dreamer," written by Pam Munoz Ryan, is the winner. The book is illustrated by Peter Sís and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

2011 Pura Belpre Author Honor Books

Ole! Flamenco," written and illustrated by George Ancona and published by Lee & Low Books Inc

The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba," written by Margarita Engle and published by Henry Holt and Company, LLC (Juv.E585f)

90 Miles to Havana," written by Enrique Flores-Galbis and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing. (Juv.F6344n)


Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience

Children
The Pirate of Kindergarten," written by George Ella Lyon, illustrated by Lynne Avril and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, wins the award for children ages 0 to 10.

Middle School
After Ever After," written by Jordan Sonnenblick and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., is the winner of the middle-school (ages 11-13). (Juv.S6994a)

Teen
The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is "Five Flavors of Dumb," written by Antony John and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. (Juv.J651f)

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.

The 2011 winner is Tomie dePaola, author and illustrator of over 200 books, including: "26 Fairmont Avenue" (Putnam, 1999), "The Legend of the Poinsettia" (Putnam, 1994), "Oliver Button Is a Sissy" (Harcourt, 1979) and "Strega Nona" (Prentice-Hall, 1975).

Margaret A. Edwards Award honors an author, as well as a specific body of his or her work, for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature.

Sir Terry Pratchett is the 2011 Edwards Award winner. His books include: "The amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents," "The Wee Free Men," and "A Hat Full of Sky" published by HarperCollins Children's Books; and "The Color of Magic," "Guards! Guards!," "Equal Rites," "Going Postal," "Small Gods," and "Mort" all published by HarperCollins Publishers.

May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children's literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site

Peter Sis will deliver the 2012 lecture. Born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, in 1949, Sis attended the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague and the Royal College of Art in London. He has lived in the United States since 1982. Sis was awarded the 2008 Robert F. Sibert Medal and has illustrated three Caldecott Honor books. Sis' work is admired throughout the world, and in 2003 he was named MacArthur Fellow, an honor bestowed by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children's book translated from a language other than English and subsequently published in the United States

2011 Mildred L. Batchelder Award
A Time of Miracles" is the 2011 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in French in 2009 as "Le Temps des Miracles," the book was written by Anne-Laure Bondoux, translated by Y. Maudet, and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc. (Juv.B7118t )

2011 Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Books

Departure Time, published by Namelos, written by Truus Matti and translated by Nancy Forest-Flier;

"Nothing," published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, written by Janne Teller and translated by Martin Aitken.

Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children

2011 Robert F. Sibert Medal
Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot," written by Sy Montgomery, is the 2011 Sibert Award winner. The book features photographs by Nic Bishop and is published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

2011 Robert F. Sibert Honor Books

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring, written by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Brian Floca, a Neal Porter Book, published by Flash Point, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing; (Juv.792.8G798b)

"Lafayette and the American Revolution, written by Russell Freedman and published by Holiday House.


Stonewall Children's and Young Adult Literature Award
The award is given annually to English-language children's and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered experience.

2011 Children's and Young Adult Literature Award
Almost Perfect," written by Brian Katcher, published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Random House, Inc. (Juv.K1945a)

2011 Children's and Young Adult Literature Honor Books

"will grayson, will grayson," written by John Green and David Levithan,published by Dutton Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.; (Juv.G7955w)

Love Drugged," written by James Klise and published by Flux, an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.;

Freaks and Revelations," written by Davida Willis Hurwin and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.;

The Boy in the Dress," written by David Walliams, illustrated by Quentin Blake and published by Penguin Young Readers Group.


Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book

2011 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
Bink and Gollie,written by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee and illustrated by Tony Fucile , published by Candlewick Press. ( Juv.D545b)

2011 Theodor Seuss Geisell Honor Books

Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same!" written and illustrated by Grace Lin and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; (Juv.L7353L)

We Are in a Book!" written and illustrated by Mo Willems and published by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group. (Juv.W699w )

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults during a November 1 – October 31 publishing year.

2011 YALSA Award Excellence
Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing," written by Ann Angel, is the 2011 Excellence winner. The book is published by Amulet/Abrams.

2011 YALSA Award Finalists

"They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group," by Susan Campbell Bartoletti and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; (Juv.322.42 .B292t)

Spies of Mississippi: The True Story of the Spy Network that Tried to Destroy the Civil Rights Movement," by Rick Bowers and published by National Geographic Society;

The Dark Game: True Spy Stories," by Paul Janeczko and published by Candlewick Press;

Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates," by Jill Rubalcaba and Peter Robertshaw and published by Charlesbridge.

Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children's and young adult experts, the awards encourage original and creative work. For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit the ALA website at http://www.ala.org/.
Complete award list at http://bit.ly/ffjfd5
SOURCE American Library Association

International Film Festival in Jersey City- 1/14/11-1/16/11

African Diaspora International
Film Festival - Jersey City 2011
Jan. 14 to Jan. 16
The 7th Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) in Jersey City will be held this year at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, presenting an exciting selection of films from around the world including Ghana, Brazil and the U.S., to coincide with the Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend.

WHAT: 7th Annual African Diaspora International Film Festival in Jersey City

WHEN: January 14-16, 2011

WHERE: St. Paul's Episcopal Church

38 Duncan Ave.

Jersey City, NJ 07304

(201) 433-4922

TICKETS: $15 Opening Night (includes reception )

JAN. 14-16, 2011

$9 Regular per film

$7 Seniors/Students per film

$35 Weekend Pass

$20 Saturday all day

$15 Sunday all day
More information here

Please click for Google Map to get to church
SECURE YOUR SEAT TODAY! CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS ONLINE
CASH ONLY Accepted at the Door.

Films

FRIDAY, JAN 14
6PM Opening Night Reception
7PM
WHITE BOY BROWNJersey City PremiereArmed with only a very important letter, Curtis Brown, a young black man embarks on the most difficult journey of his life, a journey that will force him to confront his own demons of hatred and prejudice, while rediscovering a love, long lost for his adopted white brother Johnny. Through a series of flashbacks and stories, Curtis learns of the life of a brother he once knew, a life of a brother who, although being white, experienced the same racism he himself experienced, ultimately binding the two together. USA, 2009, 88 min, drama, English, Sean Sawyer dir.Q&A WITH DIRECTOR AFTER THE SCREENING.

SATURDAY, JAN 15 @ 3PM
NO TIME TO DIEJersey City PremiereA hearse driver meets and falls in love with a young, beautiful dancer who is planning an elaborate homegoing celebration for her mother. This comedy follows the hearse driver as he does everything to win the affection of the young woman. Ghana/West Germany, 2006, 95 minutes, Comedy (English), King Ampaw, Director

SATURDAY, JAN 15 @ 5PM
SHADOWS OF THE LYNCHING TREEJersey City PremiereThe shrouded history of lynching in America is the subject of a powerful new documentary from producer/director Carvin Eison. During the late 19th and much of the 20th century, countless numbers of African-Americans were murdered at the end of a rope. In the age of Obama, have we reconciled this misshapen history or does its legacy live on? “Let sleeping dogs lie…” is a way of saying leave that certain thing alone, it could hurt you. Shadows of the Lynching Tree kicks the sleeping dog and awakens a troublesome past. The dog is awake, will we finally confront the beast or does it return to an uneasy slumber?” USA, 2009, 60 minutes, Documentary (English), Carvin Eison, DirectorQ&A WITH DIRECTOR AFTER THE SCREENING.

SATURDAY, JAN 15 @ 7PM
YOUSSOU N'DOUR: RETURN TO GOREEA musical road movie, Youssou N'Dour: Return to Gorée follows Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour's historical journey tracing the trail left by slaves and the jazz music they created. Youssou N'Dour's challenge is to bring back to Africa a jazz repertoire of his own songs to perform a concert in Gorée, the island that today symbolizes the slave trade and stands to honor its victims. Senegal/Switzerland/Luxembourg, 2006, 108 minutes, Musical Documentary (English and French with English subtitles), Pierre-Yves Borgeaud, Director

SUNDAY, JAN 16 @ 3:00PM
AFRICAN LEADERS PROGRAM
FRANTZ FANON: HIS LIFE, HIS STRUGGLE, HIS WORKJersey City PremiereFrantz Fanon was a psychiatrist, originally from Martinique, who became a spokesman for the Algerian revolution against French colonialism. Embittered by his experience with racism in the French Army, he gravitated to radical politics, Sartrean existentialism and the philosophy of black consciousness known as negritude. His 1952 book, Black Skin, White Masks, offers a penetrating analysis of racism and of the ways in which it is internalized by its victims. While secretly aiding the rebels of the Algerian anti-colonial war as a doctor in Algeria, Fanon cared for victims and perpetrators alike, producing case notes that shed invaluable light on the psychic traumas of colonial war. Expelled from Algeria in 1956, Fanon moved to Tunis where he wrote for El Moudjahid, the rebel newspaper, founded Africa's first psychiatric clinic, and wrote several influential books on decolonization. The film traces the short and intense life of one of the great thinkers of the 20th century. Martinique/France/Algeria/Tunisia, 2001, 52 minutes, Documentary (French with English subtitles), Cheikh Djemai, Director

Followed byAMILCAR CABRALJersey City PremiereAmilcar Cabral was the leader of the Liberation Movement of Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau and the founder of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC). He was born in Guinea in 1924 and assassinated in Conakry in 1973. Regarded as a true icon of African history, this documentary provides considerable background to this revolutionary giant and reveals Cabral in several dimensions: as a man, a father, politician, humanist and poet. The documentary is skillfully produced and uses a wealth of rare archive footage, balanced inclusion of varied testimonies of important African personalities and the credible recreation of notable episodes of Cabral's life. Cape Verde/Portugal, 2001, 52 minutes, Historical Documentary (Portuguese with English subtitles), Ana Ramos Lisboa, Director


SUNDAY, JAN 16 @ 5PM
ALEIJADINHO: PASSION, GLORY AND TORMENTSet in 19th century Brazil at a time when slavery was still at the foundation of the Latin American economy, this fascinating historical drama is loosely based on the life of sculptor Antonio Francisco Lisboa ("Aleijadinho"), one of Latin America’s greatest sculptors. Brazil, 2001, 100 minutes, Drama (Portuguese with English subtitles), Geraldo Santos Pereira, Director
Screening followed by a DVD launch reception: Come celebrate with us the launching of the 2-DVD set:RACE AND HISTORY IN BRAZIL.

AND FOR THOSE IN NYC

Sunday, January 16, 2011
WNYC Presents
MADE IN AMERICA: KING'S DREAM IN TODAY'S ECONOMY
A Martin Luther King Day Celebration

WNYC's fifth annual Martin Luther King Day celebration explores the contemporary lessons of King's work for economic justice and equal access to the American dream. Join us as WNYC's Brian Lehrer, WQXR's Terrance McKnight and Princeton professor Melissa Harris-Perry host an afternoon of spirited discussion and performance.

Panelists include:
Natalia Aristizabal
Obery Hendricks
Roy Innis
Peniel Joseph
Jeanne Theoharis
Barbara Young

Live performances by
Christian McBride with Melissa Walker
Maya Azucena

Sunday, January 16, 2011
3:00 PM
Cantor Auditorium
Brooklyn Museum

Admission is free but reservations are required.
RSVP at rsvp@wnyc.org

KNUFFLE BUNNY-The Musical

You read the book-see the musical

KNUFFLE BUNNY: A CAUTIONARY MUSICAL
SKIRBALL CENTER,
566 LaGuardia Place at Washington Square, NYC"

Based on Mo Willem's bestselling book, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, this brand new musical is presented with the Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences on Tour as part of the Skirball Center's Big Red Chair Family Series.

The musical, an adaptation of Mo Willems’ Caldecott Honor-winning picture book, is full of adventure, song and gigantic, dancing laundry that come to life as a little girl, her father, and her favorite toy take a trip to the laundromat in Brooklyn. A co-presentation with the Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences on Tour, the show will run for five performances at the Skirball Center’s 860-seat theater onWashington Square Park.

Performances Times

Saturday, February 26 11:00 A.M., 2:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M.

Sunday, February 27. 11:00 A.M. and 2:00 P.M.

Tickets

$15—$25

and can be purchased online at http://www.skirballcenter.nyu.edu/,

or by phone at 212.352.3101 (toll free at 866.811.4111).

The show runs approximately 50 minutes and is appropriate for ages 4 and up.

NYU’s Skirball Center for the Performing Arts is located at 566 LaGuardia Place at Washington Square.