Notes from The Max

Think for Yourself

On Saturday, the American Library Association kicked off the annual celebration of Banned Books Week, the only national celebration of the freedom to read. Held yearly since 1982 by the ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom, Banned Books Week "highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted banning of books across the U.S."

The theme for this year's celebration is, "Think for yourself - and let others do the same." To start the week-long celebration, the ALA and Banned Books Week held a Read-Out in Chicago on Saturday, during which authors featured on the "Most Frequently Challenged Books" list read aloud from their work. Locally, Lesley University in Cambridge will host a Read-Out this Thursday from 12pm to 6pm. The ALA's website has a number of resources for teachers and librarians, such as free downloads, activity suggestions and a calendar of other BBW events taking place across the country.

You might be surprised to find some of your favorite authors on the list of books challenged most frequently. Courage Curriculum novels were among the top 100 challenged books during the 2000-2009 decade, including Bridge to Terabithia, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, and So Far From the Bamboo Grove, as well as novels by well-known children's authors Lois Lowry, Madeleine L'Engle and Judy Blume.

Banned Books Week starts on the heels of two recent challenges to books aimed at young adults: in one Missouri town, the local school district voted to ban Sherman Alexie's National Book Award-winning novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, while just a week ago, another Missouri town ran an newspaper editorial calling for the ban of, among other books, Laurie Halse Anderson's Printz Honor book, Speak.

Bubbles, Baubles and Bears

On Sunday, September 19th, about 75 friends and supporters of The Max gathered at the new Steiff Gallery at the Atrium Mall in Chestnut Hill to celebrate the new gallery and kick-off The Max's 20th anniversary year, with a "Bubbles, Baubles and Bears" theme.

Guests mingled with friends old and new, sipped champagne, listened to a live band and browsed Steiff's collection of hand-made teddy bears and toys. The store manager even spoke to the crowd about Steiff founder Margarete Steiff, a woman summoned her own courage to overcome polio and become a female entrepreneur at the turn of the 20th century. 20% of the store's proceeds from the event went to support The Max and its programs.

If you missed out, it's not too late to check out the Steiff Gallery and help The Max. From now until October 31st, Steiff is encouraging friends and supporters of The Max to shop at their Chestnut Hill store. When you mention "The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum" at the counter, Steiff will donate 15% of your purchase to the organization. The holidays are quickly approaching - buy a teddy bear and support children's literacy at the same time.

For more information, please contact our office.

20 Years and Counting

Two decades ago, Jonathan and Stephanie Warburg created The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum for their son, Max, who demonstrated courage on a daily basis and inspired others to do the same. Max's legacy has lived on for all these years and now, during the 2010-2011 academic year, the Courage Curriculum is proud to be celebrating its 20th anniversary year.

At its start, the Courage Curriculum was a small pilot program in a handful for Boston public middle schools. These days, we have close to 100% participation in Boston's sixth-grade classrooms, along with a number of private, parochial, and charter schools throughout the city and beyond. The organization has expanded to include a ninth-grade program and partnered with Northeastern University. In the past 20 years, the Courage Curriculum has made a positive impact on more than 100,000 students and their families and we look forward to reaching 100,000 more.

The 20th anniversary year will kick-off with the Bubbles, Baubles and Bears event at the Steiff Gallery in the Atrium Mall, Chestnut Hill. More information about that event can be found on our website's events page. We will also have a booth at the 2nd Annual Boston Book Festival on Saturday October 16th - be sure to look for us!

In the coming weeks and months, we'll continue to let you know about the celebrations planned for our 20th anniversary, as we introduce a new group of students to Max's story and his legacy of courage. We're looking forward to a memorable year. 

Their America, 2010

On Friday June 18th, about 30 ninth-grade students at the Jeremiah Burke High School in Dorchester presented their final projects from The Courage of My Convictions program to their teachers, fellow classmates and friends from The Max. These students, led by teacher Caitlin McGrail, read from essays they had written about their America, following the example of LeAlan Jones and Lloyd Newman from one of the 9th grade anchor texts, Our America.

Similar to the students who presented last year, the students were asked to take a "long and hard look at their communities," describing in detail the sights, smells, sounds and feel of their homes, neighborhoods, towns and cities. Once again, we were honored to hear stories about Boston's neighborhoods that were honest, realistic, heartfelt, moving and hopeful. Some students also prepared additional components, ranging from maps, posters and photo collages of their homes to Power Point presentations, complete with music and animation.

In the coming weeks, we hope to be able to share excerpts from these essays with you on this blog, as we did last year. We provided the students with stenographers' notebooks and pencils, to encourage them to continue to observe and write about the world around them, to be reporters for their America, just like LeAlan and Lloyd.

"On even the darkest days in our beloved Boston, you remind me that there is hope for a brighter tomorrow. These texts have ignited an academic spark in all of you that I have have created a generation of young citizens who are aware of your ability to have a voice in your community. Thank you for your courage in sharing your America."

-Ms. McGail's letter to her 2010 ELA 9 students, in the preface to their collection of essays and poems

Announcing the 2010 Max Warburg Fellows

Earlier today, we posted our 50th archived courage essay written by a sixth-grade alumnus of the Courage Curriculum. Over the past six or so months, we've introduced you to a few of the Boston students who have discovered their ability to be courageous in a variety of ways and who have recognized the important role courage plays in their own lives and in the lives of others. The essays we've posted here are just some of the many students who have been honored with the title "Max Warburg Fellow" during the past 19 years.

And tomorrow, we will add 44 more students to that list.

The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum is proud to announce the 2010 Max Warburg Fellows. From more than 2,000 submitted essays, our volunteer judges chose 44 students from 35 schools in Boston and the surrounding communities as this year's Fellows. These 44 students will have their courage essay published in the 19th volume of The Max's signature publication, The Courage of Boston's Children.

The Max Warburg Fellows will also be honored at our annual awards luncheon tomorrow, held at Northeastern University, where the Courage Curriculum is in residence and a proud partner of the Stony Brook Initiative. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Courage Curriculum Founder and President Stephanie Warburg and leadership from Northeastern University will hand out medals to the Fellows. We're also thrilled to have Jacqueline C., a 2004 Fellow, as our guest speaker. Jacqui is an exceptional young woman with a story sure to inspire this year's students.

From the 50 students we've highlighted on this blog and the many others of years past to the 44 students being honored tomorrow and the many more yet to come, The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum is proud to celebrate the courage of Boston's children.

Youssr's Courage

In 2009, Youssr was a sixth-grade student at Al-Noor Academy and a Max Warburg Fellow. The views expressed are solely her own. We are honored to share her essay with you. Please do not copy, republish or repost the following content without express written permission from The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum.

Courage means different things to different people. For a four-year-old, courage might mean going to school for the first time, away from his or her parents, or not being afraid of the dark. But to me, courage is when you don't lose hope in what you are doing and follow your dream. Now here is a recent story that touched my heart:

Boom! The sky in Gaza lit up. It's shining everywhere, but no, there aren't any fireworks. The horizon is filled with the smell of smoke. It's just the continuation of a destructive war that has sucked all the happiness out of so many lives.

In case you don't know, Gaza is a strip of land in the heart of the Middle East, which is disputed and fought over. There are innocent people in Gaza who share one dream: to have a free country based on equality and fairness. Imagine children without toys, electronic games, or computers, let alone beds, homes, food, water, and electricity. You can hear their devastated voices saying, "My toys were burned to ashes," or "I can't watch anything like cartoons. Every time I turn on the T.V. I see people dying, flames everywhere, and our burned homes and schools."

During the short periods of time when the violence stops, people come out from their shelters. They see their homes, their mosques, and their schools crushed to the ground. What do they do? They don't lose hope. They stay strong. They carry their deceased loved ones, say their goodbyes, and bury them. And sure enough, they go straight back to work. But what about the children? What are they supposed to do? They have lost their schools. Their teachers put up tents beside their collapsed schools. These innocent children continue to try to learn through harsh winters. They don't sit and whine because they don't have fancy chairs or desks. They get to work and use their weapon, education, to pursue their dreams. Now that's the true struggle. Now that's courage.

Brandon's Courage

In 2000, Brandon was a sixth-grade student at Mario Umana / Joseph Barnes School and a Max Warburg Fellow. The views expressed are solely his own. We are honored to share his essay with you. Please do not copy, republish or repost the following content without express written permission from The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum.

There are many ways to show courage. An act of bravery on a battlefield, being composed and in control when facing a deadly illness or disease, or even overcoming poverty. My story of courage is a bit different. I don't know for certain if it is indeed an act of courage, but it is definitely working in the face of adversity.

I am thought to have Asperger's Disorder. I am a high-functioning autistic. Some autistics crawl into themselves and don't speak, but I don't have any visible signs of autism. I do have fine motor skills trouble and extremely poor penmanship and organizational skills. I tend to lose and forget things and my senses are overloaded. I hear sounds long before anyone else can. I see minute things that no one else can see - I don't miss anything. The most important symptoms I have are ADD and OCD. Things get to me, like germs and sanitary issues. I get easily distracted and tend to focus on one interesting subject and tune out the other. And sleep, what I would give to sleep solidly through the night - it has been years! I suffer from broken sleep or no sleep at all. I also get very antsy. I sometimes feel like my brain will explode. I am a loner - I don't appreciate social interaction as much as kids my age. This alone makes me very different.

School years have been difficult. I crave my personal space and being around kids all day makes me feel like I'm going to jump out of my skin. I try to be very good in school; I am usually not a behavior problem. But with an impulsive nature such as mine, I cannot resist giving answers. Sometimes I forget myself and blurt out the answers. This makes for dislike, tension and taunting from my peers. I am called many names. I am intelligent and this seems to be more fuel for those kids that taunt me. Reading is my escape and comfort! Knowing that I am different or unusual doesn't bother me. I feel people should appreciate the differences humans have - this is what makes us unique. Despite my thirst for knowledge and love of literature, going to school is a real chore. It's painful to never "fit in" and be at the mercy of others' insults.

My ultimate goal is to be a scientist. You need school to do this, so even though I challenge my parents, they push me on. They insist I get a proper education. It is because of my dad, and especially my mom, that I am not in a special needs class. I attend an Advanced Work Class and am presently enrolled in a Scholars program. I know my parents love me. I don't always agree with them, so we lock horns often. It takes all the courage I have to face a hostile class and it takes all my parents' courage to continue to back me up when there are no clear choices. I promise not to waste their efforts. No matter what I become, I'll be better at it because of their drive and faith in me.

So, as you see, battlefields are different from everyone and for me, life is a series of many little battles. My survival depends on me facing every new day with a fresh outlook. I can't always do it. Bravery doesn't always get rewarded with a medal, but my mom says being comfortable with who you are and your true self is the ultimate reward. In order for me to survive, I must be comfortable in my own skin, sure of who I am and what I want. I am learning to do this every day and for me, it takes courage.

Mya's Courage

In 1993, Mya was a sixth-grade student at Martin Luther King, Jr. School and a Max Warburg Fellow. The views expressed are solely her own. We are honored to share her essay with you. Please do not copy, republish or repost the following content without express written permission from The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum.

The night before my very first piano concert, I was so incredibly nervous that I bit all my fingernails completely off. The whole night, I tossed and turned in my sleep. I woke up the next morning and put on my dress unwillingly because of the special, nerve-wrecking event about to happen later in the day.

When I arrived at the concert hall, I got even more worried because it seemed like there were at least a thousand people there. I took my seat and twiddled my fingers.

Before it was my turn to play, about twelve people were ahead of me. In between the long wait that seemed like days, I played my pieces through my head. Then the worst thing that could ever happen in all of music history happened to me: I forgot my piece! I was just about to tell the lady who called my name that I forgot my piece, but for some reason, I did not. I got up and sat on the piano stool and counted to ten, just as my piano teacher had told me to do. Magically, my hands started to move and play notes. "Wait a minute," I said to myself. "I think I am playing the piece I was supposed to!" I guess I had not forgotten the piece after all!

After I finished, I got up and bowed. I felt so good and proud of myself. Even though I had not played the hardest or the longest piece, all that mattered was that I played my piece well. From now on, whenever I go to a concert to play, I think of that very first experience. It helps me not to get scared or worried about making a mistake. I just think about playing my piece.

Andrae's Courage

In 2006, Andrae was a sixth-grade student at William B. Rogers Middle School and a Max Warburg Fellow. The views expressed are solely his own. We are honored to share his essay with you. Please do not copy, republish or repost the following content without express written permission from The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum.

Courage means facing your fears and facing a challenge. When you have courage, you can basically do anything that you put your mind to. One of my courageous days was in October of 2005.

My good friend Kathy was getting married. The wedding was held at the Peabody Marriott. I was looking sharp, dressed in my black tuxedo. It was Kathy's wedding and I had a job in her wedding. I was an usher. My job was to walk her mother down the big, long aisle. I knew that this was a big job. I knew that the wedding party was counting on me. I was nervous because we were the very first people to walk down the big long aisle and it was a really big wedding chapel.

When I was little, I had many operations on several parts of my body. To this day, I still walk with a limp and have vision and stomach problems. I was nervous that I might trip or fall as I was walking down the aisle. As I walked down the aisle, I looked around and I kept saying in my mind, "I know that I can do this." So I held Kathy's mother's hand and I sat her down in the second seat in the first row at the end of the big, long aisle. I was very nervous and afraid. There were 200 people in the room. But I was also very excited to be there and I was very excited to be a part of this celebration.

I had the courage to overcome my fears. I did this for Kathy because she is a very important person in my life. When I was young and sick in the hospital, Kathy was my nurse and took care of me for three years. She was there for me when I needed her the most and I was able to be there for her when she needed me the most at her wedding.

Dionicia's Courage

In 1996, Dionicia was a sixth-grade student at the Thomas Edison School and a Max Warburg Fellow. The views expressed are solely her own. We are honored to share her essay with you. Please do not copy, republish or repost the following content without express written permission from The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum.

An obstacle I've overcome was my fear of asking questions about assignments that I didn't understand. It was embarrassing because I was afraid my classmates would mock me because I did not know what they knew. This was because everyone in my class had been in the advanced work class at least three times before. For me, this was my very first year. Even though my classmates were supportive (and they still are), I still felt very self-conscious about the situation.

I overcame my fear in algebra class one Wednesday when I was having trouble with a problem. I was afraid to ask for help, so I just told myself there was nothing wrong with asking a question. I kept telling myself that until finally I held my breath, walked up to the teacher's desk, plopped my book down, and said bravely, "I need help." He was happy that I finally asked him for help.

Before I overcame my fear, my mother kept telling me to ask questions, but I was afraid. There was absolutely no way on Jupiter that I was going to go up to the teacher's desk in front of the whole classroom to ask a dumb question. A little voice in my head kept telling me that there was so such thing as a dumb question, but I hadn't listened. Finally, that voice came through and I asked for help. Now I am happy in school. My mother was thrilled that I wasn't confused with my work and that I was happier now that I ask questions.