Notes from The Max

Book and Education News for May

A quick round-up of education and literacy related news and events for May:

• Two more weeks! There are just two more weeks until our 20th Annual Awards Luncheon on Friday May 13th. Tickets are still available for the event and can be purchased by visting the Events page on our website. Don't miss out on seeing this year's Max Warburg Fellows!
• Boston Public Schools has partnered with Swap.com for the Swap4Schools program. The program is a new and innovative way of helping schools receive the items and supplies they need. Schools are invited to create an account with a wishlist of materials for their classrooms. Swap.com then matches the school's needs with items available from community members' inventory. At a time when schools are facing increased budget cuts, this program will help deliver books, CDs, DVDs and other classroom items to the schools.
• A new study from the MA Department of Public Health found that 1 in 4 Massachusett's middle school students have been bullied. According to the Boston Globe, "the report found that students who said they had been involved in bullying, as both a perpetrator and a victim, were five times more likely to report they had been hurt physically by a family member." The study is one of the first of its kind and highlights the strong connection between school and family life. The survey was conducted in 2009 and released one year after MA lawmakers enacted a law that requires schools to adopt clear anti-bullying procedures. 
• As part of National Library Week in April, the American Library Association released the 2011 State of America's Libraries report. Among the reports findings were some sobering statistics regarding school libraries: middle and high school libraries in high-poverty areas suffered the most budget cuts last year and saw decreases in book, video and periodical holdings. The full report (which includes new information about how libraries are approaching digital content) can be viewed on the ALA website. 
• Upcoming Book Events: satirist David Sedaris will be at Harvard University's Sanders Theater in Cambridge on Saturday May 7th; Brookline Booksmith will host Kathryn Stockett, author of the best-selling novel The Help (soon to be a movie) on Wednesday, May 11th; the Diversity in YA tour (with authors Holly Black, Cindy Pon, Malinda Lo, and Francisco Stork) will come to the Cambridge Public Library on Thursday Mary 12th; and middle-grade fairy tale author Gail Carson Levine will read from her newest book at Wellesley Booksmith on Wednesday May 18th. 

2011 Children's Book Week

Starting next Monday, May 2nd, it will be time again for Children's Book Week, the oldest national literacy event in the United States. From May 2nd to May 8th, young readers across the country will celebrate the world of books, authors and stories.

Events will be held in several states throughout the week, but the official celebration will kick-off on Saturday April 30th, as National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Katherine Paterson hosts an event in New York City. Among her other duties during the week, Paterson will also judge the CBW writing contest. Co-sponsored this year by the Bookemon website, children will be able to write and illustrate their own picture book and submit it to the contest. The winner will receive a gift certificate, allowing him or her to have his or her book printed and shared with family and friends.

Other official Children's Book Week events will take place at Wellesley Booksmith in Wellesley, MA. On May 2nd, children's author Jacqueline Davies will read from her book, The Lemonade Crime, served alongside - what else - lemonade. On Thursday May 5th, middle-grade and young adult author Karen Day will be at the store. If you're unable to attend any in-store events, you can celebrate online with Story Snoops. The website will be hosting a series of interviews with various authors, including 2011 Newbery Award winner Clare Vanderpool.

The highlight of Children's Book Week remains the Children's Choice Book Awards, which are given to books voted on by children and teens. Many popular books are among this year's middle grade and teen finalists, including The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan, It's a Book by Lane Smith, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, and Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. Awards will also be handed out to the Author of the Year and Illustrator of the Year. Readers can vote online until April 29th.

For more information about Children's Book Week, please visit the CBW website.

 

Celebrating 20 Years of Courage

This past Sunday, The Max celebrated its 20th Anniversary with a Celebration and Recognition Dinner at the Boston Public Library. The event marked The Max's twenty years of dedication to literacy, courage and character development and took time to thank the donors and friends who have supported the organization throughout the years.

The dinner was held in the library's majestic Bates Hall Reading Room, the perfect place to honor the Courage Curriculum's two decades of work instilling in Boston’s children a love of reading and writing and the capacity to recognize moments of courage in their own lives. The Nor'Easters, a co-ed a cappella group from Northeastern University, helped welcome guests to the library by singing during the cocktail hour and set the tone for a joyous evening. Throughout the night, guests were also encouraged to embrace their silly side by creating their own flip book, courtsey of Flip Chix.

Thank you so much to everyone who came out for this event. We are especially grateful to our our 20^th Anniversary co-chairs, Carrie Bell, Suzanne Bloomberg, Ann Gund and Alicia Winn, as well as our guest speakers - 2010 Max Warburg Fellow Jordan Zayas and teacher Dawn Avery - and, of course, Stephanie, Jonathan and Fred Warburg.

We truly appreciate all you do to help The Max. With your generous support, the Courage Curriculum is able to reach thousands of children annually and make a distinctive contribution to the children of Boston. We are so grateful and honored that you were a part of this wonderful event.

April Literary Events

The date for the next Boston Book Festival is October 15, 2011 - a long time off if you're looking for a bookish way to spend your weekend. Luckily, there are a number of other literary events happening all the time. Here's a look at some of the events coming up in the next month:

• On Sunday April 10th, Trinity Church in Boston will host its Children's Book Fair. From 9am to 1pm, the fair will have crafts, storytime and, of course, books, all conveniently located in the church's book shop right in Copley Square. Best of all, it's free.
• That same weekend (April 9th and 10th), the Boston Public Library will be holding the 11th Annual National Poetry Month Festival just across the square from Trinity Church. Co-sponsored by Tapestry of Voices and Kaji Aso Studio, this event will feature several well-known poets reading their work alongside new, emerging poets (including students from Boston Latin and Boston Arts Academy). There will also be an Open Mike session on Saturday. The Poetry Festival will be held at BPL's Central Branch in Copley Square and is free of charge.
• And while you're at the Boston Public Library, you might want to find more information about its Author Talk series, which brings a diverse range of authors to the library to discuss their work and meet with fans. Diane Ackerman and Christopher McDougall are just two of the authors scheduled to visit the BPL in the coming weeks. Please see the BPL website for more information.
• If you're looking for something to entertain younger readers, consider heading to Wellesley Free Library on April 13th. John Bemelmans Marciano, grandson of iconic Madeleine creator and author Ludwig Bemelmans, will be there to read from his new book, Madeleine at the White House, which is based on an unfinished story of his grandfather's.
• And if you really can't wait until October for literary fun, the Newburyport Literary Festival will take place on Friday April 29th and Saturday April 30th. Featuring local Massachusetts authors in a variety of categories (fiction, nonfiction, poetry and children's), the event will have a full day of activities planned with something for everyone. There will also be a special dinner with the authors and silent auction. More information and tickets for the dinner can be found on the NLF's website.

Spring Literary Notes

A quick round-up of March literary news, along with a few reminders:

• Don't forget - our 20th Annual Awards Lucheon is just seven weeks away. Circle Friday May 13th on your calendar and watch our Events page for more information. You don't want to miss the chance to meet this year's Max Warburg Fellows and celebrate 20 years of courageous children. 
• Mark the date! The 3rd annual Boston Book Festival will be held on Saturday October 15, 2011 in Copley Square from 10am to 6pm. The Max will be there once again, handing out copies of The Courage of Boston's Children and answering questions about our programs. It's a great event with something for everyone! 
• Are you a child or teen (or something in between)? Do you know one? Online voting is now open for the Children's Book Week's Children's Choice Awards. As part of Children's Book Week, readers of all ages can vote for their favorite books of the year. Winners will be announced during the CBW celebrations, which will be held from May 2nd to the 8th.
• Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has proposed moving the headquarters of the Boston Public School Department to Dudley Square as part of effects to revitalize that Dorchester neighborhood.The proposed move would bring the school department employees closer to the schools and the students they serve. 
• March is Red Cross Month - to help support the Red Cross and the work it does, considering bidding on some of the items in the Writers for the Red Cross auction. Each week in March, various publishing-related packages and services are being auctioned off, with the proceeds going towards the American Red Cross. Inspiring authors can bid on critiques by editors while book fans can score bundles of books by their favorite authors. Visit the website for more information.  
• Should students be required to read 50 books each year as part of the curriculum? The British Education Secretary believes so. After a recent tour of American charter schools, Michael Gove believes Britain needs to "raise the bar" on childhood reading. While many British authors agree with Mr. Gove that reading should be a fundamental part of school, many point to the large number of library closures in England as the real problem. Other authors said that quality - and not quantity - mattered more. What do you think? 

Coming Soon: 2011 Essay Judging

Last week, the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring and spring means it's time once again to pick this year's Max Warburg Fellows.

The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum's 2011 Essay Judging - our 20th Anniversary Year Essay Judging - will take place on Wednesday, March 2, 2011, at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square. We will gather in the conference rooms on the Lower Level of the McKim Building.

As in years past, we will have two sessions: a morning session from 9am to 12pm and an evening session from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Each session will begin with a brief introduction to the essay judging process by our coordinator, Lexa Marshall. Essay judges work collaboratively to choose the best possible essay for inclusion in our 20th volume of The Courage of Boston's Children.

If you are interested in attending or would like more information, please visit the Events page of our website.

Looking Forward to 2011

2010 is winding down, but we've still got a lot to look forward to in 2011.

The new year will see our celebrations of our 20th anniversary year kick into high gear. We'll host our 20th anniversary Essay Judging in March (where our volunteer essay judges will read and choose the essays that will make up the 20th volume of The Courage of Boston's Children) followed by our 20th Anniversary Awards Luncheon in May. We'll also hold our first final project showcase for our 9th grade students in June, along with publishing a short anthology of their writings, poems, art and multi-media projects.

We're planning on more teachers' workshops and the second year of our national essay contest, in partnership with Cambium Learning Technologies, is already underway. We'll have other 20th anniversary events as well, celebrating the two decades of successful the organization has had and the multitude of supporters, teachers, students and families who have been a part of that sucess.

We certainly hope you'll join us for some of these events. Please remember to check our Events page on our website for the most up-to-date information.

Have a very happy New Year and here's to 2011!

National Book Awards, 2010

Last night, in New York City, the National Book Foundation awarded its 2010 National Book Awards to four deserving authors. The National Book Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the previous year. Along with the National Book Critics Circle Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Literature, the NBAs are one of the three most prestigious book awards given to American authors. Some even describe the NBAs as the "Oscars of the literary world."

The 2010 NBA for Young People's Literature went to Kathryn Erskine for her novel, Mockingbird, which tells the story of Caitlin, an 11-year-old with Asperger's syndrome, who must learn to cope with the death of her older brother. In her acceptance speech, Erskine credited her mother with teaching her to learn about the "why's" of the world.

The other finalists in the Young People's Literature category included Paolo Bacigalupi (Ship Breaker), Laura McNeal (Dark Water), Walter Dean Meyers (Lockdown), and Rita Williams-Garcia (One Crazy Summer). The winner and the five finalists were selected from more than 200 submitted titles.

Other winners of the night: Jaimy Gordon in the Fiction category for Lord of Misrule; Patti Smith in the Nonfiction category for Just Kids; Terrance Hayes in the Poetry category for Lighthead; and Tom Wolfe for the lifetime achievement award (Distinguished Contribution to American Letters award). The Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community was given to Joan Ganz Cooney, one of the driving forces behind the Sesame Workshop and Sesame Street. 

Taking It to the Max

On Saturday October 30th, The Max celebrated Halloween in style with the 7th Annual Take It to the Max event at the Back Bay Events Center in Boston.

Take It to the Max (or, more informally, TMAX) is an annual event hosted by Friends of Max, a group of Max Warburg's peers who are dedicated to raising public awareness and financial resources to support the mission of the Courage Curriculum. The group is also focused on involving professional in philanthropic giving and continuing Max's legacy of courage.

More than 300 guests attended the Halloween Bash, dressed up in creative and clever Halloween costumes. Creepy cobwebs decorated the room and a line of jack-o-lanterns spelled out "Take It to the Max." While a DJ entertained the crowd with dance music, guests were able to indulge their sweet tooth with a candy bar and create unique party favors with Flip Chix, keepsake photo flip books created on site. A silent auction offered the chance to bid on tickets to Boston sporting events, jewelry, hand-bags and gift certificates to local stores and restaurants.

We offer our thanks and gratitude to the event committee and, especially, the event chairs for their hard work, committment to creating a wonderful event and dedication to and support of The Max. Thanks to them, Take It to the Max 2010 was a great success!

Teen Read Week

The American Library Association (ALA) and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) are celebrating Teen Read Week this week, using the theme "Books with Beat" to encourage teens to consider reading poetry or books about music or even to listen to audiobooks. The goal of Teen Read Week is to remind teens just how fun reading for pleasure can be.

During this particularly difficult year for libraries due to budget cuts, this year YALSA teamed up with publishers to offer mini-grants to school and local libraries so they could purchase much-needed materials and books for teens. 10 libraries across the country were awarded $450 for projects and programs specifically aimed at teen readers.

As always, part of Teen Read Week involves the unveiling of the Teens' Top Ten, a list of favorite books selected by and for teens. This year, all of the Teens' Top Ten were written by women and the list included well-known novels such as Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson and If I Stay by Gayle Forman. According to YALSA, more than 8,000 teens voted for the top ten list.

For more information about Teen Read Week, please visit YALSA's website.