KASL

2011 William Allen White Awards

‘Swindle,’ ‘The Boy Who Dared’ selected for White book awards EMPORIA, KAN. - Two books about young boys making extraordinary decisions have been judged the best by Kansas schoolchildren. “Swindle” by Gordon Korman and “The Boy Who Dared: A Novel Based on the True Story of Hitler Youth” by Susan Campbell Bartoletti are the recipients of the 2011 William Allen White Children’s Book Awards. Both titles are published by Scholastic Books. The William Allen White Children’s Book Award program was founded in 1952 by Ruth Garver Gagliardo, a specialist in children’s literature for Emporia State University. One of the few literary awards that asks young readers to choose the winners, the program is directed by Emporia State University and supported in part by the Trusler Foundation. Both authors have been invited to the awards celebration, set for Saturday, Sept. 24, in Emporia. “Swindle,” selected by voters in Grades 3 through 5, is the story of sixth-grader Griffin Bing, who puts together a band of misfits to get justice after an unscrupulous collector swindles Griffin out of a valuable Babe Ruth baseball card. “It’s a story of kids taking matters into their own hands,” Korman says. Korman, a native Canadian who now lives in Long Island, N.Y., published his first book, “This Can’t Be Happening at Macdonald Hall,” with Scholastic when he was a high school freshman. He had written it for a seventh-grade English assignment. By the time he entered college, Korman had decided to make writing his career. “Swindle” is the first of three titles in the Swindle series. Korman also has written titles in the “39 Clues” series as well as expanded his Macdonald Hall books. In his writings, Korman is drawn to characters in their middle school years. “I think there’s something special about the books that you read at that middle grade age group,” he said in a 2007 interview, “because it’s really when you become kind of in charge of your own opinion.” “The Boy Who Dared,” chosen by readers in Grades 6 through 8, builds on Bartoletti’s earlier nonfiction book, “Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow.” In “The Boy Who Dared,” Bartoletti takes one episode from “Hitler Youth” and creates a thought-provoking novel based on the true story of Helmuth Hübener, who as a teenager dared to stand up against the Nazi regime. Although best-known for her nonfiction work, Bartoletti has written poetry, shorts stories, picture books and novels. Long drawn to artistic endeavors, Bartoletti, who lives in Scranton, Pa., began writing in college, then accepted a position teaching eighth-grade English. Throughout her teaching career, she continued to be pulled toward writing, She did both for nearly 10 years before taking the leap to writing full-time. Winning an award memorializing Pulitzer Prize-winning editor William Allen White has special meaning for Bartoletti. "I am thrilled by this great honor,” she said. “I taught eighth grade for 18 years and used William Allen White's editorial on the death of his daughter, Mary, as a writing model with my students. His tribute inspired and moved my students. “Based on White's description of his daughter, Mary, - a girl who ‘hungered and thirsted for righteousness’ - I'd wager that she'd approve of this recognition for ‘The Boy Who Dared.’” During the September awards celebration, schoolchildren from across the state of Kansas travel to Emporia for special events including lock-ins, author readings and book signings along with a parade through downtown Emporia to the awards ceremony itself. Many teachers use travel to the book awards as incentives in their school reading programs. Additional resources: ●       William Allen White Children’s Book Awards ●       Scholastic Books ●       Gordon Korman ●       Susan Campbell Bartoletti -ESU-

2011 Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award Winner

Kansas  Reading Association is pleased to announce...
**
*2011 Winner Bill Martin Jr Picture Book Award*
*Lousy rotten stinkin' grapes*

by Margie Palatini

Jane Kurtz Wins the Kerlan Award

Jane Kurtz will be officially awarded the Kerlan Award on this Saturday in Minneapolis. She is such a great friend of literacy through her own writing, mentorship of other writers as a faculty member at the /Vermont/ College of /Fine Arts/ MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults, and with her tireless work to
establish libraries and bring literacy to children in Ethiopia.

Read a little bit about Jane and the award at http://bit.ly/kerlan_kurtz

Bill Martin Jr. Award Winner

 

The Bill Martin, Jr. Picture Book Award winner for 2010 is Bats at the Library.

 

  

AASL Commendation

Kansas nominated the WAW State Book Award Program for an AASL commendation. The program was recommended to the Executive Board for being the first state book award that was voted on by students.  We were awarded the commendation with a letter and a certificate to present to the WAW Foundation. 

 

story and photo provided by Rita Shogren

 

WAW Celebration

Both Cynthia Kadohata and Barbara O’Connor will be in Emporia on
Saturday, October 2 to accept the 2010 WAW Children’s Book Awards. 
Due to construction on the ESU student union, the celebration is scaled
down for this year.  Sleep-overs will still be held the night before.
Autographing and activities for children will be held from 7:30 to 10:30
with the awards ceremony from 11 to 12:30 in Albert Taylor Hall
(describe how to best get there from union).  Lunch will not be
available in the union for students and there will be no parade. 
Tickets are $5 and seats will be assigned this year from the front row
to the back in the auditorium.  Details and contact information on the
program’s website.    

Beverley Buller
WAW Children's Book Awards selection committee chair

Central Elementary In Burden Wins Reading Caravan Award

September 14, 2009 was a star studded day for students at Central Elementary in Burden. Nominated by Linda Bartel, Central Elementary was the school chosen for the September KAKE TV Reading Caravan award. Susan Peters and her camera man visited the school at 12:30 for a red carpet welcome. The school was decorated with film reels, clapper boards, red carpet and a special star for Susan Peters. She read The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens to all of the students gathered in the library. 

After the reading, the CES library was presented a 500.00 check for books by Matt Fellars of EMC insurance and Steve Atkins of Stamford-Stover insurance. The money will be used to purchase some new resources for the students. Biographies, animals, and new magazines are suggested purchases.

The show was broadcast on KAKE TV 6:30 news on Saturday, September 19. Everyone was excited about preparing for the filming and about seeing themselves on TV. 

Congratulations Blue Valley North

The American Association of School Librarians has announced the winners of the 2009 National School Library Media Program of the Year (NSLMPY) award. Livonia Central School District, Robert E. Clow Elementary School and Blue Valley North High School will be honored with this prestigious award at the AASL Awards Luncheon during the ALA 2009 Annual Conference in Chicago.

According to Abby Neiburger and Terri Snethen, the BVN's library media specialists, the library media center is the "school's largest classroom."  See the entire annoucement at

Please see the Blue Valley North High School, School Library Media Website at:

Please join us in sending contratulations to Abby and Terri.  

Mirah Dow, BSE, MLS, PhD
Coordinator, School Lilbrary Media Programs
School of Library and Information Management
Emporia State University

Vision Award 2009

I know I’m in Sharon Sharpe territory here in Junction City. She served as the Coordinator of Library Media Services for the Geary County Unified School District in Junction City for nineteen years. During that time Sharon served on many state committees and made numerous presentations to help  improve the quality of school library service in Kansas. She taught school library graduate classes for Ft. Hays State University. Sharon helped eighteen teachers received library media certification, ten of those teachers received master’s degrees, and four of those teachers became National Board Certified. It brought Sharon great joy to help others find the joy of providing library media services to children. Sharon retired from the school system in 2005.

When Sharon Sharpe took over the chairmanship of the William Allen White Children’s Book Award selection committee from Aileen Graham ten years ago, she had some figuratively big shoes to fill. However, she had a vision of the program which would lead it into the 21^st century. Sharon oversaw the development of two master lists and accompanying awards to better fit the changing face of children’s literature. She has been instrumental in bringing the awards program up to modern standards while still gently guiding committee members in selecting the best possible books to recommend for the reading of Kansas students.

Under her leadership, the awards were split into two age groups, and a new White Library dean was brought into the picture as director of the program. Sharon has tirelessly worked with various state entities to procure new members for the committee each year and then guided the nomination process and selection. After ten years as chairman, Sharon retired following the selection of the 2009-2010 master lists. It’s time to recognize this former school librarian who has continued the excellence these prestigious awards have attained. It is my pleasure as the person trying to fill her shoes to introduce her to this group of fellow librarians.

It is my honor as a KASL member to present Sharon with the 2009 Vision Award. (Bev Buller's remarks upon presenting Sharon Sharpe with the Vision Award.)

 

Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production 2009

Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production. Recorded Books, producer of the audiobook “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” written and narrated by Sherman Alexie and produced by Recorded Books, LLC., is the winner of the 2009 Odyssey Award.

Five Odyssey Honor Audiobooks were named: 

“Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady,” written by L.A. Meyer, narrated by Katherine Kellgren and produced by Listen & Live Audio, Inc.;

“Elijah of Buxton,” written by Christopher Paul Curtis, narrated by Mirron Willis and produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group; 

“I’m Dirty!” written by Kate & Jim McMullan, narrated by Steve Buscemi and produced by Weston Woods Studios, Inc./Scholastic; 

“Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale,” written and narrated by Carmen Agra Deedy and produceded by Peachtree Publishers; 

“Nation,” written by Terry Pratchett, narrated by Stephen Briggs and produced by HarperChildren’s Audio/HarperCollins Publishers.