February 2017

INCREASING ACCESS TO DIVERSE CONTENT: CREATIVE APPROACHES BY NONPROFITS

Diversity is a topic of critical interest in the children’s book world. On February 16, Kyle Zimmer of First Book and Brenda Randolph of Africa Access will explain how their respective nonprofit organizations promote and celebrate diverse content as they find new audiences for it.

Randolph, a native of Richmond, is a graduate of North Carolina Central University. She holds a master's degree in African studies from Howard University and a master's in library and information services from the University of Maryland, College Park, both of which have served her well. Randolph has worked as a library media specialist in Virginia, Massachusetts and Maryland. In 1989 she founded Africa Access, a nonprofit that combats stereotypes about Africa and works to help schools, public libraries and parents improve the quality of their K-12 collections on Africa. In addition to serving as president of Africa Access, Randolph works as outreach director at the Center for African Studies at Howard University. 

At the February Guild meeting, Randolph will provide an overview of Africa Access Review, which is an online database of scholarly book reviews of K-12 books on Africa, and introduce the Children’s Africana Book Awards, established by Africa Access and the African Studies Association. She will also speak about Read Africa and Read Africa Week, and the promotional partners who are helping Africa Access expand American perspectives on Africa. 

More than 20 years ago, Kyle Zimmer left her job as a corporate attorney and with two friends launched First Book, a market-driven social enterprise based in Washington, D.C. First Book has distributed more than 150 million new books to programs across the country and has developed an effective and original business model. Zimmer’s work has been recognized in many ways. She serves on the boards of Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P., and Ashoka. Her awards include the Library of Congress David M. Rubenstein Prize (2015), the National Book Foundation's Literarian Award (2014) and the National Education Association Foundation’s Award for Outstanding Service to Public Education (2013).

Zimmer will talk about First Book’s Stories for All ProjectTM, a market-driven initiative tackling the lack of diversity in children’s books and powered by educators serving children in need. This initiative is helping educators inspire reading, fuel learning and promote empathy and understanding–and it is serving as a catalyst for publishers to bring culturally relevant books to the retail market, so that all children have access to more diverse books.  

Date: Thursday, February 16

Time:  11:30 a.m. "social hour"; noon luncheon

Place: Busboys and Poets

1025 Fifth Street NW (at K Street) 

Menu: All choices $25 ($26 when paid online via PayPal)

:: CHOICE OF SANDWICH (all sandwiches served with a salad of baby greens and house-made kettle chips) ::

• Falafel sandwich (vegetarian/vegan) with house-made hummus, cucumbers, lettuce, tomato and onion on whole-wheat pita, served with tahini sauce (vegan without tahini sauce) 

• Honey-roasted turkey sandwich with Havarti cheese, Dijonnaise, lettuce, tomato and onion on wheat bread

• Grilled-chicken panini with chipotle mayo, caramelized onions, pepper jack, lettuce and tomato on ciabatta 

• Avocado panini with roasted red peppers and melted cheese on multi-grain bread

RSVP Now!

IN THIS ISSUE:
1. Honors for Guild Members
2. The Nonfiction Award Event: How You Can Help
3. Member News

THE CHILDREN'S BOOK GUILD CONGRATULATES

DEBBIE LEVY

RECIPIENT OF THE SYDNEY TAYLOR GOLD MEDAL

AND THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD FOR CHILDREN'S LITERATURE FOR
I DISSENT: RUTH BADER GINSBURG MAKES HER MARK

and

DEBORAH TAYLOR

APPOINTED BY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

TO THE

NATIONAL MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES BOARD

THE APRIL 29 NONFICTION AWARD CELEBRATION: HOW YOU CAN HELP

Planning is underway for this year's Nonfiction Award event, scheduled for April 29. Please bring books for the donation baskets to the February and March meetings. The planning committee will pass out promotional flyers at those meetings, and its members ask that you support this grassroots effort by posting the flyers around your community. There are still two volunteer positions available: one greeter and one spot at the registration table. Thanks for all your help in honoring this year’s winner, Ann Bausum.

MEMBER NEWS

New Mexico honored FRED BOWEN's book Perfect Game with a 2015-2016 Land of Enchantment Award, the state's children's choice award. Fred notes, "I have been included on various state lists 30 to 40 times over the course of my writing career, but had never won. So this was a nice surprise."

SUE FLIESS has a new picture book releasing on February 7. Called How to Trap a Leprechaun, it is published by Sky Pony Press and illustrated by Emma Randall. Legend has it that if you catch a leprechaun, he’ll grant you a wish. But be careful! Leprechauns are full of trickery. To catch one, you’ll need to be clever in crafting your trap. Grab some glitter and glue and get prepared for your wily holiday visitors!

Sue's recent book From Here to There made the Best Picture Books of 2016 list on the popular Imagination Soup blog (http://imaginationsoup.net/2016/11/17/best-childrens-picture-books-2016/). From Here to There also received a very nice review in the January 2017 issue of School Library Journal, where the reviewer called it "a fun addition to libraries, especially those with a focus on early literacy."

LAURA GEHL's Peep and Egg: I'm Not Hatching, which was released last year in picture book form, was released as a board book on January 17 by FSG/Macmillan.

iSee You Later, Amigo!, illustrated by SUSAN L. ROTH, which was recently released by Barranca Press, deals openly, respectfully and carefully with the reality of Spanglish, the fluid combining of English and Spanish that has evolved into what some experts consider a language of its own that includes even a fast-growing body of literature, here in the United States. The book was written by Susan's collaborator on Made in Mexico (National Geographic, 2000), the adult nonfiction writer, journalist and university professor Peter Laufer, who also happens to be Susan's taller and smarter and younger brother. "We didn't fight (much)," Susan says.

The choice of cut-paper collage, Susan's usual illustration medium, makes poetic sense for the story of this mode of communication that takes (as Susan always does with her collages) a little from here and a little from there, and puts it all together to form a new whole. The text of iSee You Later, Amigo! reads easily in English, with the Spanglish and Spanish words explained immediately within the text as parts of the story.

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NOTE ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S BOOK GUILD NEWS: Would you rather print your newsletter than read it online? Current and past issues are now available for printing on the Guild's website at http://www.childrensbookguild.org/guild-newsletters. Look for the "Newsletter" tab on the left side of the Guild website. There is also a "Printer Friendly Version" link on the top left-hand side of this blog.

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LITERARY EVENTS SPONSORED BY POLITICS AND PROSE: The literary calendar at Politics and Prose lists many upcoming programs that may be of interest to Children's Book Guild members: http://www.politics-prose.com/events. 

And remember, Politics & Prose is now the bookstore at the 5th and K Streets location of Busboys & Poets. Politics & Prose plans to have copies of our featured speakers' books available for purchase at this location on meeting dates whenever possible.