Special Events
Students have opportunities to learn about and participate in special reading events throughout the year. Check out these activities:
Banned Book Week
Sept. 26 - Oct. 1, 2011
Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read, is observed during the last week of September each year. Since 1982, this annual American Library Association event has reminded Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. 2011 marks BBW's 30th anniversary! Banned Books Week "celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met." [www.ala.org]
There are a few terrific online resources you can explore. Visit the brand new Banned Books Week website to learn more! Especially interesting is the interactive map where you can explore specific cases of books that have been challenged in recent years. Of course the ALA has detailed information as well:
ALA Banned Books Week
This program's goal is to improve teen literacy, and is sponsored by YALSA (The Young Adult Library Services Association), a branch of the American Library Association. Started in 1998 it is celebrated annually during the third week of October. The overarching theme is "read for the fun of it," the sub-theme for 2011 is "Picture It @ your Library," which encourages teens to read graphic novels and other illustrated materials, seek out creative books, or imagine the world through literature, ... just for the fun of it!
Every year a popular event associated with Teen Read Week is voting for the "Teens' Top 10." Over a 6-8 week period in late summer/early fall, over 11,000 teens voted for their favorite books from a list of 25 nominees.
Visit YALSA's "Teens' Top 10" webpage to learn about last year's winners and this year's nominees. Maybe you'll want to vote!
Read Across America Day
kFriday, March 2, 2011
"In May 1997, a small reading task force at NEA [National Education Association] came up with a big idea. "Let's create a day to celebrate reading," the group decided. "We hold pep rallies to get kids excited about football. We assemble to remember that Character Counts. Why don't we do something to get kids excited about reading? We'll call it 'NEA's Read Across America' and we'll celebrate it on Dr. Seuss's birthday." And so was born on March 2, 1998, the largest celebration of reading this country has ever seen." [from the NEA's Read Across America webpage, www.nea.org/readacross/]
Make sure to read today, and every day!