"Compared to the older books we had, these new ones are a breath of fresh air. They are written in our time so we can put ourselves in them more easily, maximizing the thrill of reading a book."
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
New Books: "Maximizing the thrill of reading a book"
Conley student happily displaying books she has read that were purchased with funds from the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation Grant.
"Compared to the older books we had, these new ones are a breath of fresh air. They are written in our time so we can put ourselves in them more easily, maximizing the thrill of reading a book."
"Compared to the older books we had, these new ones are a breath of fresh air. They are written in our time so we can put ourselves in them more easily, maximizing the thrill of reading a book."
Lois Lenski Covey Foundation Grant = New Books For Our School Library
A big THANK YOU to the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation for their generous $3000.00 Grant Award. I have been able to purchase books that support the curriculum; meet student interests and needs; and encourage a love of reading.
This is very exciting for our school and our library.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Great Stories CLUB - Afterlife
The Great Stories CLUB (Connecting Libraries, Underserved teens and Books) is a reading and discussion program that targets underserved, troubled teen populations.
The program reaches teens through books that are relevant to their lives, inviting them to read and keep the books, and encourages them to consider and discuss each title with a group of their peers.
It seeks to show that reading can be a source of pleasure, a tool of self-exploration, and a meaningful way to connect to the wider world. Its ultimate goal is to inspire young adults who face difficult situations to take control of their lives by embracing the power of reading.
I have received the books in early January and began reading and discussing Gary Soto's Afterlife with our first group of students the first week of February. The group meets twice weekly for one hour and will earn either 1 English credit or 1 Elective credit. I moderate the group, occasionally the community liaison will join us, as will other staff members who pop in briefly to join in the discussion for a few minutes.
We have 7 boys involved in the group. The boys enjoy reading aloud with each other and engage in deep philosophical discussions about the various themes brought up in the book.
Great Stories CLUB grant
On December 8, 2009 I also received the following e-mail:
Martha Utley
Conley-Caraballo High School Library
Dear Martha Utley:
Congratulations! Your library has been selected to receive a Great Stories Club grant from the American Library Association (ALA). The Great Stories Club is organized by the ALA Public Programs Office, in cooperation with the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Major funding for the Great Stories CLUB has been provided by Oprah's Angel Network.
Your collection of Great Stories Club books has been shipped to the address provided on your grant application. If your books have not arrived by the first week of January, 2010, contact publicprograms@ala.org. The Public Programs Office staff will not be available to answer questions about the status of shipments prior to that time.
Included in the package, you will find:
* 11 copies of “The Afterlife” by Gary Soto
* 11 copies of “Rules of Survival” by Nancy Werlin
* 11 copies of “One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies” by Sonya Sones
By January 8, 2010 you will be subscribed to the Great Stories Club electronic discussion list. Please feel free to use this list to pose questions and share ideas with fellow project directors. In the meantime, visit www.ala.org/greatstories to access programming resources, preview questions that will be included in the final report, and review the grant guidelines. Per the guidelines, your library may retain only one copy of each Great Stories Club title. All other books must be distributed to participating teens to keep. The online final report is due June 30, 2010.
Thank you for your interest in the Great Stories Club, and congratulations again on your successful application.
Sincerely,
Lainie Castle
Project Director
Public Programs Office
American Library Association
(312) 280-5055
1-800-545-2433, ext 5055
www.ala.org/publicprograms
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Lois Lenski Covey Foundation, Inc.
Lois Lenski, children's book author and 1946 Newberry medalist for Strawberry Girl, had a life-long concern that all children have access to good books. In pursuit of this goal she established a foundation to provide grants to agencies serving disadvantaged populations.
Grants for 2009 ranged from $500 to $3,000 and are specifically for book purchases.
On December 1st 2009 I received the following letter:
Dear Ms. Utley:
The Board of Directors of the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation, Inc., is pleased to inform you that Conley-Caraballo High School has been selected as a recipient of the Foundation's 2009 Library Grant Program. On behalf of the Board, I enclose a 2009 grant check for $3.000, for purchasing children's books for your library.
Sincerely,
Board of Directors
The Lois Lenski Covey Foundation, Inc.
(signed by the Director)
On December 1st 2009 I received the following letter:
Dear Ms. Utley:
The Board of Directors of the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation, Inc., is pleased to inform you that Conley-Caraballo High School has been selected as a recipient of the Foundation's 2009 Library Grant Program. On behalf of the Board, I enclose a 2009 grant check for $3.000, for purchasing children's books for your library.
Sincerely,
Board of Directors
The Lois Lenski Covey Foundation, Inc.
(signed by the Director)
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