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Every Child a Reader announces seven new Get Caught Reading posters featuring a Lambda Literary Award winner, two New York Times bestselling authors, a Cherokee Nation award-winning author, and more!

Carl Lennertz, Executive Director of Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader said: “This is one of my favorite projects and I’m grateful to the AAP for creating it years ago.”

The second round of 2022 posters include:

• Sara Farizan – Her coming-of-age YA novels include If You Could Be Mine, named one of TIME’s Greatest 100 YA Books of All Time, an ALA Rainbow pick as one of the year’s best LGBT-themed books, and a Lambda Literary Award winner. She moved into the supernatural YA realm with Dead Flip (Algonquin) and the DC Comics universe with the MG graphic novel, My Buddy, Killer Croc. She is the daughter of Iranian immigrants and grew up in Massachusetts.

 

• Irene Latham – A grateful creator of many novels, poetry collections, and picture books, including the coauthored Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship (with Charles Waters), which earned a Charlotte Huck Honor, and The Cat Man of Aleppo (with Karim Shamsi-Basha), which won a Caldecott Honor. Irene lives on a lake in rural Alabama.

 

• Danica McKellar – She is the New York Times bestselling author of groundbreaking math books, including Goodnight, Numbers, and Math Doesn’t Suck, and has helped over one million kids finally “get” math! A summa cum laude graduate of UCLA with a degree in mathematics, she published a theorem in the Journal of Physics, and has received multiple mathematics/educational awards. Danica is also well known for her acting roles on The Wonder Years, The West Wing, and her popular holiday movies.

 

• Ashley Hope Pérez – She writes novels for young adults, including Out of Darkness, a Kirkus and School Library Journal best book of the year and the recipient of an ALA Printz Honor for Literary Excellence in Young Adult Fiction, the Tomás Rivera Book Award, and the Américas Award. She teaches at The Ohio State University and lives in Columbus with her two sons.

 

• Traci Sorell –  A Cherokee Nation citizen and award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction for young people. Her first five books all received awards from the American Indian Library Association. Her nonfiction titles have also received two Sibert Honors, two Orbis Pictus Honors, and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor. A former federal Indigenous law attorney, Traci lives on her tribe’s reservation in northeastern Oklahoma.

 

• Cleo and Heather Thompson – Heather, Director, Office of Tribal Relations, U.S. Department of Agriculture, reporting to the Secretary of Agriculture, is reading with her mother, Cleo; both are Lakota, enrolled members of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. They are reading Native Women Changing Their Worlds, by Patricia Cutright, Lakota, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.

 

• Renée Watson – A #1 New York Times bestselling author, educator, and community activist. Her young adult novel, Piecing Me Together received a Coretta Scott King Award and Newbery Honor. Her children’s picture books and novels for teens have received several awards and international recognition. Her poetry and fiction centers around the experiences of Black girls and women, and explores themes of home, identity, and the intersections of race, class, and gender. Renée grew up in Portland, Oregon, and now splits her time between Portland and New York City.

Every Child a Reader thanks the many publishers for connecting us to these fantastic authors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over two dozen 8 ½” x 11” posters are available free to teachers, librarians, booksellers, and parents. The program was relaunched in 2018 thanks to a grant from KPMG and a poster featuring Olympic gold medal gymnast Laurie Hernandez. In 2019 and 2020, posters featuring bestselling authors Kate DiCamillo, Raj Halder, and Raakhee Mirchandani, plus the animated character Phoebe and her Unicorn were made available. Backlist posters include Alicia Keys, Neil Gaiman, Alex Morgan, Horton (Horton Hears a Who!), and Olivia (Olivia book series).

Up to 10 different posters can be ordered on the order form at www.GetCaughtReading.org.

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About Get Caught Reading
A nationwide, year-round campaign to promote the fun of reading books for all ages. Launched in 1999 by the Association of American Publishers and now managed by Every Child a Reader. Get Caught Reading provides teachers and librarians with bulletin board-sized posters of authors, athletes, media stars, and beloved book characters caught reading a favorite!

Every Child a Reader announces five new Get Caught Reading posters featuring a TV host, MIT students, a previous National Ambassador for Young People, and more.

Carl Lennertz, Executive Director of Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader said: “This is one of my favorite projects and I’m grateful to the AAP for creating it years ago.”

The first round of 2022 posters include:

• Terry Crews –  An author, illustrator, sitcom star, TV host, and human rights activist best known for his breakout roles on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Everybody Hates Chris as well as for hosting America’s Got Talent. Terry’s Crew is his debut middle-grade graphic novel.

 

• Jackie Azúa Kramer – An internationally translated and award-winning children’s book author. Her upcoming books include We Are One, Manolo and the Unicorn, Empanadas for Everyone, and I am Salsa.

 

• Malik & Miles – “As Black students in the STEM community, we aim to spread science advocacy and diversity to students of all ages. We want to increase the number of people interested in the sciences and higher education through virtual presentations to students in K-12 education. We are Biological Engineering Ph.D. students at MIT. We graduated from MIT with a degree in Biological Engineering and a minor in African and African Diaspora Studies. Recently, we have started social media accounts on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and Discord promoting STEM and higher education in fun and relatable ways.”

 

• Charles Waters –  An author, educator, and actor who’s co-written (with Irene Latham) multiple books including Be A Bridge, African Town, Dictionary For A Better World: Poems, Quotes and Anecdotes from A -Z, and the award-winning Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes and Friendship. His poems have also appeared in numerous poetry anthologies.

 

• Jacqueline Woodson –  She is best known for her National Book Award-Winning memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, and her Newbery Honor-winning titles After Tupac and D Foster, Feathers, and Show Way. Her picture books The Day You Begin and The Year We Learned to Fly were New York Times Best Sellers. After serving as the Young People’s Poet Laureate from 2015 to 2017, she was named the National Ambassador for Young People by the Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader for 2018–2019.

Every Child a Reader thanks the many publishers for connecting us to these fantastic authors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Over two dozen 8 ½” x 11” posters are available free to teachers, librarians, booksellers, and parents. The program was relaunched in 2018 thanks to a grant from KPMG and a poster featuring Olympic gold medal gymnast Laurie Hernandez. In 2019 and 2020, posters featuring bestselling authors Kate DiCamillo, Raj Halder, and Raakhee Mirchandani, plus the animated character Phoebe and her Unicorn were made available. Backlist posters include Alicia Keys, Neil Gaiman, Alex Morgan, Horton (Horton Hears a Who!), and Olivia (Olivia book series).

Up to 10 different posters can be ordered on the order form at www.GetCaughtReading.org.

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About Get Caught Reading
A nationwide, year-round campaign to promote the fun of reading books for all ages. Launched in 1999 by the Association of American Publishers and now managed by Every Child a Reader. Get Caught Reading provides teachers and librarians with bulletin board-sized posters of authors, athletes, media stars, and beloved book characters caught reading a favorite

In this inspiring interview, which includes footage from his most recent National Ambassador trip to western Montana, Reynolds talks about writing for and connecting with young people with his usual candor and charm. The interview also gives a wonderful look into Jason’s past and the books and friends he has made along the way.

“To me, reading becomes a lot more palatable if young people realize that the stories, the books that exist within them are as valuable as the books that exist on the outside of them…”

Watch Jason on CBS Sunday Morning

Tune in for a virtual reading on May 20 of the winning title by the author and illustrator, followed by a Q&A.

New York, NY – May 3, 2022 – Penguin Young Readers, the Children’s Book Council, and Every Child a Reader are proud to announce that Never Show a T. Rex a Book, written by Rashmi Sirdeshpande and illustrated by Diane Ewen (Kane Miller, A Division of EDC Publishing), is the winner of the sixth annual Anna Dewdney Read-Together Award.

This award is given annually to a picture book that is both a superb read-aloud and sparks compassion, empathy, and connection. The award commemorates the life and work of author/illustrator Anna Dewdney and celebrates her commitment to reading with young children and putting books into as many little hands as possible.

Join Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Diane Ewen for a live read-aloud event of their winning title, Never Show a T. Rex a Book, on May 20th at 1:30 pm EST. This event will be hosted via Zoom. Please register here to receive the link for the event. We look forward to celebrating in recognition of Sirdeshpande and Ewen receiving the Anna Dewdney Read-Together Award across many miles and households.

Rashmi Sirdeshpande is a lawyer turned children’s author who writes a mix of uplifting and inspiring picture books and illustrated non-fiction. She loves taking big ideas and making them fun and accessible to young readers and cares deeply about representation in books. Her books have been featured in major national newspapers in the UK and have been shortlisted for a number of awards.

Diane Ewen is a British illustrator based in the West Midlands. She has always been in love with art and graduated from the University of Wolverhampton with a B.A. Honours Degree in illustration. Diane hand draws in pencil before painting in watercolor and acrylics, then embellishes using Photoshop. She enjoys constantly developing her style as she progresses. Diane’s books include Never Show a T. Rex a Book, Never Teach a Stegosaurus to do Sums, Seeking Best Friend, and Coming to England. She is the winner of the Queens Knickers Award 2021 and Jericho Prize 2021.

Rashmi and Diane’s debut picture book, Never Show a T. Rex a Book, won the Society of Authors Queen’s Knickers Award, was shortlisted for the Laugh-Out-Loud Book Awards, and was selected for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

The Honor Books for 2022 are: 

Bisa’s Carnaval by Joana Pastro; illus. by Carolina Coroa (Scholastic Inc.)

Chi Chi the Rescue Dog: Never Give Up by Elizabeth Howell; illus. by Blayne Fox (Brown Books Kids)

Don’t Hug Doug (He Doesn’t Like It) by Carrie Finison; illus. by Daniel Wiseman (Penguin Young Readers)

In My Mosque by M.O. Yuskel; illus. by Hatem Aly (HarperCollins Children’s Books)

The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup by Hunter Liguore; illus. by Vikki Zhang (Yeehoo Press)

In honor of this year’s Anna Dewdney Read Together Award winner, Penguin Young Readers will donate 250 copies of Never Show a T. rex a Book to The Teacher’s Desk, a Buffalo, NY based non-profit. The Teacher’s Desk is the store where teachers shop free for school supplies, books and teacher resources for students in 250 WNY schools in need. Its mission is to distribute free school supplies to students in need, to encourage teachers and to provide purpose through volunteerism. Past winners can be viewed here.

The winner and honor books were chosen via voting over the last two months by librarians, teachers, booksellers, and caregivers across America.

About Anna Dewdney

Anna Dewdney was the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of Llama Llama Red Pajama. Other award-winning books in the Llama Llama series include Llama Lama and the Bully Goat, Llama Lama Time to Share, Llama Llama Misses Mama, Llama Llama Holiday Drama, and Llama Llama Mad at Mama. She was also the author/illustrator of Little Excavator, Nobunny’s Perfect, Roly Poly Pangolin, and Grumpy Gloria. Anna worked as a rural mail carrier and taught at a boys’ boarding school for many years before becoming a full-time author and illustrator. Anna was a committed advocate of literacy, speaking regularly on this topic and publishing articles in the Wall Street Journal and other national outlets.

About Penguin Young Readers

Penguin Young Readers is one of the leading children’s book publishers in the United States. The company owns a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Dial Books, Dutton, Flamingo, Kokila, Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Workshop, Philomel, Puffin, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, Razorbill, Viking, and Frederick Warne. These imprints are home to such award-winning, New York Times- bestselling authors as Laurie Halse Anderson, Max Brallier, Eric Carle, Anna Dewdney, John Flanagan, John Green, Oliver Jeffers, Ransom Riggs, Ruta Sepetys, Sabaa Tahir, Jacqueline Woodson, and dozens of other popular authors. Penguin Young Readers Group is also the proud publisher of perennial brand franchises such as the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, Peter Rabbit, Spot, the Classic Winnie the Pooh Madeline, Mad Libs, the Last Kids on Earth, the Rangers Apprentice, and Who HQ among many others. Penguin Young Readers Group is a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

About Every Child a Reader

Every Child a Reader is a 501(c)(3) literacy charity whose popular national programs include Children’s Book Week, the longest-running literacy initiative in the country (103 years); the Kids’ Book Choice Awards, the only national book awards chosen solely by children and teens; Get Caught Reading, a classroom poster project; and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program, in partnership with the Library of Congress.

Contacts:

Penguin Contact: Garrett Bond, Publicity Manager, Brands, Penguin Young Readers gbond@prh.com 

CBC and Every Child a Reader Contact: Carl Lennertz, Executive Director, The Children’s Book Council  carl.lennertz@cbcbooks.org 

Jason Reynolds, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Expands Commitment to Rural America with In-Person Events This Spring
Reynolds to Partner with Short Edition to Empower Student Voices in Montana

Jason Reynolds continues his work to empower students in rural and underserved communities in 2022 — his third year as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. In May, Reynolds will kick off the first in-person leg of his “GRAB THE MIC: Tell Your Story” tour in Montana. Participating schools have never hosted an author visit and were selected from more than 200 proposals.

As National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Reynolds has connected virtually with thousands of students across the country during the pandemic, inviting young people to share and celebrate their own personal stories. Now in the third year of his ambassadorship, Reynolds looks forward to meeting with students in person.

“I can’t wait for Montana — to finally look into the faces of some of the young people I’ve been serving, to exchange stories and build connection,” Reynolds said. “Like I said at the start of my term, this appointment is not an obligation, but an opportunity to put a spotlight on the collective stories of young America, all while encouraging them to hold those stories and mold them into whatever they want them to be.”

This year, Reynolds will also partner with the digital publisher and education platform Short Edition to bring their innovative short story devices to participating schools.

“Along with the excitement around face-to-face interaction, I also can’t wait to see how these incredible communities engage with the Short Edition Cubes,” he said. “What gems could those cubes contain? What voices might they produce?”

Schools on the spring tour will receive a Short Story Cube, a stand-alone device that allows students to create, edit and print stories of their own making. Short Story Cubes are specifically designed for classroom use and offer educators a fun, immersive way to inspire creative thinking and analysis. The Cubes will allow students to share their stories with select peers participating in the program nationwide.

The three communities Reynolds will visit during his spring tour include:

• Dutton/Brady Junior High and High School, Dutton, Montana
• Ronan Middle School and High School, Ronan, Montana
• Shields Valley Schools, Clyde Park and Wilsall, Montana

In support of the spring tour, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing will donate paperback copies of Reynolds’ “Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks,” with  additional support from Dollar General Literacy Foundation. Every Child a Reader, the Library’s National Ambassador program partner, will continue its integral support of Reynolds’ tour and tenure.

For schools that wish to be considered for Reynolds’ Fall 2022 “GRAB THE MIC: Tell Your Story” tour, proposals will be accepted through May 20. All proposals that were submitted for the Spring 2022 tour will also be considered for fall events. For more information please visit everychildareader.net/ambassador/.

Over the course of Reynolds’ ambassadorship, he has served as a key innovator and champion of young people. Acting quickly during the pandemic, Reynolds pivoted, putting his signature platform “GRAB THE MIC: Tell Your Story” online. He debuted a digital tour connecting him with thousands of students across 23 states; a 30-part video series, “Write. Right. Rite,” which offers fun and engaging prompts to express and build creativity; and a newsletter. In September 2021, Reynolds was appointedto a historic third year as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

Educators are invited to download Reynolds’ “GRAB THE MIC: Tell Your Story” educator guides. The guides include activities for educators to implement in their classrooms to encourage students to celebrate their personal stories.

About Jason Reynolds    

Jason Reynolds is a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, a Newbery Award Honoree, a Printz Award honoree, a two-time National Book Award finalist, a Kirkus Award winner, a Carnegie Medal winner, a two-time Walter Dean Myers Award winner, an NAACP Image Award winner and the recipient of multiple Coretta Scott King Award honors. He’s also the 2020–2022 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. His many books include “All American Boys” (co-written with Brendan Kiely), “When I Was the Greatest,” “The Boy in the Black Suit,” “Stamped,” “As Brave as You,” “For Every One,” the Track series (“Ghost,” “Patina,” “Sunny,” and “Lu”), “Look Both Ways,” “Stuntboy, in the Meantime” and “Long Way Down,” which received a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor and a Coretta Scott King Award Honor. He lives in Washington, D.C. You can find more about Jason and his writing at JasonWritesBooks.com.

About the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature

The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature is appointed by the Librarian of Congress and is an initiative of the Library of Congress, in partnership with Every Child a Reader and the Children’s Book Council, with generous support from Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

About Every Child a Reader

Every Child a Reader is a 501(c)(3) literacy charity whose popular national programs include Children’s Book Week, the longest-running literacy initiative in the country, celebrating 103 years in 2022; the Kids’ Book Choice Awards, the only national book awards chosen solely by children and teens; Get Caught Reading, a classroom poster project; and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program, in partnership with the Library of Congress.

About the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, offering access to the creative record of the United States — and extensive materials from around the world — both on-site and online. It is the main research arm of the U.S. Congress and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office. Explore collections, reference services and other programs and plan a visit at loc.gov; access the official site for U.S. federal legislative information at congress.gov; and register creative works of authorship at copyright.gov.

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Media Contact: Leah Knobel, Library of Congress, lknobel@loc.gov

PR 22-035
2022-04-26
ISSN 0731-3527

With the goal of promoting conversation about why kids choose to read the books they do, Every Child a Reader and the Children’s Book Council have announced the 2022 Children’s Book Week slogan, “How Do You Book?” The thought-provoking theme asks participants in the literacy celebration to think about what they read, where they read, and how they read.

“We wanted to have a theme that was actionable and asked young people to think about reading from lots of different angles,” said associate executive director Shaina Birkhead. “We loved the idea of ‘book’ being a verb because books and reading are such an active and vibrant way to engage with the world.”

This year’s event, which will take place May 2–8 and November 7–13, will also include the first annual Floyd Cooper Day (in May), in honor of the late author-illustrator, to drive further interest in CBW.

Read the full story at Publisher’s Weekly.

The Kids’ Book Choice Awards (previously the Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards) are the only national book awards voted on solely by kids and teens. Launched in 2008 by the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader, the awards provide young readers with an opportunity to voice their opinions about the books being written for them. The 2021 program relaunch included a new name, logo, and categories with finalists selected through nationwide long-list voting.

The Kids’ Book Choice Awards tagline, No Adults Allowed!, lets young readers know that these awards are 100% for them to voice their choice. Below are the 2021 winners.

2021 WINNERS

Best Book of the Year: K – 2nd Grade

We Are Water Protectors, by Carole Lindstrom; illus. Michaela Goade (Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group)

Age 3-8: Best Picture Book Duo

Sarah Janco and Blayne Fox, creators of The Merry Christmas Mittens (Brown Books Kids)

Age 3-8: Best Picture Book Page

How to Spot an Artist, by Danielle Krysa; illus. Danielle Krysa (Prestel Junior)

Age 3-8: Favorite Early Reader Series

Billie B. Brown Series by Sally Rippin; illus. Aki Fukuoka — The Bully Buster (Kane Miller, A Division of EDC Publishing)

Age 3-8: Favorite Illustrated Character

The Princess in Black from The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem, by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale; illus. LeUyen Pham (Candlewick Press)

Best Book of the Year: 3rd – 4th Grade

Ways to Make Sunshine, by Renée Watson; illus. Nina Mata (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)

Best Book of the Year: 5th – 6th Grade

Efrén Divided, by Ernesto Cisneros (HarperCollins Children’s Books)

Age 8-12: Best Book of Facts

Hop To It: Poems to Get You Moving, by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong; illus. Franzi Paetzold (Pomelo Books)

Age 8-12: Best Graphic Novel

When Stars Are Scattered, by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed; illus. Victoria Jamieson and Iman Geddy (Penguin Young Readers)

Age 8-12: Favorite Author

Dav Pilkey, author of Cat Kid Comic Club (Scholastic)

Best Book of the Year: Teen

Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-Winning ‘Stamped from the Beginning’, by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

Age 12-18: Best Book Creator Digital Presence

Nic Stone, creator of Dear Justyce(Random House Children’s Books) — Twitter @getnicced | Instagram @nicstone

Age 12-18: Best Fantasy World Builder

Helena Dahlgren, author of Soul Riders: Jorvik Calling (Andrews McMeel Universal)

Age 12-18: Favorite Book Cover

Legendborn, by Tracy Deonn (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers) — cover illustration by Hillary Wilson

Age 12-18: Favorite True Story

This Is Your Time, by Ruby Bridges (Random House Children’s Books)

Now go discover, read, re-read, and share these great creators and titles!

September 20 — Reynolds to Embark on Tour to Engage Students in Rural Communities.

The Library of Congress and Every Child a Reader have announced that Jason Reynolds’s term as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature will be extended to include a third year— for the first time in the history of the program.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Reynolds connected virtually with thousands of students in rural areas of the country to engage in meaningful discussions. In 2022, Reynolds will meet in person with students in rural communities to continue his work of encouraging young people to share their own narratives. In addition, Reynolds will create an archive of student voices, encouraging students to share their creations via his GRAB THE MIC: Tell Your Story platform.

“I am elated Jason will continue on in his role as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Jason’s GRAB THE MIC platform has proven that connecting with kids on their level empowers real world growth in reading and writing,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “I am eager to see how Jason will expand his message, encouraging kids to share their own stories in and beyond their own communities.”

“I can’t believe I’m even being afforded the opportunity to extend my ambassadorship a third year,” Reynolds said. “If the goal has changed at all, it’s to be even more present in the lives of the young people I’m serving. More storytelling, more cultural exchange, more creativity, more connection—and this time, in person. Like I said at the start of this, this appointment is not an obligation, but an opportunity to put a spotlight on the collective stories of young America, all while encouraging them to hold those stories, and mold them into whatever they want them to be.”

Reynolds announced and discussed his third term during an interview on NPR’s TED Radio Hour podcast at the Library of Congress National Book Festival. Listen to the episode here.

Tune in for a virtual reading of the winning title by the author and illustrator, followed by a Q&A

New York, NY – April 28, 2021 – Penguin Young Readers, the Children’s Book Council, and Every Child a Reader are proud to announce that Brown Baby Lullaby, written by Tameka Fryer Brown and illustrated by AG Ford (Macmillan Children’s Publishing), is the winner of the fifth annual Anna Dewdney Read Together Award.

This award is given annually to a picture book that is both a superb read-aloud and also sparks compassion, empathy, and connection. The award commemorates the life and work of author/illustrator Anna Dewdney, and celebrates her commitment to reading with young children and putting books into as many little hands as possible.

Tameka Fryer Brown’s picture books include Around Our Way on Neighbors’ Day and My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood. Her work also appears in the anthology, We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices. She currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.

AG Ford is a New York Times bestselling children’s book illustrator and recipient of two NAACP Image Awards (for Our Children Can Soar and What Color is My World). He has over 30 published books for children. Mr. Ford grew up in Dallas, Texas and attended The Columbus College of Art and Design. He lives in Frisco, Texas with his family.

Join Tameka Fryer Brown and AG Ford for a live read-aloud event of their winning title, Brown Baby Lullaby, on May 7th at 3pm EST. This event will be hosted via Zoom. Please register here to receive the link for the event. We look forward to celebrating in recognition of Brown and Ford receiving the Anna Dewdney Read Together Award across many miles and households.

This live event is part of our Children’s Book Week celebrations. Explore all of our free resources and join in the celebration at your school, library, or bookstore, and at home. 

The Honor Books for 2021 are: I am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes, illus. by Gordon C. James (Penguin Young Readers), If You Ever Want to bring an Alligator to School, Don’t! by Elise Parsley (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), Nana Akua Goes to School by Tricia Elam Walker, illus. by April Harrison (Random House Children’s Book), Swashby and the Sea by Beth Ferry, illus. By Juana Martinez-Neal (HMH), and You Matter by Christian Robinson (Simon & Schuster).

Brown and Ford will be awarded a prize of $1,000 from the Children’s Book Council and Penguin will purchase and donate 250 copies of Brown Baby Lullaby to a school, library, or literacy organization of their choice.

The winner and honor books were chosen by voting over the last two months by librarians, teachers, booksellers and caregivers across America.

About Anna Dewdney
Anna Dewdney was the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of Llama Llama Red Pajama. Other award-winning books in the Llama Llama series include Llama Lama and the Bully Goat, Llama Lama Time to Share, Llama Llama Misses Mama, Llama Llama Holiday Drama, and Llama Llama Mad at Mama. Llama Llama Loves to Read was released in May 2018. She was also the author/illustrator of Little Excavator, Nobunny’s Perfect, Roly Poly Pangolin, and Grumpy Gloria. Anna worked as a rural mail carrier and taught at a boys’ boarding school for many years before becoming a full-time author and illustrator. Anna was a committed advocate of literacy, speaking regularly on this topic and publishing articles in the Wall Street Journal and other national outlets.

 

About Penguin Young Readers
Penguin Young Readers is one of the leading children’s book publishers in the United States. The company owns a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Dial Books, Dutton, Flamingo, Kokila, Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Workshop, Philomel, Puffin, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, Razorbill, Viking, and Frederick Warne. These imprints are home to such award-winning, New York Times- bestselling authors as, Laurie Halse Anderson, Max Brallier, Jan Brett, Eric Carle, Roald Dahl, Anna Dewdney, John Flanagan, John Green, Oliver Jeffers, Brad Meltzer, Ransom Riggs, Ruta Sepetys, Sabaa Tahir, Jacqueline Woodson, and dozens of other popular authors. Penguin Young Readers Group is also the proud publisher of perennial brand franchises such as The Little Engine That Could, the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, Peter Rabbit, Spot, the Classic Winnie the Pooh, the Very Hungry Caterpillar, Madeline, Mad Libs, the Last Kids on Earth, the Rangers Apprentice, and Who HQ among many others. Penguin Young Readers Group is a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

About Every Child a Reader
Every Child a Reader is a 501(c)(3) literacy charity dedicated to inspiring a lifelong love of reading in children and teens across America. Every Child a Reader’s major national programs include: Children’s Book Week, celebrating 100 years this year; the Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards; Get Caught Reading; and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program, in partnership with the Library of Congress.

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Penguin Contact:
Shanta Newlin, Senior Vice President, Executive Director, Publicity & Corporate Communications, Penguin Young Readers
snewlin@prh.com

CBC/Every Child a Reader Contact:
Carl Lennertz, Executive Director, The Children’s Book Council
carl.lennertz@cbcbooks.org

“I want to let [the young people of this country] know how proud I am, and to encourage them—even in the midst of this plot twist—to continue to press on with their beautiful stories.”

New York, NY, April 1, 2021—Jason Reynolds, the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, will embark on his second two-week virtual tour this spring, connecting with middle school and high school students in underserved communities. In support of the Ambassadorship tour, The Library of Congress has purchased paperback copies of Reynolds’s Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks for participating schools, with the generous support of Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

In April 2021, Reynolds will do eight virtual appearances, where he will connect with students from twelve middle schools and high schools. Each selected school will receive a 45-minute virtual event, during which Reynolds will discuss his role as Ambassador with an educator/professional at each school and will also converse with two student “ambassadors.” The participating schools below were selected from more than 200 proposals received in January 2021.

• Noble Middle School – North Berwick, ME
• Castle Heights Elementary – Price, UT
• Jefferson Street Campus, Neosho High School, and Neosho Junior High School – Neosho, MO
• George Washington Elementary and Keokuk Middle School – Keokuk, IA
• Methow Valley School District – Winthrop, WA
• Gordo High School and Pickens County High School – Gordo, AL
• Coalinga Middle School – Coalinga, CA
• North Education Center School – New Hope, MN

For his second virtual tour, Reynolds said, “If there’s one thing I’ve learned throughout this last year, it’s the power of persistence. And the teachers of this lesson have been the same teachers who’ve taught me most things—the young people of this country. Their persistence during such a relentless time has been incredible, and there’s nothing I want to do more than to show up for them. I want to let them know how proud I am, and to encourage them—even in the midst of this plot twist—to continue to press on with their beautiful stories.”

Meeting with young people at home during the pandemic is nothing new to Jason Reynolds, who embarked on his first virtual school tour in December of 2020; he conversed with students in Rantoul, IL; Leland, MS; Denham Springs, LA; Pine Ridge, SD; Gillette, WY; Beckley, WV; and Swansea, SC. Reynolds also launched two video series last year. In April 2020, in coordination with the Library of Congress, he debuted “Write. Right. Rite.”—a 30-part video series for kids hosted at guides.loc.gov/jason-reynolds/grab-the-mic offering fun and engaging prompts to express creativity—as well as a monthly newsletter for parents and educators focused on relevant topics of the day. In March 2020, Reynolds also launched “Brain Yoga,” a weekly Instagram Live video series during which he invited young people to join him onscreen to participate in a game that stretched the imagination, for a chance to win a gift card to a local independent bookstore of choice. Reynolds personally gifted thousands of dollars in support of bookstores across the country.

Schools everywhere are invited to visit the Every Child a Reader website (everychildareader.net/ambassador/) to download Reynolds’s “GRAB THE MIC: Tell Your Story” Educator Guides, for activities that educators can implement in the classroom (in-person or virtual) to encourage students to celebrate their personal stories.

About Jason Reynolds

Reynolds is the author of more than a dozen books for young people, including Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks, a National Book Award finalist that was named a Best Book of 2019 by NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post and TIME. A native of Washington, D.C., Reynolds began writing poetry at age nine and is the recipient of a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, an NAACP Image Award and multiple Coretta Scott King Award honors. His most recent book (with Ibram X. Kendi), Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, was a #1 New York Times bestseller.

About the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature

The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature is appointed by the Librarian of Congress and is an initiative of the Library of Congress, in partnership with Every Child a Reader and the Children’s Book Council, with generous support from Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

About Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing

One of the leading children’s book publishers in the world, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing comprises the following imprints: Aladdin, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Beach Lane Books, Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, Denene Millner Books, Libros para niños, Little Simon®, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Paula Wiseman Books, Salaam Reads, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, and Simon Spotlight®. While maintaining an extensive award-winning backlist, the division continues to publish acclaimed and bestselling books for children of all ages. Simon & Schuster publishes numerous Caldecott, Newbery, and National Book Award winners. For more information about Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com.

Contact: 

Lisa Moraleda, Senior Director of Publicity
212-698-7087, lisa.moraleda@simonandschuster.com