Capstone in helping young victims affected by the recent tornado in Moore, Oklahoma. The publisher will work with the two schools most affected by the disaster, Briarwood Elementary and Plaza Towers Elementary, to distribute books to rebuild their libraries. For every book that customers purchase through Capstone’s website, the publisher will donate one book to the Moore schools. Those who would like to participate should use the promo code “moorerelief” when placing orders online.

And, there’s another way to help. Through its library division, Capstone Rewards members can donate their points to the school libraries. The company will double the total rewards points accumulated and give them to the schools to order new books. Members should log in to their Capstone Rewards account, redeem points, and email the redemption code to communitygiveing@coughlancompanies.com with the subject line “Moore Recovery Donation.”
Additionally, Capstone is donating more than 750 books for the students affected by the disaster to keep for their home libraries. “Providing children with good books to read is important for re-establishing a sense of normalcy and routine. Helping to provide Moore schools and educators with the books and resources they need to rebuild their fundamental role in the community is so important,” noted Ashley Andersen Zantop, Capstone Group Publisher and General Manager. “We hope our customers and friends join us. Capstone is preparing to send books to these schools as soon as they are ready to receive them.”

Granted

The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation’s Minigrant Program has presented 59 awards to teachers and librarians in 29 states. The grants of up to $500 are given to educators in public schools and libraries for specific programs that “foster the love of learning, enhance creative expression, and optimize interaction between educator and students.” Bad River Public Tribal Library in Odanah, Wisconsin, received a grant for a program designed to teach children and young adults about the Ojibwe culture by designing and making their own traditional dance outfits. Creekside Elementary in Boulder, Colorado, will use their funding to have fifth graders work with kindergarten and first grade students to make applehead dolls and create a fictional narrative about each doll.

“Reflecting on the past 25 years of the Ezra Jack Keats Minigrant Program gives us great pride and satisfaction, knowing that we have directly supported so many extraordinary teachers and librarians,” said Deborah Pope, Executive Director of the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. “In an environment where educators have increasingly limited resources, we applaud those who have reached beyond the basic curriculum to create programs that inspire and encourage students in a creative and cooperative context.”

Database Update

The World Almanac for Kids Online has been relaunched by Infobase Learning to include a new streamlined interface and new content. The database goes beyond the print edition, featuring online-only content as well as Chelsea House and Facts On File sets and series that support Common Core standards. Search and browse options have been improved and are more kid-friendly. New sections include “Our Planet Earth,” “Space and Astronomy,” “American History,” and “Holidays and Celebrations”—and new material has been added to existing sections. Plans for the future include new information on the human body, plants, and sports. The “Homework Help” section has been revised to include topics such as resources for student reports and research, test prep, reading maps and time lines, and more. There’s also teacher support with new curricular handouts and iPad-friendly videos.

“By providing a trusted, content-rich, age-appropriate source for homework assignments and online research, The World Almanac for Kids Online serves a vital purpose for elementary and middle school students and their parents and teachers,” said Mark McDonnell, the president and CEO of Infobase Learning. “This site’s engaging material and appealing formats go a long way in getting kids excited about learning and coming back for more.”

25^th Annual Lambda Awards Announced

The winners of the 25th Annual Lambda Literary Awards were announced on June 3 at a gala ceremony hosted by comedienne Kate Clinton at The Great Hall at Cooper Union in New York City. On the heels of BookExpo America, the “Lammys” ceremony celebrated excellence in LGBT literature and 25 years of the groundbreaking literary awards. Ingrid Abrams, a children’s librarian at Brooklyn Public Library presented the award in the LGBT Children’s/Young Adult category to Benjamin Alire Sáenz for his acclaimed Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (S & S). Finalists included other 2012 SLJ Best Books: A.S. King’s Ask the Passengers, (Little, Brown), David Levithan’s Every Day (Knopf), and emily m. danforth’s The Miseducation of Cameron Post, (HarperCollins).

The Lambda Literary Foundation (LFF) announced the finalists for the 25th annual Lambda Literary Awards—the Lammys. These Awards will recognize the best lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) books of 2012. This year, there were a record 687 submissions from 332 mainstream publishers, academic presses, LGBT publishers, and emerging publish-on-demand technologies. The finalists were selected by more than 90 booksellers, book reviewers, librarians, authors, and previous Lammy winners and finalists.

There are 22 categories in the competition—21 for adults and one for children/teens. There were ten finalists in the  LGBT Children’s/Young Adult category: Adaptation by Malinda Lo (Little, Brown), The Adventure of Tulip, Birthday Wish Fairy by S. Bear Bergman and Suzy Malik (Flamingo Rampant), Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (S & S), Ask the Passengers by A. S. King (Little, Brown), Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills (Flux), Every Day by David Levithan (Knopf), Kiss the Morning Star by Elissa Janine Hoole (Amazon), The Miseducation of Cameron Post by emily m. danforth (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray), Personal Effect by E. M. Kokie (Candlewick), and Silhouette of a Sparrow by Molly Beth Griffin (Milkweed).

Winners will be revealed during a ceremony on June 3, at Cooper Union’s Great Hall in New York City.

Book awards: The winners of the 27th annual Ezra Jack Keats New Writer and New Illustrator Book Awards have been announced by the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation in partnership with the de Grummon Children’s Literature Collection at The University of Southern Mississippi. The New Writer Award went to Julie Fogliano for And Then It’s Spring (Roaring Brook/Neal Porter Bks.), about a boy and a dog who plant a garden after months of snow. The New Illustrator Award was given to Hyewon Yum for Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten (Farrar/Frances Foster Bks.) whose illustrations capture the emotions of the parents and the child by changing size and color.

Additionally, New Writer Honor awards went to Mara Rockliff’s My Heart Will Not Sit Down (Knopf), Jennifer Lanthier’s The Stamp Collector (Fitzhenry & Whiteside), and Don Tate’s It Jes’ Happened (Lee & Low). New Illustrator Honors were awarded to K.G. Campbell’s Lester’s Dreadful Sweaters (Kids Can) and Sanjay Patel’s Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth (Chronicle).

The awards ceremony will be held on April 11 at The University of Southern Mississippi during the University’s Fay B. Kaigler Children’s Book Festival. Winners receive an honorarium of $1,000 and a gold medallion.

“The Book Award was created to bring attention and recognition to new artists who carry on in the spirit of Keats,” said Deborah Pope, Executive Director of the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation. “The jury looks for new books of beauty that portray the universal qualities of childhood, a strong and supportive family, and the multicultural nature of our world.”

Founded by the late Caldecott award-winning author and illustrator, the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation “ supports arts and literacy programming in public schools and libraries across the country, with the goal of bringing the joy of reading and learning to all children while highlighting the importance of diversity in children’s book.” The de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at The University of Southern Mississippi is one of the of the leading research centers in the field of children’s literature in the U.S.

Audiobook award finalists: The 2013 Audie Awards finalists have been released by the Audio Publishers Association (APA). The Awards, honoring distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment, are given in 28 categories for children, teens, and adults. The winners will be recognized at the Audies Gala at the New York Historical Society in New York City on May 30. The event will be emceed by writer Daniel Handler.

There are three categories devoted entirely to audiobooks for children and teens. In the Children’s Titles for Ages 8–12 category, the finalists are: The Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright, narrated by Katherine Kellgren and Robin Sachs (Listening Library); The Freedom Maze by Delia Sherman, narrated by Robin Miles (Listening Library); Same Sun Here by Silas House and Neela Vaswani, narrated by the authors (Brilliance Audio); Wonder by R. J. Palacio, narrated by Diana Steele, Nick Podehl, and Kate Rudd (Brilliance Audio); Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz, narrated by Davina Porter (Recorded Books).

In Children’s Titles for Ages Up to 8, the finalists are: The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe’s Very First Case by Alexander McCall Smith, narrated by Adjoa Andoh (Listening Library); Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion by Mo Willems, narrated by the author, Cher, and Trixie Willems (Weston Woods); A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead, narrated by David de Vries (Weston Woods); Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig, narrated by James Earl Jones (S & S Audio); We Are America by Walter Dean Myers, narrated by Dion Graham and a full cast (Live Oak Media).

The finalists in the Teen category are: The Diviners by Libba Bray, narrated by January LaVoy (Listening Library); Dodger by Terry Pratchett, narrated by Stephen Briggs (HarperAudio); Enchanted by Alethea Kontis, narrated by Katherine Kellgren (Brilliance Audio); The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, narrated by Kate Rudd (Brilliance Audio); and Inheritance by Christopher Paolini, narrated by Gerard Doyle (Listening Library).

“It is always an exciting revelation to see which titles have been nominated, especially as the number of titles produced in audio each year is growing so rapidly,” said Michele Cobb, President of the APA. “Yet again, this year’s finalists do not disappoint. With an outstanding host, an amazing list of potential winners, and a gorgeous venue, we look forward to once again celebrating excellence in audio publishing.”

Do Your Students Know a Super Hero?

Writing contest: Be a Super Hero, Read! is a writing contest for kids in grades 3–6 sponsored by DC Entertainment and Capstone. Children are encouraged to write about a real super hero in their lives who has amazing human qualities such as courage, generosity, or imagination. Entries must be approved by the child’s librarian, teacher, parent, or guardian. Judging criteria includes originality, creativity, and heroism displayed.

Be sure to check out the contest rules and how to enter. Entries must be received by April 15.

The top five finalists will be selected by the contest judges. Starting on May 15, kids across the country will have the chance to vote online for their favorite. The entry that receives the most votes will be selected as the grand prize winner, which will be announced at Book Expo America in New York City on May 30.

The first prize winner will receive a trip for four to tour Warner Bros. Animation Studios and DC Entertainment offices in California, a collection of DC comics, and Capstone merchandise. The hero described by the winner will get $2,500 to donate to his or her favorite registered non-profit charity. The five finalists will receive a set of Capstone’s “Man of Steel” chapter books.

“Our teams are excited to collaborate with DC Entertainment for this contest. We’re thrilled to give children an opportunity to appreciate the ‘super powers’ of their real-life heroes and to expand their literacy skills while doing it, “noted Ashley Andersen Zantop, Capstone Group Publisher and General Manager.

Music to Their Ears

Streaming music: March is Music in Our Schools Month. And what better way to celebrate than with the addition of a streaming music service to PBS Kids Play!, an online subscription cross-curricular learning program. PBS Kids Play! features characters from PBS Kids and interactive games for children in preschool through the first grade. To reinforce lessons for children, streaming music has been added to the program for subscribers. The first 25 music tracks are from the PBS Kids program Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and the web-original series Fizzy’s Lunch Lab. Later this year, additional songs from other PBS Kids series will be added.

According to a recent news release, the songs are “designed to aid memory recall, reinforce key developmental and language themes, and encourage body movement for healthy development. The initial offering includes songs that address social and emotional skills and nutrition.

Freebies

Book giveaway: To celebrate the two-year anniversary of their Books in Bloom blog, Mackin Educational Resources is giving away books every Friday in March. It’s easy to enter the book drawing. Just go to the contest blog and leave a comment on the contest post with the title of the best book you’ve read in the past month.

The Books in Bloom blog, written by Mackin’s professional collection development librarians, highlights high-quality, current fiction and nonfiction K-12 books. Mackin Educational Resources has provided preschool–12 books, online databases, audiobooks, video resources, and other library and classroom materials from more than 18,000 publishers to schools for nearly 30 years.

Fiction prize: Frank Cottrell Boyce has won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize £1,500 for his novel, The Unforgotten Coat (Candlewick, 2011), published in the UK by Walker Books. Established in 1967, the prize is unique because it is judged by writers. This year’s panel included children’s authors Tony Bradman, Cressida Cowell, and Kevin Crossley-Holland, and was chaired by Guardian Children’s Books editor Julia Eccleshare. The novel is the story of refugee brothers from Mongolia who live in Liverpool and examines the hard-hitting effects that immigration has on children. “With his brilliant depiction of two brothers from Mongolia trying to adapt to school in Liverpool while haunted by a fear from home, Frank Cottrell Boyce never preaches to the reader, and the judges felt that he writes with such credibility and warmth that his readers will be left wiser when they have finished the story,” said Eccleshare. A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle, Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos, and The Abominables by Eva Ibbotson were shortlisted for the Prize.

Essay Contest

Intergenerational project: Kids can learn about real life from real people. The Listen to a Life Essay Contest gives students the opportunity to discover the past by interviewing a person over 50 years old (grandparent, mentor, neighbor, etc.—but not a parent) about “their hopes and goals through their life, how they achieved goals and overcame obstacles, or how dreams may have changed along the way.” Youngsters between the ages of  8 and 18  are eligible to write a 300-word essay based on the interview. The national contest, now in its 13th year, is run by the Legacy Project and the nonprofit Generations’ United in Washington, DC. Be sure to check out the contest rules, sample interview questions and interview tips. Applicants must fill out the online entry form. All entries should be be received by March 22, and winners will be announced by May 8.

Judging will be based on writing quality, content depth, and appropriateness of theme, particularly the ability to capture a timeless idea, insight, or theme based on real-life experience. The judges will take into account the age of the entrant in evaluating entries. The grand prize winner will receive a Lenovo ThinkCenter All-in-One Computer, an autographed copy of Dream: A Tale of Wonder, Wisdom & Wishes (Communication Project, 2004) by Susan Bosak, and a timepiece from Expressions of Time. Ten runners-up will receive an autographed copy of Dream, a framed award certificate, and a timepiece from Expressions of Time. All award-winning essays will be posted as part of the permanent Legacy Library.

“Generations are a living perspective, says Susan Bosak, Legacy Project Chair. “When you bring young and old together, you complete the circle. This contest gives young people and older adults the motivation to talk. As more people live longer, they can be a tremendous resource to enrich young lives and create a legacy to change the future.”

You Have to Be in It…

Make Lemonade: To coincide with the release of Jacqueline Davies’s The Candy Smash (Houghton Harcourt, 2013), the fourth title in “The Lemonade War” series, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation is teaming up with the book’s publisher and author to challenge students in elementary and middle schools to take part in a lemonade war of their own to help fight kids’ cancer. Schools will compete to see who can raise the most money through a lemonade stand project or other event. Participants can register until April 1. Fundraising may not begin before February 14, and all money must be received no later than April 26. Winners will be contacted on May 3. Be sure to check out all the entry rules.

Davies will visit the school that raises the most money by May 17. The winner will also receive up to 100 autographed copies of The Candy Smash. Three runner-up schools will be awarded Skype sessions with Jacqueline Davies and audiobooks of The Lemonade War and The Lemonade Crime (both Recorded Books). To date, the Foundation, a registered 501 (c)3 charity, has raised more than $55 million.

Awards

African American literature advocate: Nominations for the 2013 Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Practitioner Award for Lifetime Achievement are being accepted through December 15, 2012 by the American Library Association (ALA). Librarians in public, academic, or schools; preK–12 educators; college or university faculty; and youth literature advocates are eligible for the award. Named in memory of children’s author Virginia Hamilton, the award is presented to a practitioner “for substantial contributions through active engagement with youth using award winning African American literature for children and/or young adults, via implementation of reading and reading related activities/programs.” Be sure to check out the selection criteria and complete the nomination form.

The recipient will be selected by five members of the Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement Committee of the Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT). A medal and a check for $1,500 is presented to the winner during the Coretta Scott King Awards Breakfast at the ALA Annual Conference. Named in memory of children’s author Virginia Hamilton, the award is presented to a practitioner “for substantial contributions through active engagement with youth using award winning African American literature for children and/or young adults, via implementation of reading and reading related activities/programs.”

Calling All Publishers

New Writer/Illustrator Book Awards: The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation and the de Grummond Children’s Literature Collection at The University of Southern Mississippi is requesting submissions from publishers for the 13th Annual Ezra Jack Keats New Writer and New Illustrator Book Awards. Publishers have until December 30 to submit works by an outstanding new writer and new illustrator of picture books for children “who are committed to celebrating diversity through their writing and art.” Eligible books have to be copyrighted in 2012 and authors and illustrators must have published no more than three books. The selection committee includes early childhood education specialists, librarians, illustrators, and experts in children’s literature. The winners will each receive a $1,000 honorarium and a gold seal with a picture of Peter, the protagonist in Keats’s The Snowy Day, for the publisher to affix to the book. Be sure to read the submission guidelines for new authors and new illustrators.