Announcements and Activties
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. I PIC MY PLATE KIDS PHOTO CONTEST!! . The New Jersey Center for the Book announces the I PIC MY PLATE KIDS
PHOTO CONTEST !! just for kids  ENTER TO WIN $250 BY TELLING US WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE !
It's easy and fun!!! JUST snap a PIC of a favorite healthy snack or meal you’ve made, been served or selected from a lunch line at school, and send it in to us via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or to
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. Be sure to include a phrase or sentence describing what's on the plate and why it's healthy! . The winning entry will receive a $250 Amazon gift card. Other prizes include cool sneakers and other gift cards! (Entries cannot include pictures of people or of brands.) . Click to See the I Pick My Plate post in Seventeen Magazine ... Hurry and Submit! All entries must be received by July 15, 2013. For more details check out www.ipicmyplate.com and tell us what's healthy on your plate! A few more details: Kids can enter multiple times. All entries will be judged on a series of criteria, ranging from most diversified to most colorful, healthiest, most creative, by a panel of judges: Jody Adams (award-winning James Beard Chef) Michael Peck (Head of Nutrition Services for the Boston Public Schools) Sally Sampson (Founder of Chop/Chop Magazine) Dana Roberts (nutritionist)
You must be 18 years of age or younger and a legal resident of the fifty United States or the District of Columbia to participate.
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Renee Swartz, Chairperson of the New Jersey Center for the Book, has been honored by the Monmouth County Arts Council as a Community Champion of the Arts. The Monmouth County Arts Council established the Arts Education Awards Showcase to honor Leaders in Arts Education, Community Champions of the Arts, and Community Arts Education Leaders in Monmouth County, those individuals, schools, administrators and organizations that support great arts education and the Art Council’s mission of “enriching the community by inspiring and fostering the arts.”
Renee will be recognized for her dedication to the arts at the annual Arts Education Awards Showcase and reception on Thursday, April 25, 2013 at the new Asbury Park Musical Heritage Foundation.
Congratulations, Renee, from all your friends at the New Jersey Center for the Book!
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. New Jersey Center for the Book is pleased to announce its partnership
with the Grounds for Sculpture in the upcoming events: May 14, 2013 - Letters about Literature Reception . October 11, 2014 - 350th Anniversary Celebration for the State of New Jersey as a major literary event . May 14, 2013 - Letters about Literature Awards Presentation . After two rounds of judging nationally and two more rounds of judging in New Jersey, we congratulate the students on the following list who were celebrated on May 14 at the beautiful Grounds for Sculpture, 126 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, NJ 08619. All the first and second place winners and all the honorable mentions were invited along with parents, grandparents, teachers, and administrators. . Pat Morris, Chair of the Letters about Literature, and Kathy Picarello read the names of all the student essayists. . Click to visit the Library of Congress Contest and Letters about Literature site .. Click for a list of all 2013 winners . Click to read Level One 2013 First Place Essay by Jenna Glinko . Click to read Level Two 2013 First Place Essay by Gavin Lifrieri . Click to read Level Three 2013 First Place Essay by Jennifer Park . Photos from the Event - A great time was had by all!
Level I First Place Winner Jennifer Glinko,
teacher Ms. Christine Heagerman, Rutgers SCI
Dean Emeritus Gus Friedrich
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NJ State Librarian Mary Chute, NJCFB Chair
Renee Swartz, State Library Consultant
Sharon Rawlins | 
Level 2 First Place Winner Gavin Lifieri,
Gus Friedrich | 
Pat Morris, recipient of the 2013 Literary Lion Award,
Gus Friedrich, Betty Turock
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Level 3 First Place Winner Jennifer Park,
Gus Friedrich | 
Ken Sheinbaum, Renee Swartz, Phyllis Anker | | | |
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Dagmar Finkle, Jackie Spritzer, Bonnie R. Brown, Director of
Operations, The Grounds for Sculpture, Kathy Picarello |
. Click to visit the Grounds for Sculpture Website . If flyer does not appear below click here to view . 
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 Left to right: Sharon Rawlins, Jackie Spritzer, Brian Dubrule, Gus Friedrich, Betty Turock, Neal Webster, Dorothy Pearson, Pat Morris, Kathy Picarello,
Phyllis Anker, Dagmar Finkle
. Letters about Literature Judges 2013 Level I 1. Carol Phillips, Head of Young Adult Services, East Brunswick Public Library, Past President, New Jersey Library Association (East Brunswick) 2. Jackie Spritzer (ret.), School Media Specialist, Lawrenceville NJ 3. Kathy Picarello (ret.), East Hanover Middle School (East Hanover) 4. Neal Webster, Language Arts and Literacy, NJ Dept. of Education (Trenton)
Level II 1. Phyllis Anker, Member, Mercer County Library Commission (East Windsor) 2. Gus Friedrich, Dean Emeritus, Rutgers SCI (New Brunswick) 3. Dorothy Pearson, Associate University Librarian for Administrative Services Emeritus, Princeton University (Cape May)
Level III
1. Betty Turock, Professor Emerita, Rutgers SCI, Past President ALA (New Brunswick) 2. Pat Morris, President, Executive Director, New Jersey Connection (Franklin) 3. Dagmar Finkle, School Media Specialist (ret.), Middlesex Co. Vocational Schools (Lavallette) (Past President of NJASL) 4. Sharon Rawlins, Youth Services Consultant, NJ State Library |  Betty Turock and Brian Dubrule, Peddie School
The Judging On March 21, several New Jersey Center for the Book Board members served as judges for the selection of winning essays by students of New Jersey to be submitted to the Library of Congress for consideration in the national competition of winning essays. . Thank you Phyllis Anker, Brian Dubrule and Peddie Library staff for making the arrangements for today's event. Pat Morris will announce the winners at the NJCFB Spring Board Meeting. . Announcement of 2013 Winners . The 2013 Letters About Literature Awards Presentation will take place at Grounds For Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ, on Tuesday, May 14, 2013. . http://www.groundsforsculpture.org |
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. Our Newest Literary Landmark
to be Dedicated on October 23, 2013 . In addition to being the world’s largest collection of jazz-related materials, the Institute of Jazz Studies (IJS) can add yet another distinction to its name. The New Jersey Center for the Book (NJCFB) has designated IJS a New Jersey literary landmark. The NJCFB is the state chapter of the national Center for the Book, which is headquartered at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. . The designation seeks to honor New Jersey’s rich literary history by focusing on special locations or institutions. Past designees have included the Walt Whitman House in Camden, the Newark Public Library, the Paterson Public Library, the oldest continually functioning library in the state, and the Joyce Kilmer tree at Rutgers University. . The Institute of Jazz Studies is the world’s foremost general collection related to the history and study of jazz, used by researchers from around the world. In addition to the extensive collection of books and journals, there are more 100 distinct archival collections, including personal papers, music manuscripts, and memorabilia, belonging to jazz greats from Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Lester Young to Roy Eldridge, Abbey Lincoln and Mary Lou Williams, as well as musical scores, and more than 100,000 sound recordings, from cylinders to digital media. IJS has been consulted by researchers and writers for more than 150 books written on the subject of jazz over the last 30 years, as well as major documentaries on the subject, including Ken Burns’ PBS documentary series Jazz and numerous other PBS and NPR documentaries. IJS has also regularly provided research assistance for a range of other media outlets. . IJS will be the sixth awardee in the eleven years that the NJCFB has been in operation. The celebration will include an official ceremony to mark the designation with Renee Swartz, chair and coordinator of NJCFB, presenting the award. . The Literary Landmark designation program is scheduled for Wednesday, October 23 at 1:30 p.m. in the Dana Room, Dana Library, Newark. The Literary Landmark ceremony will take place first followed by a concert by jazz artist pianist and singer Daryl Sherman. She will be accompanied by two other musicians. The concert will conclude with a Q and A with Daryl, which is customary for the many concerts programs at the IJS. A reception will conclude the event. The concert will also celebrate the opening of an exhibition at the Dana Library on the history of the IJS curated by IJS archivist Tad Hershorn. ... The NJCFB’s mission is to “celebrate books, libraries and the diverse literary heritage of New Jersey.” The broad collections at IJS pay tribute to national and local jazz musicians and offer a rich history of jazz that has produced much scholarship. . The NJCFB is housed at the School of Communication and Information, on Rutgers New Brunswick campus. The National Center for the Book program began in 1977 and now has chapters in all 52 states and territories. .. Click to visit the Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies Website .  | . Teachers --
The Smithsonian Institution has resources for your students' introduction to jazz! . In this music activity, students will learn how to listen to and appreciate authentic jazz recordings by listening to fifteen recordings by jazz greats and reading brief introductions that discuss the relevance of the songs as well as how to listen to them. . Click to visit the Smithsonian's jazz reource for teachers |
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On Saturday, December 1, 2012, Ms. Renee Swartz, Chair of the NJ Center for the Book, awarded the 2012 Miss Rumphius Award to LaDawna Harrington, school media specialist at Millburn High School, Millburn, NJ.. The award was presented at the NJ Association of School Librarians Conference at the Ocean Place Resort & Spa, Long Branch, NJ.  The Miss Rumphius Award was presented to LaDawna in recognition of years of exceptional leadership skills, innovative library media curriculum development, the design of literacy information programs, implementing a myriad of technological advances for collection circulation, and for "significantly increasing student interest and participation that contribute to academic success".
She was nominated for this award by Dr. Robert Keenan, VP, Millburn High School, and Jane Feeney Kade, Millburn High School English Department. In his nomination Dr. Keenan wrote that LaDawna "has provided inspiration for spreading ideas and literacy, not only here at the high school but also at the elementary level, bringing enthusiasm for both grade levels that can only serve to create life long connections to books and the powerful impact they have on our lives." He praised her program in which she "collaborates with the English Department here at the high school and reaches across the district to bring in collaboration from the elementary level. This yearlong theme of storytelling weaves its thread through the research projects that connect directly to novels being read by the students in their writing classes and culminates with a storytelling festival in the elementary school." . . Click to view LaDawna’s lesson plan for her program, "STORIES BY THE YOUNG" |
L to R: NJ State Librarian Mary Chute, Librarian of
Congress Dr. James Billington, Author Walter Dean Myers
|  |  L to R: Sharon Rawlins, Mary Chute, Walter Dean Myers, Kathy Picarello | The New Jersey Center for the Book at the National Book Festival, 2012 The New Jersey Center for the Book again participated in the Library of Congress/ National Book Festival on the great Mall in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, September 22, 2012, from 10am to 5pm. This is the twelfth year that the Library of Congress has been sponsoring this National Book Festival, with attendance reaching over 150,000 visitors who were delighted to spend a day featuring nationally prominent authors, illustrators, historians and poets as well as the art of the book.
The exhibit that the New Jersey Center for the Book brought to Washington featured the book Jazz by Walter Dean Myers, a prominent New Jersey author who was selected this year by the Library of Congress as its National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Myers, a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award and two Newbery Honor Awards will serve as the national youth ambassador for a two-year term. |  L to R: Sharon Rawlins, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services Susan Hildreth, Mary Chute, Kathy Picarello, Larry Picarello
|  Walter Dean Myers speaks with visitors. He was a great favorite with the crowd! | | | |
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The Miss Rumphius Award NJ Center for the Book Seeks Award Nominees Do you know a creative school librarian or media specialist? The New Jersey Center for the Book is currently seeking nominations for its Miss Rumphius Award. Based on the title character of Barbara Cooney’s wonderful book, Miss Rumphius, which won the National Book Award in 1983, this award honors librarians, school media specialists, and educators who are stellar in spreading ideas and literacy. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, September 20, 2013. The nominee must be employed in New Jersey as a professional librarian or certified educator, and must have developed creative activities using Internet resources for learning and literacy. The activity should be collaborative, innovative, and able to be replicated by other librarians and educators. The nominee must be willing to help produce his or her program for other classrooms and/or libraries. The award will be presented at the New Jersey Association of School Librarians conference at Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ, on Friday evening, October 4, 2013. . The nomination shall include:
· the full name of the nominee and the place of employment;
· shall describe the activity or program in complete detail;
· shall describe the setting in which it takes place;
· shall indicate the collaborative aspects;
· shall indicate the innovative aspects of the program or activity and indicate how it can be replicated;
· shall include the full name and title of the nominator with address, email, phone number and fax number.
· shall include a letter of support from an administrator, from a former or current student, from a client or patron, or from a member of the staff. . Nominations will be accepted until Friday, September 20, 2013. Either mail or PDF files are acceptable for submission. . Nominations may be mailed to:. Dagmar Finkle
7 Bond Avenue
Lavallette, NJ 08735
Questions and PDF submissions email:
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Miss Rumphius Award Winners . click on link to read about each winner . 2007 Jacqueline E. Gould, Clearview Regional School 2008 Michelle Marhefka, Clearview Middle School |
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Renee Swartz, Chairperson of the New Jersey Center for the Book, received the New Jersey Library Champion of the Year Award for 2012 at the New Jersey Library Association Conference in Atlantic City which was held at the Revel Resort from June 4 to June 6.  The presentation of the New Jersey Library Champion Award was made at the State Librarian's Breakfast on Wednesday, June 6th, between 8:00 and 9:00 am. Many Center for the Book Board members joined their colleagues in the New Jersey Library Association at the presentation to honor a true Library Champion, Renee Swartz, who has vigorously advocated for New Jersey's libraries for more than forty years.
Congratulations, Renee, from all your friends at the New Jersey Center for the Book. We are so proud of your extraordinary accomplishments. . Click to read acceptance speech by Renee Swartz at 2012 NJ Library Association Conference Click to see photos of the Presentation of the 2012 Library Champion Award
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Chloe Rosen, our guest chef, who partnered with Chef David Burke at the very successful Center for the Book “Food for Thought: What's on Your Plate” Festival in Manalapan this spring, was just selected as one of 21 youth from across the country to join the Alliance for a Healthier Generation's Youth Advisory Board. Alliance for a Healthier Generation is a non-profit initiative from the Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association focused on combating childhood obesity. A big part of her one year of service to the board will be in creating a service learning project aimed at youth to encourage healthy eating and exercise. Chloe is entering the 11th grade at Noble and Greenough School. She loves to cook and was the recipient of the Next Great Young Chef Award by Kiwi Magazine in 2010. Every week, Chloe helps teach a healthy cooking class to a group of 20 kindergartens through 2nd graders at her local elementary school. She has also filmed 10 videos for the local online food site How2Heroes. Chloe was the 2012 Keynote Speaker with Chef David Burke at the "Food for Thought" program sponsored by the NJ Center for the Book, where she prepared healthy recipes to a crowd of 600 people. She was also the youngest Chef featured on stage at "Chef Fest" at the 2012 New England Home Show and was selected to serve as a counselor at Harvard University/Chop Chop Magazine's summer cooking and science camp. . Following a nationwide search, the Alliance selected a group of youth ages 8-17 from diverse backgrounds to serve on the Board. These youth leaders are invited to join the Alliance for one year of service based on a combination of factors, including evidence of their passion for living a healthier life and a desire to inspire others to join them. See information about our Food for Thought program: http://www.njcenterforthebook.org/content/view/182/ See Chloe's webpage: http://itsaseasyaspie.com/. See the official press release for Chloe's appointment: Alliance Press Release Read about the Alliance for a Healthier Generation's Youth Advisory Board and the work of the Alliance: http://healthiergeneration.org/ http://www.healthiergeneration.org/teens.aspx?id=4294967493 |
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Certificates of Recognition at 2012 NJLA Conference On Tuesday, June 5, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. during the NJLA Conference, the New Jersey Center for the Book hosted a reception to honor the 344 public libraries in the state of New Jersey by awarding them a certificate of honorary membershjip in the New Jersey Center for the Book. The reception was held in the perfunction area outside Ovation Hall at 11:00 am on Tuesday, June 5th.
A personal invitation was sent to every library director. |
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The Essence of a Year in the Life of the   New Jersey Center for the Book by Pat Morris . The New Jersey Center for the Book completed its tenth year as a vibrant organization under the extraordinarily capable direction of the chair, Renee B. Swartz, and succeeding in its mission to provide multiple ways to highlight avenues for literacy in the Garden State. . This year marked several events that showed the diversity of literacy. Science is Fundamental was a program at Monmouth  County Library that targeted, on various day, different age groups. This was modeled on the first science literacy activity held a couple of years ago for the Center, Stellar Science Spectacular, at the Liberty Science Center. . Another event held at the Monmouth County Library to commemorate the anniversary of the Civil War was the Civil War Tea. September is always a great time for the National Book Festival in Washington on the Great Mall. New Jersey Center for the Book promotes the state and its reading efforts there. . The Center honored New Jersey’s own Walter Dean Myers at its Tenth Anniversary celebration held at the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers, New Brunswick. SC&I Dean Jorge Reina Schement presented acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers with the Rutgers School of Communication & Information Award for Distinguished Literature for Children and Young Adults. . The Literary Lion Award was awarded to Riletta Cream, Camden County Freeholder. One of the events that Freeholder Cream chaired was the celebration of the Walt Whitman House in Camden. Riletta Cream is a true literary lion. . The Miss Rumphius Award this year went to Dr. Dana Sheridan of the Cotsen Children’s Library at Princeton. Dr. Sheridan received her award at the Fall NJASL Conference. . The Letters About Literature Celebration for 86 finalists and winners was held at the Princeton University Art Museum. In addition to honoring the students, the Center paid special attention to the teachers who have been so instrumental over the years in using the program in their curriculum and helping their students succeed. . Teacher of the Decade Award was given to Brian Hanson-Harding, Northern Valley Regional High School, Old Tappan, NJ. . Special Teacher Recognition Citations were awarded to Laura Stegmuller, Burlington Township Middle School; Donna Marcy, Columbia Middle School, Berkeley Heights; Catherine Mc Guinness and Lisa O’Shea, Community Middle School, West Windsor-Plainsboro; Cean Spahn and Charles Janesak, Lewis F. Cole Middle School, Fort Lee; Christine Maffa, Churchill Jr. High School, East Brunswick; Joan Marie Bellotti, High Tech High School; Mary B. Vargas, Toms River High School North; and Janis Rose, Rutherford Schools. |
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What teachers tell us about
Letters about Literature . "The day I asked for volunteers to read their letters aloud in class was the kind of day teachers need from time to time; it confirmed why I teach and why I love to teach language arts! I would not have traded places that day with anyone on earth, for I cannot imagine a more poignant moment than that. Thank you for sponsoring this wonderful contest!” —Cita Smith, Tuscaloosa Academy, Tuscaloosa, AL There was a 'buzz' in the air when we lived out our LAL days! They were excited to share their opinions and talk to the author. . . . I now encourage mys tudents to read books in a new light. It has enhanced my curriculum, becoming a major part of it. LAL gave reluctant reders a purpose and anew perspective. --Library Science Teacher from Hazleton, PA "I cannot begin to tell you how rewarding this experience is. My class grew so much as they analzyed their lives, their hearts, and the wonderful books they have read. I have taught over 20 years and this is my 16th year in 6th grade. By far, this is one of the best, most meaningful things I have ever done with kids. Just to go through the challenge of writing these letters changes lives! I excitedly look forward to doing this as long as I am teaching in the classroom. Sincerely, Mrs. Dale Johnson, Utah Without the impetus of the LAL program, I probably wouldn't ask my students to reflect on the texts they read in such a personal manner. I'd prep them for their standardized testing, and be sure they could defend interpretations of literature using appropriate rhetorical strategies, and I might have a class of brilliant academic writers. What the LAL program does for my students is remind them that literature is, at its heart, an expression of the human condition, frequently an expression of things they may be feeling or have already felt. Pat Marshall, Porta HS, Petersburg, IL |
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Trader Joe’s • Sickles Market • Wegmans • Monmouth County Historical Association • Master Gardeners of Monmouth County • 
