National Book Festival 2007
Featured Book

FLOTSAM  by  David Wiesner

FLOTSAM by David Wiesner has been selected as the featured book for the New Jersey Center for the Book Pavilion at the National Book Festival held on the Mall inWashington, DC, on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2007.

Click here for information about the National Book Festival

Dear New Jersey Letters About Literature Winners, Honorable Mentions, and Semi-Finalists,

It is my pleasure to invite you to a state-wide reception on Thursday, June 14, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Winants Hall on the Rutgers campus in New Brunswick.  Because we are a large group and the facility is small, please limit the number attending to three (3). RSVP by Sunday, May 20 to me, Pat Morris, at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with your name and number attending.

Parking for this event is available in two Rutgers lots, #1 and #11. They are pictured on the Rutgers homepage (www.rutgers.edu) under “Map & Directions.” If you have Adobe Reader, they are also available below.

Dean Friedrich is coordinating tours of the campus, if you are interested.  Two different tours of about 90 minutes each are available before the reception, but you must book through Dean Friedrich at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please put Letters About Literature Tours in the subject line.

Lastly, some really good news.  Laura Feibush, our Level 3 New Jersey winner, became a national semifinalist, one of only five who rose to the top level three from all 56,000 students.  Congratulations, Laura.

A Continuing Celebration of Miss Rumphius Award 2006-2007

The New Jersey Center for the Book is expanding upon the concept conceived by the RTEACHER listserv who presents an award to educators who develop and share exceptional Internet resources for literacy and learning, We proudly announce the inauguration of our Miss Rumphius Award.  Based on the title character of Barbara Cooney’s wonderful book, Miss Rumphius, which won the National Book Award in 1983, our award will honor librarians and school media specialists who do something stellar in spreading ideas and literacy, perpetuating the idea of excellence in our profession.

Miss Cooney, in her acceptance speech for the 1959 Caldecott Medal, said,  

“I believe that children in this country need a more robust literary diet than they are getting.  … It does not hurt them to read about good and evil, love and hate, life and death. Nor do I think they should read only about things that they understand.  “…a man’s reach should exceed his grasp.” So should a child’s. For myself, I will never talk down to—or draw down to—children.”

The New Jersey Center for the Book calls for nominations for this award. 

This year, in conjunction with the renovation and reopening of the Liberty Science Center, the nominating activity must be science-related.  The nominee must be employed in New Jersey as a library professional.  The activity should be collaborative, innovative, science-related, and replicable. The nominee must be willing to be a part of the replication process. The activity will be published on the web site of The New Jersey Center for the Book.

The nomination shall include the full name of the nominee, the place of employment and complete contact information;  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.  The nomination 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.

BETA PHI MU

Omicron Chapter
Thursday, September 20, 2007
at the Scholarly Communication Center, Alexander Library
Reception: 4:00 PM
Lecture:     4:30 PM

Beta Phi Mu, Omicron Chapter, in cooperation with The New Jersey Center for the Book and Rutgers University Libraries present “How Libraries Help Learning: Especially in Underserved Districts” by Wilma Grey   

For more information and instructions for obtaining a Parking Permit see Upcoming Events

A Stellar Science Spectacular Event is coming to New Jersey
September 25, 2007 at the Liberty Science Center

Report on a Stellar Science Spectacular Event

Register for a day of science teaching tools, projects, research methods, grantsmanship and exhibit tours designed especially for science teachers and library media specialists.

Participants may earn up to six hours of professional development credit in an optimum environment created for science teaching and learning at the newly renovated Liberty Science Center in Jersey City.

Early Bird Registrations postmarked by June 30, 2007, will receive free IMAX admission and will be eligible for the drawing for a laptop computer.

Registration is now closed.

The Stellar Science Spectacular Event is a partnership project of the New Jersey Center for the Book and the Liberty Science Center

Lucille Davy (NJ Commissioner of Education), Norma Blake (NJ State Librarian), Renee Swartz (Director, NJ Center for the Book), Gus Friedrich (Dean, SCILS), Wilma Gray )Newark Librarian) photo from Liberty Science Center

An Evening of Poetry with David Tucker
November 14, 2007 

David Tucker, a resident of South Orange, NJ, and one of the two 2007 Witter Bynner Fellowship winners, read before a full house on November 14th. The reading, co-sponsored by the Rutgers University Libraries, The Writers House and the New Jersey Center for the Book, brought in a mixed audience of students, faculty and members of the community, who stayed after to ask Tucker questions, both formally, in a Q and A session, and informally at a Writer’s House collation.

Click here to read more about the event