Press Release Fun: I Almost Want to Know This More Than the Newbery/Caldecott 2010 Winners

I have to wait a whole MONTH to know this????  Library of Congress, thy name is cruelty.

New National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
to Be Announced on January 5, 2010, at the Library of Congress

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington will announce the next National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature on January 5, 2010, at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Appointed for a two-year term, the post was created in conjunction with the Children’s Book Council (CBC) and Every Child a Reader to raise national awareness of the importance of young people’s literature as it relates to literacy, education, and the development and betterment of children’s lives. The National Ambassador will choose a platform accordingly, also to be revealed on the announcement date, and will advocate this policy throughout his/her travels and tenure.

The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature is named by the Librarian of Congress based on recommendations from a selection committee representing many segments of the book community. The selection criteria include the candidate’s contribution to young people’s literature and ability to relate to children. The members of the selection committee were:

Rita Auerbach, Chairperson of the ALA 2007 Notables committee (ALSC) and a retired school librarian

Betty Carter, Professor Emerita in the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman’s University

Diane Roback, Senior Editor, Children’s Books, Publishers Weekly since 1990

Jon Scieszka, inaugural National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature

Angela Sherrill, the children’s book buyer and coordinator for 57th Street Books

Roger Sutton, Editor-in-Chief of The Horn Book since 1996; previously editor of The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books and a children’s and young adult librarian

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, the Children’s Book Council (CBC) and Every Child a Reader are the sponsors of the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature initiative. Financial support for the National Ambassador program is provided by Penguin Young Readers Group, Scholastic Inc., Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Random House Children’s Books, Macmillan Publishers, Holiday House, Charlesbridge, National Geographic Children’s Books, Candlewick Press, and Marshall Cavendish Publishers.

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress was established in 1977 to use the resources of the Library of Congress to stimulate public interest in books and reading. With public and private sector support, the center carries out its mission through a national network of affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and in cooperation with more than 80 national reading promotion partners such as the Children’s Book Council. The center plays a key role in the Library of Congress’s National Book Festival, held each year on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. For more information about the center, go to www.read.gov/cfb/.

The Children’s Book Council, established in 1945, is the nonprofit trade association of publishers of trade books for children and young adults in the United States. The CBC promotes the use and enjoyment of trade books for young people, most prominently as the official sponsor of Children’s Book Week, the longest running literacy event in the country. The goal of the Children’s Book Council is to make the reading and enjoyment of books for young people an essential part of America’s educational and social goals, as well as to enhance the public perception of the importance of reading by disseminating information about books for young people and about children’s book publishing.

Every Child a Reader, the CBC Foundation, is a separate legal entity created by the Board of Directors of the CBC. Every Child a Reader is dedicated to supporting positive programs and opportunities that help promote the enjoyment and importance of reading among America’s youth. For more information about the CBC, please visit www.cbcbooks.org and for Every Child a Reader, please visit www.ecarfoundation.org.

For more information about the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, go to www.ChildrensBookAmbassador.com.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Virginia Anagnos, (212) 576-2700 x222, Virginia@goodmanmedia.com

Meghan Newton, (212) 576-2700 x245, mnewton@goodmanmedia.com

Goodman Media International, Inc. for Library of Congress and Children’s Book Council

All I know is that Rita and Jon better watch their backs, or they’re gonna find themselves pounced upon by an overeager children’s librarian DESPERATE to know who it’s gonna be.

Filed under: Press Release Fun