rgz Newsflash: Reach Out and Read

    

So excited to learn of Reach Out and Read and then hear my work was chosen for the program. Check it out and visit the drive. Here's to readergirlz' little sister site, readertotz, and community service for them! 

Reach Out and Read prepares America's youngest children to succeed in school by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together. In the Greater New York region, we provide new, age-appropriate books and literacy guidance to over a quarter of a million children. 

Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish is one of 11 books included in the online Virtual Book Drive. www.reachoutandreadnyc.org/VirtualBookDrive.htm

This year the celebration is the 14^th Anniversary of Reach Out and Read of Greater New York, on May 6, 2013, at The Helen Mills Event Space and Theater in New York City. Susan Kaufman, Editor of Time Inc.’s People StyleWatch Magazine will serve as Auction Chair. 

Pediatrician Dr. Leora Mogilner

Thanks for taking a look. And thanks to Scholastic for their contributions! 

rgz Newsflash: Arthur A. Levine

A definite perk to the business is getting to hang out with editors and authors made of awesome. Last night I attended Plot for Tots orchestrated by former rgz team member, Sara Easterly. Imagine a toddler mosh pit, an amazing musician, and authors reading board and picture books with proceeds going to charity Page Ahead. Sweet!

What an honor to be included in the awesome lineup along with one of the industry's most charming editor/authors, Arthur A. Levine. Are those not the cutest glasses he wears?

While I read Hug Hug! and Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish, he read Monday is One Day. Watch for my review of his picture book on Friday at readertotz!

Do I need say, here is the U.S. editor for the Harry Potter series? *squeeeeeee* Ah, good times!

readertotz is Awarded!

Many thanks to Online Schools for recognizing readertotz as one of the Best Children's Lit Blogs in the industry. Joan and I are honored!

Presented by Guide to Online Schools

rgz Newsflash: People of Color in Children's Lit

Hey rgz!

I just posted about multicultural representation in board books and thought to share this chart from the Cooperative Children's Book Center. It's a wrap up of all books for children, including YA. Interesting?

Children's Books By and About People of Color Published in the U.S.

Year	Total Number of Books Published (Est.)	Number of Books Received at CCBC	African / African Americans		American Indians		Asian Pacifics/ Asian Pacific Americans		Latinos
			By	About	By	About	By	About	By	About
2009	5,000	3,000	83	157	12	33	67	80	60	61
2008	5,000	3,000	83	172	9	40	77	98	48	79
2007	5,000	3,000	77	150	6	44	56	68	42	59
2006	5,000	3,000	87	153	14	41	72	74	42	63
2005	5,000	2,800	75	149	4	34	60	64	50	76
2004	5,000	2,800	99	143	7	33	61	65	37	61
2003	5,000	3,200	79	171	11	95	43	78	41	63
2002	5,000	3,150	69	166	6	64	46	91	48	94

Calling all rgz! Share your stories of your experiences. Publishers, we want to read them!

readertotz Press Release!

For more information contact:

Sara Easterly, Publicist, sara@saraeasterly.com, 206-632-8588

READERGIRLZ EXPANDS WITH A NEW FRANCHISE: READERTOTZ

Celebrated author/illustrators Lorie Ann Grover and Joan Holub launch readertotz in an effort to recognize the infant-toddler book as a vital addition to children's literature.

December 2, 2008 (Seattle, Wash.) – readergirlz co-founder and author/illustrator Lorie Ann Grover and author/illustrator Joan Holub have just launched readertotz (http://readertotz.blogspot.com/), a unique board book blog that aims to raise awareness of the infant-toddler book as a significant format of children's literature.

While picture books, books for beginning readers, middle-grade novels and young-adult literature have been recognized with major awards such as the Caldecott, Theodor Seuss Geisel Medal, the Newbery, the Printz and the National Book Award, it is rare to find such esteem given to infant-toddler books—despite their importance in instilling a life-long love of books and reading in the youngest readers.

"Board books are certainly overlooked and misunderstood, and they serve such an important purpose in introducing babies and toddlers to books," said Rotem Moscovich, Associate Editor, Scholastic. "What they are, how they work (and taste). The board makes it possible for them to do it themselves, and also to feel comfortable with books."

Taking the lead from readergirlz, which boasts more than 8,000 members, readertotz will showcase high-quality literature. Lorie Ann Grover and Joan Holub will feature weekly blog posts that highlight the best contributions in the infant-toddler book arena and recommend monthly community service projects appropriate for families with young children to enjoy. Also included each month: an age-appropriate playlist and a recommended book for the older sibling.

"readertotz is our effort to raise the bar in board and novelty book literature," says Lorie Ann Grover. "We're challenging our colleagues to write great books for the youngest readers and encouraging the industry to publish those works. Eventually, we hope to work with the American Library Association to establish an award for infant-toddler books that's equivalent to the Caldecott and Theodor Geisel Award."

Lorie Ann Grover (http://lorieanngrover.blogspot.com/) has authored three young-adult novels and three board books. Joan Holub (http://www.joanholub.com/) is the author of more than 100 children's books, many of which she has also illustrated.

About readergirlz

readergirlz is the foremost online book community for teen girls, led by six critically acclaimed YA authors—Dia Calhoun (Avielle of Rhia), Holly Cupala (A Light That Never Goes Out) Lorie Ann Grover (On Pointe), Justina Chen Headley (Girl Overboard), Mitali Perkins (First Daughter: White House Rules), and Melissa Walker (the Violet series). readergirlz is the recipient of a 2007 James Patterson PageTurner Award and the Association for Library Services to Children, ALA, Great Web Sites Award.