Center for the Book at the New Hampshire Book Notes State Library Spring 2005 Vol. 1 , Issue 1 Celebrating Books and Reading in the Granite State By Michael York State Librarian New Hampshire Writers Project, the program. Future projects may include Established to promote books, read- Poetry Society of New Hampshire, sponsoring a statewide book award, ing, libraries and literacy the Center the New Hampshire Library Trust- and perhaps working with our vari- for the Book in the Library of Con- ees Association, and the New Hamp- ous partners to co-sponsor a book gress celebrates the importance of shire Library Association. festival. Recently, we launched a books and the printed word. The membership program which we hope national Center has affiliate state cen- There are of course a number of will connect us with New ters for the book, many of which are places in New Hampshire that the Hampshire’s readers and generate part of their state library, while oth- Center for the Book could have support for the development of new ers are attached to public libraries or ended up, but the State Library, projects and programs. state humanities councils. Wanting to which is committed to the develop- be part of this heritage, New Hamp- ment of the Center for the Book — Given the talent and enthusiasm shire joined with the other affiliates in we see it as offering great benefits present in our state, I am confident 2002 as a member of this wonderful for New Hampshire — seems like a that the Center will do very well and consortium. Although people now get perfect fit. The State library has in will act as a catalyst for programs information in many formats other the past worked closely with a wide centered on books and literacy. The than printed on paper, the book still variety of organizations, like those on people of New Hampshire who are plays a vital role and the New Hamp- the Center’s Advisory Board on interested in literature and literacy shire State Library recognized this projects that offered mutual benefit now have an organization they can when we created our own Center for to everyone involved. Of course the rely on to keep them informed and the Book. The Center for the Book State Library also works closely with entertained. We hope that this inau- at the New Hampshire State Library public and school libraries through- gural issue of Book Notes will pro- became the New Hampshire affiliate out the state. Because of our experi- vide you with an introduction to the of the Center for the Book in the Li- ence and our ties to so many New Center and what we do. brary of Congress in 2002. Hampshire organizations, the State Library is a place where the Center INSIDE THIS ISSUE When Katie McDonough, who was for the Book will do very well. We at the time a member of the Library have a very talented director of the Letters About Literature 2 Development section staff here at the Center for the Book, Mary Russell. Poetry Society of NH 3 State Library, made our application She has great ideas and the energy IMPAC Dublin Award 4 for affiliate status to the national Cen- and passion to turn those ideas into Award Notes 4 ter she indicated that we would part- great programs. NH Books Column 5 ner with like-minded New Hampshire Reader Recommendations 6 organizations to provide programs on Our current programs include par- Ladybug Winner 2004 7 books and reading of interest to the ticipation in the national Letters About Trina Schart Hyman 8 citizens of New Hampshire. The Ad- Literature competition, sponsorship Books in Unexpected Places 9 visory Board for our Center includes of the Ladybug Picture Book Award, NHHC Journeys to the Edge 10 representatives from a number of nominating books for the IMPAC NH Summer Reading Program 11 these organizations including the New Dublin Literary Award, and involve- Center for the Book at LC 12 Hampshire Humanities Council, the ment with the Granite State Reads Spring 2005 - 1 Center for the Book Letters About Literature at the New Hampshire Letters About Literature (LAL) is The complete list of titles that in- State Library a reading and writing promotion spired 2005 LAL entries is avail- program of the Center for the Book able on our web site. in the Library of Congress, pre- Mary A. Russell, Director sented in partnership with Target In recognition of their accomplish- 603-271-2866 Stores. To enter, young readers ment, each student who wrote a [email protected] wrote a personal letter to an author semifinalist letter received a certifi- explaining how his or her work cate and a bookmark depicting the 2005 Advisory Board changed their view of the world or 2005 inspirational titles at their com- themselves. Readers petition level. There were Chair selected authors from two competition levels in Carrie Thomas any genre—fiction or New Hampshire this year: Colby-Sawyer College nonfiction, contempo- level I included students in rary or classic. There grades 4-6 and level II in- Vice-Chair th th Jackie Gardner, CHILIS were three competition cluded 7 and 8 graders. levels in the program: The semifinalist essays at Van McLeod upper elementary, each level were sent to a NH Dept.of Cultural Resources middle school, and sec- panel of New Hampshire ondary. The contest judges who will select a Cathy Higgins theme encouraged state winner at each level. NH Dept. of Education young readers to ex- The essays of these state plore their personal re- winners will be sent on for Michael York sponse to a book and the national competition. New Hampshire State Library then express that re- The 2005 New Hampshire sponse in a creative, Katie Goodman winners will be announced New Hampshire Writers Project original way. in early April on our web site. Deborah Watrous Three hundred elemen- NH Humanities Council tary and middle school New Hampshire first par- students from New ticipated in this national Cynthia Huntington Hampshire sent letters reading and writing com- Poet Laureate of New Hampshire for the 2005 LAL com- petition in 2004. Last petition. Unfortunately, year’s New Hampshire winners Becky Albert no semifinalist quality essays were were: NH Educational Media Association received from New Hampshire high school students this year. Two Andrea Thorpe • Samantha Lo, a fourth grader at NH Library Association groups of readers working on be- Thorntons Ferry School in half of the Center for the Book in Merrimack who wrote to Candace Sally Jones the Library of Congress read the Goldapper, author of the story NH Library Trustees Association 45,500 essays from students Daddy’s Girl … at Long Last, from throughout the United States and Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul. Pat Frisella selected semifinalists for each par- Poetry Society of New Hampshire ticipating state. There were thirty • Helen H. Aki, a homeschooled essays selected as New eighth grader from Weare, who Eleanor Strang Hampshire’s semifinalists. wrote to Tamora Pierce, author of Urban Public Library Consortium the Protector of the Small series. From the tragic story of hockey Micheal Herrmann player Travis Roy to the hilarious Gibson’s Bookstore, Concord • Zoe Cannon, a homeschooled exploits of Donna Ciocca’s Harley eleventh grader from Nottingham, Katie McDonough and Homer, the books that inspired who wrote to Stephanie S. Tolan, Kimball Public Library, Atkinson the students’ semifinalist letters author of Welcome to the Ark. cover a range of topics and genres. New Hampshire’s Literary Community Congratulations The Poetry Society to the of New Hampshire LAL 2005 NH By Pat Frisella, Semifinalists! President, PSNH Shannon Barrett The Poetry Society of New Hamp- I am happy to report the PSNH shire (PSNH) has been noodling seems to be on solid footing now with Hannah Benson around the fringes of the literary over 200 members and non-profit Nathan Berardi community since the early 1960’s status. when it first got its corporate char- Stephanie Brady ter, complete with a logo of Pe- From a sleepy social club we have Evelyn Bulkeley gasus touching down on the stone become a dynamic organization -- hence the title of our quarterly sponsoring readers, hosting open Shauna Casey publication, The Poet’s Touch- mics, and most recently programming Aaron Crosby stone. The magazine includes po- a monthly spoken-word radio pro- ems, reviews, articles about poetry, gram. This past year we offered Madison Doucette and art. We sponsor quarterly na- readings by Pulitzer Prize winner Britta Haley tional contests offering $1000 in Maxine Kumin and a performance prize money, members-only con- program featuring the works of Walt Danielle Hirshberg tests, and youth contests. Winning Whitman, Emily Dickinson and Sarah D. Huckins poems are published in the maga- Langston Hughes. Our radio show zine. In addition to our quarterly is on the first Sunday of the month Liz Kendall magazine, we occasionally publish from 5 to 7pm on WSCA-LP Sammi Landino books of poetry, the most recent (106.1), Portsmouth Community Ra- being Images from Ruin. We are dio. A recent show featured Rodger Spenser LaRosa working on one on war and peace, Martin, members of the Highway Karissa Layden due out atthe end of this year, and Poets Motorcycle Club, and musi- then will begin in earnest working cians. Each month we host an open Tommy Lynch on a book of poems of place, the mic at Borders Books on Ft. Eddy place being New Hampshire. Road in Concord following featured Gunnar Nelson readers. Stephanie Ann Parisi We charge modest membership Ashley C.