All public libraries, including branches, in Michigan should have received their Ready to Read Michigan kits in the mail by now.  If not, please check with your director and then contact Cathy Lancaster at lancasterc5@michigan.gov.  Included in the kits are:

• 1 book for storytime use both in and outside the library (please add to circulating collection when you retire the storytime program)
• 3 books for outreach to local school libraries/classrooms/child care facilities that the public librarian visits and conducts an outreach storytime in 
• 4 posters, 1 for your library and 3 for outreach storytimes
•  500 Bookmarks promoting the book and early literacy tips
• A short Programming Guide (online option) that highlights themes from the book, activities to model the 5 practices of ECRR, read-a-likes and a few printables. 

The extra books are intended for outreach by each branch for "March is Reading Month." In January the Library of Michigan presented a webinar with Jenifer Strauss on storytime ideas for I Got the Rhythm, and we are working to get a recording of that webinar out to you soon.  

Meanwhile, take the time to check out the 2018 Ready to Read Michigan Programming and Resource Guide online now!  The Programming guide is broken down into storytime outlines for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and all ages.  It also includes tips on the 5 Practices of Every Child Ready to Read (Talk, Play, Sing, Write, Read) and read-a-like suggestions.  

If you are not a public library but are interested in requesting a kit if we have any extras, please complete the RTRM Kit Request form for your organization. Please be mindful that this is not the former Michigan Reads program and kits do not get mailed to schools, Great Start or Head Start programs automatically. Any extra kits will be mailed in the order the request was received, while supplies last, in late Febraury/early March.  

I Got the Rhythm author Connie Schofield-Morrison and illustrator Frank Morrison will be traveling throughout Michigan in March 2018. 

Connie Schofield-Morrison is a mother, author, and entrepreneur.  She spent most of her childhood reading and writing poetry, songs, and fairy tales. At the age of 19, Connie married her high school sweetheart Frank Morrison, a professional dancer. In 1999 Frank & Connie started their online art gallery, Morrison Graphics, which opened as a physical gallery in 2005 in the Old Fourth Ward of Atlanta, GA.  Frank painted and illustrated, while Connie continued to take care of the business, their home, and  their children, while writing children’s books in her spare time. Her debut picture book, I Got The Rhythm, is her first collaboration with husband and illustrator, Frank Morrison. It was a Bank Street College of Education’s Best Book of the Year. She is now working on two sequels to I Got the Rhythm for Bloomsbury, and has an upcoming historical biography picture book with Holiday House.

Growing up in New Jersey, Frank Morrison began developing his own style through ‘R.I.P’ art scenes that brought him considerable street recognition and local acclaim. But it wasn’t until he visited the Louvre Museum in Paris with his dancing group, that he realized painting was his true creative path. His talent and hard work paid off with over 20 illustrated children’s books, including the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award winner, Jazzy Miz Mozetta and the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor book, Little Melba and her Big Trombone.

The Ready to Read Michigan tour schedule is subject to change.  If you wish to attend or bring a group to any performance, please contact the library listed directly for details.

Sunday, March 18 at 1:50 PM - Early Childhood Literacy Coalition's Family Day at the Hannah Center, 819 Abbot Rd., East Lansing. 

Monday, March 19 at 9:30 AM - Kalamazoo Public Library hosts at Northeastern Elementary School, 2433 Gertrude St., Kalamazoo.

Monday, March 19 at 1:00 PM - Marshall District Library hosts at Marshall Public School's Shamrock Center, 400 N Gordon St., Marshall.

Tuesday, March 20 at 10:00 AM - Willam P. Faust Public Library, 6123 Central City Parkway, Westland.

Tuesday, March 20 at 1:00 PM - DPL's Edison Branch Library, 18400 Joy Rd., Detroit.

Wednesday, March 21 at 10:00 AM - Highland Township Public Library, 444 Beach Farm Circle, Highland.

Wednesday, March 21 at 12:00 PM - Holly Township Library hosts at Patterson Elementary, 3231 Grange Hall Rd., Holly.

Wednesday, March 21 at 5:00 PM - Flint Public Library, 1026 E. Kearsley St., Flint.

Thursday, March 22 at 10:00 AM - Public Libraries of Saginaw host at Henry Doerr ECC, 3270 Perkins St., Saginaw.

Thursday, March 22 at 2:00 PM - Chippewa River District Library, 301 S. University Ave., Mt. Pleasant. 

"Through the Early Learning Study at Harvard, [Professors] Lesaux and Jones aim to update the science around child care by examining the links between children’s development and the characteristics of the educational and care settings where they spend their formative years, be those relatives’ homes or unlicensed daycare centers or, for comparison, local Head Starts and Montessori preschools."  ~ Gauging How Children Grow, Learn, Thrive, from The Harvard Gazette. (Image: Average rates of special education placement, grade retention, and high school graduation from an analysis of 22 early education studies. Source: "Impacts of Early Childhood Education on Medium- and Long-Term Educational Outcomes, " Dana Charles McCoy, 2017.)

Governor Snyder to Include More Money for Eduction in Budget, Detroit Free Press. Meanwhile, the Michigan Department of Education announced their Parent Dashboard for School Transparency, "to advance the State Board of Education’s vision of an easy-to-use dashboard filled with meaningful school-level data that offers a more balanced picture of school quality."

DENVER– The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books, video and audio books for children and young adults—including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Printz awards—at its Midwinter Meeting in Denver, Colorado.

A list of all the 2018 award winners follows:

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature: “Hello, Universe” written by Erin Entrada Kelly, is the 2018 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Three Newbery Honor Books also were named: “Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut,” written by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James and published by Bolden, an Agate Imprint, a Denene Millner Book; “Long Way Down,” written by Jason Reynolds and published by Atheneum, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, a Caitlyn Dlouhy Book and “Piecing Me Together,” written by Renée Watson and published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:

“Wolf in the Snow,” illustrated and written by Matthew Cordell is the 2018 Caldecott Medal winner. The book was published by Feiwel and Friends, an Imprint of Macmillan.

Four Caldecott Honor Books also were named: “Big Cat, little cat,” illustrated and written by Elisha Cooper and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership; “Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut,” illustrated by Gordon C. James, written by Derrick Barnes, and published by Bolden, an Agate Imprint, a Denene Millner Book; “A Different Pond,” illustrated by Thi Bui, written by Bao Phi and published by Capstone Young Readers, a Capstone imprint and “Grand Canyon,” illustrated and written by Jason Chin, a Neal Porter Book, published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership.

Coretta Scott King Book Awards recognizing African American authors and illustrators of outstanding books for children and young adults:

“Piecing Me Together,” written by Renée Watson, is the King Author Award winner. The book is published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books.

Three King Author Honor Books also were named: “Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut,” written by Derrick Barnes, published by Bolden, an Agate Imprint, a Denene Millner Book;  “Long Way Down,” written by Jason Reynolds, published by Atheneum, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, a Caitlyn Dlouhy Book and “The Hate U Give,” written by Angie Thomas, published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

 “Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets,” illustrated by Ekua Holmes, is the King Illustrator Award winner. The book is written by Kwame Alexander with Chris Colderly and Marjory Wentworth and published by Candlewick Press.

Two King Illustrator Honor Books also were named: “Crown: An Ode to a Fresh Cut,” illustrated by Gordon C. James, written by Derrick Barnes and published by Bolden, an Agate Imprint, a Denene Millner Book and “Before She Was Harriet: The Story of Harriet Tubman,” illustrated by James E. Ransome, written by Lesa Cline-Ransome and published by Holiday House.  

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award to affirm new talent:

“The Stars Beneath Our Feet,” written by David Barclay Moore, is the Steptoe Author Award winner. The book is published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

“Mama Africa! How Miriam Makeba Spread Hope with Her Song,” illustrated by Charly Palmer, is the Steptoe Illustrator Award winner. The book is written by Kathryn Erskine and published by Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.

Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:

Eloise Greenfield is the winner of the Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton.

            Eloise Greenfield was born in Parmele, North Carolina, and currently resides in Washington, D.C. Early in life, she discovered a love of reading and writing and realized there were few books that showed the fullness of African American life. She published her first book in 1972 and went on to write and publish more than 40 books. From “Honey, I Love” to “The Great Migration,” this multiple award-winning author has captivated audiences through the years.

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:

“We Are Okay,” written by Nina LaCour, is the 2018 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Dutton Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers.

Four Printz Honor Books also were named: “The Hate U Give,” written by Angie Thomas and published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “Long Way Down,” written by Jason Reynolds and published by Caitlyn Dlouhy Books/Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing; “Strange the Dreamer,” written by Laini Taylor and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, a division of Hachette Book Group and “Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers,” written by Deborah Heiligman and published by Godwin Books/Henry Holt, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:

“Silent Days, Silent Dreams,” written and illustrated by Allen Say and published by Arthur A. Levine Books, an Imprint of Scholastic Inc., wins the award for young children (ages 0 to 8).

“Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess,” written by Shari Green and published by Pajama Press Inc., is the winner for middle grades (ages 9-13).

“You’re Welcome, Universe,” written and illustrated by Whitney Gardner and published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC is the winner for teens (ages 14-18).

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:

“All Systems Red,” by Martha Wells, a Tor.com Book, published by Thomas Doherty Associates; “The Clockwork Dynasty,” by Daniel H. Wilson, published by Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House LLC; “Down Among the Sticks and Bones,” by Seanan McGuire, a Tor.com Book, published by Thomas Doherty Associates; “Electric Arches,” by Eve L. Ewing, published by Haymarket Books; “A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea,” by Melissa Fleming, published by Flatiron Books; “Malagash,” by Joey Comeau, published by ECW Press; “Roughneck,” by Jeff Lemire, published by Gallery 13, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.; “She Rides Shotgun,” by Jordan Harper, published by Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “Things We Have in Common,” by Tasha Kavanagh, published by MIRA Books and “An Unkindness of Magicians,” by Kat Howard, published by SAGA Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.

The 2018 winner is Jacqueline Woodson, whose award-winning works include “Brown Girl Dreaming,” “After Tupac & D Foster,” “Locomotion” and “Show Way.”  

 Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults:

The 2018 winner is Angela Johnson. Her books include “Heaven,” “Looking for Red,” “The First Part Last” and “Sweet, Hereafter,” all published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing; “Bird,” published by Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers and “Toning the Sweep,” published by Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

2019 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children's literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site.

Debbie Reese will deliver the 2019 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture. Dr. Reese is a longtime advocate for Native representation and is a former teacher and university professor. She earned her PhD in Education from the University of Illinois, where she also helped establish the Native American House and American Indian Studies program. Dr. Reese also holds an M.Ed degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University. She is tribally enrolled at Nambe Owingeh Pueblo in New Mexico.

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States:

“The Murderer’s Ape” is the 2018 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in Sweden as “Mördarens Apa,” the book was written and illustrated by Jakob Wegelius, translated from Swedish by Peter Graves and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Three Batchelder Honor Books also were named: “Malala: Activist for Girls’ Education,” published by Charlesbridge Publishing, written by Raphaële Frier, illustrated by Aurélia Fronty and translated from French by Julie Cormier; “When a Wolf is Hungry,” published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, written by Christine Naumann-Villemin, illustrated by Kris Di Giacomo and translated from French by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers and “You Can’t Be Too Careful!,” published by Elsewhere Editions, written and illustrated by Roger Mello, and translated from Portuguese by Daniel Hahn.

Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States:

“The Hate U Give,” produced by HarperAudio, is the 2018 Odyssey Award winner. The book is written by Angie Thomas and narrated by Bahni Turpin.

Five Odyssey Honor Audiobooks also were named:

“The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Philip Pullman and narrated by Michael Sheen; “A Boy Called Christmas,” produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, written by Matt Haig and narrated by Stephen Fry; “Long Way Down,” produced by Simon & Schuster Audio and written and narrated by Jason Reynolds; “Trombone Shorty” produced by Live Oak Media, written by Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews and narrated by Dion Graham and “The Wizards of Once” produced by Hachette Audio, written by Cressida Cowell and narrated by David Tennant.  

Pura Belpré Awards honoring Latino writers and illustrators whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:

“La Princesa and the Pea,” illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, is the Belpré Illustrator Award winner. The book was written by Susan Middleton Elya and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Two Belpré Illustrator Honor Books also were named:

“All Around Us,” illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia, written by Xelena González and published by Cinco Puntos Press and “Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos,” illustrated by John Parra, written by Monica Brown and published by NorthSouth Books, Inc., an imprint of NordSüd Verlag AG.

“Lucky Broken Girl,” written by Ruth Behar, is the Pura Belpré Author Award winner. The book is published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Two Belpré Author Honor Books also were named: “The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora,” written by Pablo Cartaya and published by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC and “The First Rule of Punk,” written by Celia C. Pérez and published by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children:

“Twelve Days in May: Freedom Ride 1961,” written by Larry Dane Brimner, is the Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Calkins Creek, an imprint of Highlights.

Four Sibert Honor Books also were named:

“Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix,” written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and June Jo Lee, illustrated by Man One and published by Readers to Eaters Books; “Grand Canyon,” written and illustrated by Jason Chin and published by Roaring Book Press, a Neal Porter Book; “Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask about Having a Disability,” written by Shane Burcaw, illustrated by Matt Carr and published by Roaring Brook Press and “Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem,” written by Patricia Newman and published by Millbrook Press, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

Stonewall Book Award–Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience:

“Little & Lion,” written by Brandy Colbert and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group Inc. and “The 57 Bus,” written by Dashka Slater and published by Farrar Straus Giroux for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC are the 2018 recipients of the Stonewall Book Awards–Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award.

Two Stonewall Honor Books were also named:

“As the Crow Flies,” written and illustrated by Melanie Gillman and published by Iron Circus Comics and “The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue,” written by Mackenzi Lee and published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.  

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished book for beginning readers is

“Charlie & Mouse,” written by Laurel Snyder and illustrated by Emily Hughes. The book is published by Chronicle Books.

Five Geisel Honor Books also were named: “I See a Cat,” written and illustrated by Paul Meisel and published by Holiday House; “King & Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats,” written by Dori Hillestad Butler, illustrated by Nancy Meyers and published by Peachtree Publishers; “My Kite Is Stuck! And Other Stories,” written and illustrated by Salina Yoon and published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books; “Noodleheads See the Future,” written by Tedd Arnold, Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss, illustrated by Tedd Arnold and published by Holiday House and “Snail & Worm Again,” written and illustrated by Tina Kügler and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens:

            “The Hate U Give,” written by Angie Thomas, is the 2018 Morris Award winner. The book is published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Four other books were finalists for the award: “Dear Martin,” written by Nic Stone and published by Crown Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC; “Devils Within,” written by S. F. Henson and published by Sky Pony Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing; “Saints and Misfits,” written by S. K. Ali and published by Salaam Reads, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and “Starfish,” written by Akemi Dawn Bowman and published by Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults: 

“Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers,” written by Deborah Heiligman, is the 2018 Excellence winner. The book is published by Godwin Books/Henry Holt, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

Four other books were finalists for the award: “#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women,” edited by Mary Beth Leatherdale and Lisa Charleyboy and published by Annick Press; “Eyes of the World: Robert Capa, Gerda Taro, and the Invention of Modern Photojournalism,” written by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos and published by Henry Holt, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group; “The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives,” written by Dashka Slater and published by Farrar Straus Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and “The Whydah: A Pirate Ship Feared, Wrecked, and Found,” written by Martin W. Sandler and published by Candlewick Press.

Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children’s experts, the awards encourage original and creative work.  For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit www.ala.org/yma.

For additional information on the Ready to Read Michigan program, please go to www.mi.gov/readytoread or contact Cathy Lancaster, Youth Services Coordinator at the Library of Michigan: LancasterC5@michigan.gov.