Fall Into Literacy

Caroline Arnold's Author Booth at the Fall Into Literacy Festival, Wilmington, CA

I always love celebrating books and reading!  On October 1st, a beautiful sunny day in southern California, I joined authors Erica Silverman, Amada Irma Perez, illustrator Joe Cepeda, and many other book lovers at Wilmington’s Fall Into Literacy celebration in the new Waterfront Park near the Port of Los Angeles.  More then 300 families came to enjoy live entertainment, American Indian storytelling, book signings, and to meet the authors.  I gave a short talk featuring my books about birds ( Birds: Nature’s Magnificent Flying Machines, and  A Bald Eagle’s World) and invited children to come up on stage and measure their wingspans to find out what kind of bird they might be.  I also shared my book Wiggle and Waggle.  In my author’s tent I met children and parents and signed books.  All in all, it was a great day!
Fall Into Literacy was sponsored by the local Valero and Tesoro refineries and organized by Lupe Lopez, who leads the local United Way effort and is Wilmington's honorary mayor.  My visit was coordinated by Martha Sherod at the Los Angeles Public Library.

Read, Know, Grow: Support School Libraries

Some time ago, I donated a piece of my art from my book A Panda's World to help support school libraries. It has now been incorporated into the California Campaign for Strong School Libraries. Visit the Campaign’s Library Store and see how you can buy a t-shirt, mug and other items with great art (mine or someone else's) AND support school libraries! (I've already ordered a bunch of t-shirts and mugs!) Great for gifts or for yourself!

The Campaign is a public awareness program aimed at publicizing today’s role of school libraries and shining a spotlight on the new Model School Library Standards approved by the State Board of Education last fall. The standards include: 1) Standards for Students that delineate what students should know and be able to do at each grade level or grade span to enable students to succeed in school, higher education and the workforce, and; 2) base level staffing, resources and infrastructure, including technology, required for effective school library programs for students.

Patrick Nelson, CEO of California-based bookseller Mrs. Nelson’s Toy & Book Shop, used his vast network of contacts with authors and illustrators to facilitate the arrangement with the California School Library Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that oversees the Campaign. Last year, Nelson was recognized by the California School Library Association for his role in creating and developing a statewide school library advocacy campaign. For more information about the Campaign or the Campaign’s LIBRARY STORE, contact Connie Williams at info@csla.net.