Taking stock of our efforts to improve literacy in America should be a constant exercise in evaluating where we are and where we need to go. Finding smarter strategies to improve the lives of our finest resource, our children-our future, should be paramount. Below are a few areas where we are forward moving, but so much more needs to be STEPPED UP to get it right.

Inspire, Mentor and Advocate

The new and third appointed Children’s Book Envoy, Walter Dean Myers, is a testament to the fact that reading does change your life and maximizes your potential – it creates possibilities. The harsh sociological and tough socio-economic realities of teenage life depicted in his books truly speaks to kids and helps them know that there are adults who do understand, empathize and are working to make the lives of young people better. Mr. Myers own childhood experiences, show us a path to what can be done to improve literacy in America. He grew up with foster parents who themselves faced many hardships and demons that negatively affected Mr. Myers childhood. His foster father could not read, but his foster mother read to him often and he read anything he could get his hands on. Even though circumstances found him dropping out of school and joining the army, he eventually came back to his books and writing. He is a prolific writer and has received two Newberry Awards and five Coretta Scott King Awards. Robin Edelson, the executive director of the Children’s Book Council (one of two groups who choose the Children’s Book Envoy), states that his books give the message and encourage young readers that through life’s difficult challenges, “holding yourself up and believing in what you can do” is important.

For the next two years, Walter Dean Myers’ new role, as an ambassador for young people’s literature, will be to speak out to and for children of all backgrounds. Impressing upon children and adults that reading is not just a nice pass time option competing with the electronic and video world, but is vital to finding academic and economic achievement. The two year post was created in 2008 and Jon Scieszka (“The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales”) was the first ambassador appointed. He was succeeded by novelist Katherine Paterson (“Bridge to Terabithia”). All three have very different writing styles and genres. Walter’s personal experiences, body of work and sensitivity to what is going on in the lives of our teenagers today sends a message about how reading can empower the student. His quote in this month’s Publishers Weekly sends an important lesson. “We all know we should eat right and we should exercise, but reading is treated as if it’s this wonderful adjunct. Reading takes you to faraway places. We’re still thinking in terms of enticing kids to read with a sports book or a book about war. We’re suggesting that they’re missing something if they don’t read but, actually, we’re condemning kids to a lesser life. If you had a sick patient, you would not try to entice them to take their medicine. You would tell them, ‘Take this or you’re going to die.’ We need to tell kids flat out: reading is not optional.”

Money

Myers’ efforts are not happening in a vacuum. Progress is happening in other areas too. According to an article in the American Library Association, The Fiscal Year 2011 funding from Congress for Improving Literacy Through School Libraries had been “zeroed out”. The Senate and House realized for 2012 that the short sightedness in 2011 cut the primary source of federal funding to school libraries. Thus, the Fiscal Year 2012 budget is appropriating $28.6 million for literacy. At least half of this will go to low income school libraries and the rest will go to national not-for-profits that work for childhood literacy. In addition, the budget has approved money for the Institutes of Museum and Library Services in which $185 million will go to Library Services and Technology Act.

Smart Management/Know Your Audience

The January 3 New York Times article, Libraries Speak the Mother Tongue, discusses a growing trend in many New York public libraries. Libraries are embracing and recognizing the diversity of its communities and are attracting people of all different backgrounds and languages into their stacks by having books, DVDS and CDs in the languages spoken in their neighborhoods. They are finding success in first capturing their attention and desire to find materials in their native tongue which later draws them to books in English. As their customers become more comfortable and familiar with their community library they start navigating toward the books in English and the desire to learn English is increased. These local libraries are smartly globalizing their collections and in turn promoting literacy across all generations. Of great importance to the children of adult newcomers to America is the fact that many libraries are able to meet the needs of immigrants by teaching English to adults. This is integral to raising children who will be readers. This is a crucial step to improving the academic and economic achievement among immigrants.

Family Literacy

Furthermore, improving parent’s literacy is key to helping their children find success in school. About 30 years ago the national movement for family literacy was born and many libraries now have great programs in place, but more needs to be done to implement these programs in all public libraries. Access to free children’s activities nurturing a love for reading with parent involvement and tutoring for parents in reading, as well as, parenting classes is crucial. The Public Libraries are an important tool that should be well funded to have these programs in place – it is an important path that we need well traveled in order to raise a literate, well educated society that can compete in the global market. It is time to Mind Up and Step Up!

In Memoriam

Finally, we would like to celebrate the life of Simms Taback who passed away December 25. His children’s picture books touched the lives of many families and his life’s work is a legacy of which his family can be so proud. We had the great fortune of bringing this talented man to our children’s elementary school about 6 years ago and he made a difference in the way students appreciated reading, he sparked a desire to read and a love for great stories that is priceless. Once he captured their attention by telling them he designed the art on the first McDonald’s happy meal, he quickly had them eating books instead of fries out of the palm of his hand. His literary and artistic talents that blessed our lives are truly representative of the wonderful Hebrew phrase “Tikun Olam”, he made the world a BETTER PLACE.