CHILDREN'S BOOK REVIEW
by Ann Hoey, Youth Services Coordinator
N.H. State Library

A Children's Book Review will be held in two locations in November. It will begin at the North Country Office of the N.H. State Library in Lancaster and will be held from Wednesday, November 12th to Friday, November 14th from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Review will then move to the State Library in Concord and run from Tuesday, November 18th through Friday, November 21st from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Children's Book Review is an opportunity to preview new titles in picture books, early readers, chapter books, young adult novels, and children's and young adult nonfiction. Those who visit the Review will receive one or two free books for their library. For more information, contact Ann Hoey at (603) 271-2865 or by e-mail at ahoey@library.state.nh.us.

SUMMER READING PROGRAM 2004

Check out a Hero is the theme of the New Hampshire Summer Reading Program 2004. Librarians are invited to help celebrate all types of heroes: hometown, everyday, sports, literacy, comic, and even hero sandwiches. The Summer Reading Program Committee has engaged artist Hector Diaz to create a lively poster and colorful t-shirt and is hard at work on the manual. The Committee always welcomes new members. Call Sharon Macdonald at Rye Public Library at (603) 964-8401 or Ann Hoey at the State Library at (603) 271-2865 for more information.

CENTER FOR THE BOOK AT THE N.H. STATE LIBRARY

Bear Snores On, I Stink, and New York's Bravest -- What do these titles have in common? They are three of the 12 picture books nominated for the 2003 Ladybug Picture Book Award. Share the picture books nominated for the award with kids aged preschool through grade three. In schools and public libraries, children will be asked to vote for their favorite title during Children's Book Week, November 17-23. For more information, including a list of the nominated titles and ballot, visit the website of the Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library at: www.state.nh.us/nhsl/bookcenter/programs/ladybug.html.

The Center for the Book at the New Hampshire State Library is proud to announce its participation in this year's Letters About Literature, a writing contest for readers in grades 4 through 12 sponsored by the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress in partnership with Target Stores. To enter, readers write an essay in the form of a personal letter to an author, explaining how his or her work changed their view of the world or themselves. Young readers can select authors, living or dead, from any genre - fiction or nonfiction, contemporary or classic. Unfortunately, because of the huge volume of letters received, it is impossible to forward the letters to the authors.

On behalf of The New Hampshire Center for the Book, a panel of judges will select the top essayists in the state in each of the three competition levels: Level I - grades 4 through 6; Level II - grades 7 and 8, and Level III - grades 9 through 12.

State Prize - The first place winner in each competition level will receive $100 in cash and a $50 Target Gift Card.

National Prize - New Hampshire's three winning submissions will be entered into the national competition. Six national winners will each receive an expenses-paid trip to the nation's capitol to read their letters during the National Book Festival in the fall of 2004. In addition, they will receive a $500 Target Gift Card redeemable at any Target Store or target.com. Target Stores is the presenting sponsor of Letters About Literature. Weekly Reader Corporation, publisher of children's classroom periodicals, is also program sponsor.

For contest guidelines, entry forms, teaching supplements and to read winning essays from previous years, visit www.state.nh.us/nhsl/bookcenter/programs/letters.html.

The deadline for entering the contest is December 6, 2003. For more information and to register for the contest, students can visit the following: www.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/lal-participation.html.