Laurie Halse Anderson's CHAINS

If an entire nation could seek its freedom, why not a girl?

Promised freedom upon the death of her owner, Isabel, a 13 year old slave, becomes the property of the Lockton's of New York City, a couple who have no sympathy for the American Revolution and even less for Isabel and her sister. Will Isabel find the strength to spy on her owners to help the Patriot cause?

CHAINS was chosen for the 2009 YALSA Best Books for Young Adults list. In its sequel, FORGE, the drama shifts from CHAINS’ domestic town houses to graphically described bloody battlefields.

African American Read-In features When Marian Sang

Please join us at Citrus County's 4th Annual celebration of African American Read-In Day at the CF Conference and Learning Center in Lecanto on Sunday, February 13th at 2 pm.

Short readings from a wide assortment of African American writers will be presented along with a musical interlude featuring a narration of Pam Munoz Ryan's When Marian Sang accompanied by a community choir.

When Marian Sang

When Marian Sang, written by Pam Munoz Ryan and illustrated by Brian Selznick is a beautiful picture book introduction to the life of Marian Anderson, extraordinary singer and the first African American to perform with the Metropolitan Opera. She is best known for her historic concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1939, which drew an integrated crowd of 75,000 people in pre-Civil Rights America.

Click here to learn more about the author and illustrator and to view a recording of the author reading an excerpt from the book.

Citrus County Libraries have copies of the hardcover book available for checkout at J 782. 1092 RYA. A book with accompanying audio CD offering a narrated version of the book with excerpts from original recordings made by Marian Anderson is also available at J CD 782. 1092 RYA.

American Indian Heritage Month

With so many Native American stories set in the past, it's great to have a children's book like Eagle Song about an Iroquois boy who lives in a city in the present. Danny Bigtree doesn't like living in Brooklyn: the other kids in his fourth grade class tease him about being different and he can't seem to fit in. The author interweaves this modern day realistic story with traditional tales Danny's father shares with him of his people's history and heroes, stories that give Danny the courage to stand up to schoolyard bullies and make friends with his classmates.

Joseph Bruchac is the prolific author of poetry, short stories and novels that reflect his Abenaki Indian heritage and Native American traditions. For more information about him and Eagle Song see Scholastic's Book Wizard.

HITCH by Jeanette Ingold

This book, written for middle and high school aged youth, is a good choice for older readers as well. When seventeen-year-old Moss Trawnley loses his job at an airfield in Texas in the depths of the Depression, he rides the rails out to Montana to try to find his father and make sure he sends money back to their family in Louisiana. But Moss' father is not to be depended on, so Moss ends up signing on for a six-month "hitch" with the Civilian Conservation Corps, (CCC), a government program that pays poor young men to work on conservation projects. Moss makes new friends, surprises himself by becoming a leader at the camp, and learns how hard work and teamwork can produce results in spite of formidable odds.

To see more about this book, including a discussion guide, visit the author's website at http://www.jeanetteingold.com/Hitch.html

NEH Awards We the People Bookshelf collection to Citrus County Public Libraries

Books explore theme of "A More Perfect Union"

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded the We the People Bookshelf, a free collection of 17 classic books for young readers (K-12) to each of the five Public Libraries in the county. The Bookshelf encourages young people to read and understand great literature while exploring themes in American history.

This year’s theme, “A More Perfect Union,” invites reflection on the idea of the United States as a “union” as the 150th anniversary of the Civil War approaches. The “more perfect union” envisioned by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution was torn asunder by the war between the North and South, which began in 1861.

The books included in the “A More Perfect Union” Bookshelf are:

• Kindergarten to Grade 3: Tico and the Golden Wings by Leo Lionni; When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson by Pam Muñoz Ryan; A More Perfect Union: The Story of Our Constitution by Betsy and Giulio Maestro.
  
  
• Grades 4 to 6: César: ¡Sí, Se Puede! / Yes, We Can! by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand; Darby by Jonathon Scott Fuqua; Eagle Song by Joseph Bruchac; The Great Little Madison by Jean Fritz.
  
  
• Grades 7 to 8: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson; Hitch by Jeanette Ingold; Lincoln Shot: A President’s Life Remembered by Barry Denenberg; Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Beals.
  
  
• Grades 9 to 12: American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic by Joseph Ellis; Carver: A Life in Poems by Marilyn Nelson; Killer Angels by Michael Shaara; Lincoln in His Own Words by Milton Melzer; Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose; The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. DuBois.

In addition to the books for young readers, the “A More Perfect Union” Bookshelf features a DVD edition of The Civil War, the award-winning documentary by Ken Burns; the companion book to The Civil War series; and Declaring Independence: The Origin and Influence of America’s Founding Document, edited by Christian Y. Dupont.

The Bookshelf is awarded through NEH’s We the People program, which supports projects that strengthen the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture. The Bookshelf offers libraries and local communities additional educational resources that may not otherwise be available.