United for Libraries to dedicate Literary Landmarks™ for Children’s Book Week
For Immediate Release
April 20, 2017, BRYN MAWR, Pennsylvania — In celebration of Children’s Book Week (May 1-7, 2017) United for Libraries will dedicate three Literary Landmarks™ celebrating children’s book authors. This program was spearheaded by Rocco Staino, director of the Empire State Center for the Book, and is presented in conjunction with the American Library Association/Children’s Book Council Joint Committee.
The following Literary Landmarks will be dedicated:
- Edinboro (Pa.) Branch Library and Erie County Bookmobile, in honor of Virginia Sorensen (in partnership with Hurry Hill Maple Farm Museum Association, Friends of the Edinboro Branch Library and Friends of the Erie County Public Library).
The dedication will be held Monday, May 1, at the Edinboro Branch Library, 413 W. Plum St., Edinboro, Pa. The public is invited to attend the dedication, which will begin at 11 a.m. The free event, which will include music and a sing-along, as well as refreshments, will also feature an exhibit on Sorensen’s work.
Virginia Sorensen wrote the Newbery Award-winning “Miracles on Maple Hill” during her time in Edinboro. She drew inspiration from visits to a bookmobile for her children’s novel “Curious Missie.”
- Quarry Farm, Elmira, N.Y.in honor of Mark Twain (in partnership with Empire State Center for the Book).
The dedication will be held Wednesday, May 3, at Quarry Farm, Elmira College, Elmira, N.Y.. A 5 p.m. tour of the grounds will be followed by the dedication ceremony at 6 p.m., with light refreshments immediately following. At 7 p.m. a “Trouble Begins” lecture will be held in The Barn.
For more than 20 summers, starting in 1871, Mark Twain brought his family to Quarry Farm, home of his sister-in-law Susan Crane. In a study about 100 yards from the main house, Twain created his iconic characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
- Cherokee Elementary School, Paradise Valley, Ariz., in honor of Barbara Park (in partnership with Arizona Center for the Book at Arizona State Library and Random House Children’s Books).
The dedication will be held Fri., May 5, 9:30 a.m., at Cherokee Elementary School, 8801 N. 56th St., Paradise Valley, Ariz.
Barbara Park (1947-2013) was inspired to write “Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus” when she found a young Cherokee student walking home after he missed the school bus. The book was the first in the bestselling Junie B. Jones series.
The Literary Landmark program is administered by United for Libraries. More than 150 Literary Landmarks across the United States have been dedicated since the program began in 1986. Any library or group may apply for a Literary Landmark through United for Libraries. More information is available on the United for Libraries website.
Every Child a Reader, which runs Children’s Book Week, is a 501(c)(3) literacy charity dedicated to inspiring a lifelong love of reading in children and teens across America. Every Child a Reader’s popular national programs include Children’s Book Week (May 1-7, 2017), the longest-running literacy initiative in the country; the Children’s Choice Book Awards, the only book awards chosen by children and teens; and the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature program, in partnership with the Library of Congress. Individual and corporate donations, grants, and Children’s Book Council support Every Child a Reader.
Launched in 1919, Children’s Book Week will celebrate its 98th anniversary in May 2017.
United for Libraries: The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations, is a division of the American Library Association with approximately 4,000 personal and group members representing hundreds of thousands of library supporters. United for Libraries supports those who govern, promote, advocate, and fundraise for libraries, and brings together library Trustees, advocates, Friends, and Foundations into a partnership that creates a powerful force for libraries in the 21st century. To join, please visit www.ala.org/united or call (800) 545-2433, ext. 2161.
Contact:
Jillian Wentworth
Marketing/Public Relations Specialist
jwentworth@ala.org ###
