Mississippi's Kids And The Need To Read

Saturday, I spent some time at the Mississippi Library Commission's booth at the Mississippi State Fair. Along with my coworker, we talked to many of our fellow Mississippians about library services in our fair state. We saw a lot of younger library users, too, who were eager to grab our offerings of finger puppets, library activity books, and crayons. Let me tell you--these kids are reading! They love books and they love to talk about them. Some of the favorite authors and books we heard about were the Captain Underpants books by Dav Pilkey, the Junie B. Jones books by Barbara Park, and the Heroes of Olympus books by Rick Riordan. It's simply wonderful to listen to a fourth-grader stumble over his words because he's so terribly excited to tell you about a book he just read. This is exactly why the Magnolia Award has been created.

The Magnolia Award's purpose is "to introduce the children of Mississippi to current children's literature and instill a love of reading." At this time, children in grades 3, 4, and 5 can vote for their favorite book out of a list of ten nominees. (Each year, any adult can nominate children's books for the award. There are some basic criteria; you can read about them here.) Starting in 2013, children in kindergarten through 8th grade will be able to weigh in with their choices.

This is the list of nominees for 2012:

1. Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) by Lisa Lee
2. Calvin Coconut: Zoo Breath by Graham Salisbury
3. Dying to Meet You: 43 Cemetery Road Book by Kate Klise
4. Growing Patterns: Fibonacci Numbers in Nature by Sarah C. Campbell
5. Hallelujah Flight by Phil Blinder
6. Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco
7. Small Adventures of Popeye and Elvis by Barbara O’Connor
8. Tango: The Tale of an Island Dog by Eileen Beha
9. A Whole Nother Story by Cuthbert Soup
10. Wild Card by Tiki Barber

Voting is in February of 2012 and the winner will be announced in April at the Fay B. Kaigler Children's Book Festival. Children need to have exposure to at least half the books on the list in order to vote. (They can either read the books themselves or listen to them.) Luckily, the Mississippi Library Commission has ordered all ten books! Boy, I wish I could vote!

http://www.usm.edu/childrens-book-festival/magnolia-award

Mississippi Casinos Support Adult Library Program and Literacy

The Mississippi Library Commission (MLC) announces an added incentive to this year’s Adult Summer Library Program. Eight Mississippi casinos: the IP Casino and Resort in Biloxi; Bally’s Casino – Tunica in Robinsonville; the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Biloxi; the Isle Casino-Hotel in Biloxi; Diamond Jack’s Casino in Vicksburg; Resorts Casino –Tunica in Tunica Resorts; Riverwalk Casino Hotel in Vicksburg; and Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino – Tunica in Robinsonville have donated prizes to the adults who participate in the programs. The values of the prizes range from $100.00 to $430.00, and include free nights stay at the hotels, meals, and spa services. Check with your local library to find out about their registration dates and times and how to qualify for the statewide drawing to be held, Monday, August 1, 2011.

“Novel Destinations,” is the theme for the Adult Summer Library Programs. Each library system or branch will provide different types of programs around the theme and many will provide local prizes in addition to the statewide prizes. All adults are eligible to participate; however, to be eligible to win a statewide prize, you must be 21 years of age or older.

Winners are selected from participants of the Adult Summer Library Programs at participating public library systems. Participating library systems include: Jackson-George Regional Library System, with eight libraries; Central Mississippi Regional Library System, with 20 branches; the Yazoo Library Association with one library; the Dixie Regional Library System, with eight branches; the Sunflower County Library, with five branches; the Waynesboro-Wayne County Library System, with one library; and the Library of Hattiesburg, Petal and Forrest County, with two branches.
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About the Mississippi Library Commission


The Mississippi Library Commission is a state agency with the mission to ensure all Mississippians have access to quality library service. The agency operates a large library providing direct and indirect library services, consults with and advises local entities on library issues, supports electronic access to information through public libraries, and manages state and federal grant programs for public libraries. For more information, visit the Library Commission’s website at http://www.mlc.lib.ms.us/.