Saturday, November 29, 2008

The Perfect Holiday Gifts

Do your holiday shopping and help Reader To Reader by purchasing a fabulous piece of signed original children’s illustration.

Award-winning artists John Agee, Leonard Baskin (courtesy of Lisa Baskin), Tony Diterlizzi, Jane Dyer, Jules Feiffer, Mordecai Gerstein, Lauren Mills, Barry Moser, Dennis Nolan, Jerry Pinkney, Chris Raschka, David Small, Mark Teague, Rosemary Wells, and Mo Willems have donated beautiful works to help us fundraise.

Works are priced 20% below market value. 80% of purchase price helps support Reader to Reader. All works are beautifully framed.

Pay listed price and take the artwork home today. Or make a serious offer, and if you are not outbid by December 15th, you will get the piece in time for the holidays.

To see the artwork visit R. Michaelson Gallery online or stop by the gallery.

A special thank you to all the artists for their generous donations.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Computers Too!

In addition to the millions of books we donate we are now donating computers too!

Reading mentors Nathan Nash and Grace Li help pack a Dell computer bound for the Navajo Reservation.

The Dell Optiplex GX 270 computer, with a flat screen monitor, is the first computer donation that Reader To Reader has made and will be the first of 30 to be donated this year.

The refurbished computer was donated by Amherst College and will be used as part of the Navajo Mentoring Program’s online book discussions, as well as for their other computer needs.

The computer was serviced and prepped by the IT department so that it is completely ready to run right out of the box.

Our goal is to build a new computer lab at Navajo Pine High School in Navajo, NM, replacing their ancient 10-12-year-old computers with computers that are 3-4-years-old.

Our thanks to Amherst College and their IT department for making these computers available for donation.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Honoring Norton Juster

We are very pleased to honor distinguished author Norton Juster for his support of Reader To Reader and his lifetime devotion to literacy. Juster is the first recipient of the Norton Juster Award for Devotion to Literacy. The award will be presented annually.

Juster received a plaque from Reader To Reader founder David Mazor at Sunday’s 19th Annual Children's Illustration Exhibition in Northampton, MA.

The author of the children’s classics The Phantom Toll Booth and The Dot and the Line, Juster was one of the first supporters of Reader To Reader during our earliest days. Over the years he has donated thousands of books from his personal collection and has been a vocal advocate of our cause.

“Reader To Reader is such a simple idea and such a farsighted one – provide books for students of all ages who don’t have them. I can’t think of a worthier endeavor or one that will have a more profound effect,” Juster notes.

And we can't think of a more worthy person to honor than Norton. Three cheers for Norton Juster!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Join Us For A Special Event On Sunday, Nov. 16

Please join us Sunday November 16 for a special fundraising event for Reader To Reader & honoring Norton Juster for his devotion to literacy.

ARTISTS RECEPTION
Sunday, November 16, 4pm - 6pm
Most artists will be present!

R. Michelson Galleries
132 Main Street
Northampton, MA
413-586-3964

(Admission is free)

Refreshments generously donated by Whole Foods Market and Atkins Farms Country Market.

R. Michelson Galleries has generously dedicated their Nineteenth Annual Children's Illustration Exhibition to benefit Reader To Reader.

A percentage of all sales will go to Reader To Reader
and the reception will feature special works that many artists have donated to help raise funds for our organization. We will be raffling off one of the illustrations at the reception.

Come and meet many of these famous illustrators and join us in a special ceremony honoring Norton Juster, author of The Phantom Tollbooth and most recently Sourpuss and Sweetie Pie, and an early advocate of Reader To Reader. We are pleased to recognize Norton for his devotion to literacy.

The event features the works of these new artists to R. Michelson Galleries:

Mo Willems - Three time Caldecott Honor Recipient
Jarrett Krosoczka - One of Print's top 20 visual artists under 30 (2003).
Raul Colon - Recipient of the Society of Illustrators' gold and silver medals.
Ron Mazellan - Illustrator of The Longest Season, NY Times top ten best seller.
Chris Raschka - Author and illustrator of Yo! Yes? one of School Library Journal's 100 books that shaped the century.

And Celebrate their Current Artists

Mary Azarian
Kathryn Brown
Diane deGroat
Tony Diterlizzi
Jane Dyer

Plus featured guest artists helping to support
Reader to Reader through a special donation of their artwork

Eric Carle
Jerry Pinkney
David Small
Rosemary Wells
John Agee
Mark Teague
John Muth

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Meet the Reading Mentors

The Doris Hiatt Mentoring Program reading mentors gathered the other night for a meeting and group photo. They are a great bunch from all over the world.

We have mentors from across the United States and Nigeria, Guatemala, China and Egypt. Their diverse backgrounds add to the richness of the mentoring program.

The Doris Hiatt Mentoring Program connects Amherst College students with public school children in Alabama, Arizona, and Boston, Chicopee and Springfield, Massachusetts for online book discussions.

Reader To Reader trains and supervises the mentors and supplies all the books for the schools and mentors.

Some of the books being read this semester include: Bridge to Terabithia, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and The Outsiders.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Very Happy Readers

Hi David,

We have very happy Marsh readers!

Thank you to all of your donors!

Sheila O'Gorman
Marsh Elementary School
Chicago, IL