Down and Dewey – Day Two
Posted by Pamela Ribon on Apr 13, 2010 in Going In Circles Drive | 20 commentsWelcome back! It’s so exciting you want to help libraries in need. There are way too many of them.
Did you know it’s National Library Week? Dewey clearly was working The Secret. If you haven’t read that article I just linked to, please take a couple of seconds. I plan on forwarding it to the next person who asks me why I’d want to help a public library [Yes, people still ask that.].
Woo! In one day we sent almost fifty donations to various children’s hospitals. Thanks so much, you guys, and thanks for spreading the word. Dewey would love to thank all of you personally over at his Twitter account, so follow him if you want a little decimal love.
Yesterday’s winner is:
Nicolle R. Bougas!
Nicolle will be receiving a signed copy of GOING IN CIRCLES, and lots of good karma.
Today’s contest! – TUESDAY – One single wishlist. “Stay Gold, Ponyboy”
(You’ll need an address, so don’t click the wishlist just yet!)
Westfield Detention Center: “Mount Holyoke students go once a week to read with the inmates (boys 13-20 years old). Those who are “detained” while awaiting trial are there from one day to six months. Students usually read songs or poems because there is not enough time to read longer books. Though the intention is for the Mount Holyoke students to read with the boys, it often ends up reading to the boys as many of them struggle with poor reading skills. The average boy in the Center reads at a fourth grade level. A Mount Holyoke student recently started a library at the center. So far she has collected 1200 books, mostly donated. Many of the books collected so far are geared to help the boys prepare for the GED or SAT exams and many of the books are in Spanish. Cataloging the books began this summer. The boys will be trained to finish cataloguing and assist in library work.” Read more about this Mount Holyoke project here.
Since the Detention Center doesn’t have an address listed, we’re going to send these donations to the C.A.U.S.E. program at Mount Holyoke. Ship to:
C.A.U.S.E.
attn: Westfield Detention Center Book Club
306 Blanchard Campus Center
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, MA 01075
Phone: 413.538.3416
Here’s a video describing the Book Club, at minute 1:00. I dare you not to get a little weepy when she proudly describes the program as her “baby”:
That’s Dewey’s wishlist for the day, but there is a second place where you can donate and be entered for the contest. Take a look at what Guys Lit Wire is doing for the libraries of Navajo and Apache teens.
After the impressive success of last year’s Book Fair for Boys that saw over 600 books sent to the LA County Detention Center, GLW has teamed up with the Readergirlz, YALSA and If I Can Read, I Can Do Anything, (A national reading club for Native American children) for another book fair event to get books to students enrolled at Ojo Encino Day School and Alchesay High School. You can read more at the Readergirlz and the ALA about the massive effort to get books from publishers to multiple reservation school libraries across the country, but for GLW it is all about two wishlists for these two schools and a plan to build on our success from last year by making a difference for a lot of teens who could use our help.
They’re going lo-fi and indie, using Powells to send books off of a wishlist. It’s something we tried to do with Dewey years ago, and I’m glad to see Powells is able to do it with Guys Lit Wire. So if you send a donation to Guys Lit Wire, it still counts toward Dewey’s contest. Just make sure to email me, or leave a comment below so that your donation is counted.
Keep in mind you can still donate to yesterday’s wishlists, if children’s hospitals are more your thing. And if you know of a library in need, please send me the information.
Thank you so much for everybody who gave yesterday (Just because you didn’t win doesn’t mean you won’t — I’ve requested extra copies for extra prizes!), and for those of you who will give, spread the word, or make a difference today.
I sent a copy of The Catcher in the Rye, because it’s still my favorite book. And many thanks to Jennifer Rutherford, who sent in a copy of “The Re-Gifters,” and pointed out that the wishlist was missing an address.
The following books will be shipped out to CAUSE in the next few days
The Grapes of Wrath (Centennial Edition)
John Steinbeck
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
Barack Obama
A Clockwork Orange
Anthony Burgess
Catch-22
Joseph Heller
– David
Hey Pamie:
I donated
The Talking Vegetables
Lakas and the Maniltatown Fish
And Langston Hughes’s My People, to the Children’s Institute. Thanks for doing this, I think it’s such a great project!
-Rachel Percy
Back for another round – sent following graphic novels to CAUSE :
“The Invention of Hugo Cabret” by Brian Selznick
“Blue Beetle (Book 1): Shellshocked” by Keith Giffen
“The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam” by Ann Marie Fleming
Sent the following to CAUSE off their wishlist:
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie
Dreams from my Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, Barack Obama
The Autobiography of Malcolm X (As told to Alex Haley), Alex Haley, Malcolm X
Thanks.
Chris
The Westfield Detention Center Book Club is now the proud owner of:
*”My Life” by Bill Clinton
*”The Better World Handbook: Small Changes That Make A Big Difference” by Ellis Jones
Because I think they are good for strengthening young minds.
Hope your knee isn’t too scary.
Dan
Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who’s Boss (1 New Trade Paper @ $15.00)
The Plain Janes (1 New Trade Paper @ $9.99)
Al Capone Does My Shirts (1 New Trade Paper @ $6.99)
For Ojo Encino
Because I really love math. And every girl should be able to read The Plain Janes
I bought 3 books for Cause off of the Detention center’s wishlist:
- True Notebooks: A Writer’s Year at Juvenile Hall
- The Coldest Winter Ever
- American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China
Thanks, Pamie (and Dewey)!
Sent these to the Ojo Encino School:
Jabberwocky: The Classic Poem from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There
by Carroll, Lewis
Artemis Fowl
by Colfer, Eoin
Exploratopia: More Than 400 Kid-Friendly Experiments and Explorations for Curious Minds
by Exploratorium
Lifelines: Creating Memory Art to Chronicle Your Personal Connections
by Wingert, Carol
Kingfisher Knowledge: Dinosaurs: A Tour of the World’s Most Important Dinosaur Finds with Naturalist and Film-Maker Nigel Marven (Kingfisher Knowledge)
by Marven, Nigel
New Trade Paper
The Dogs Who Found Me: What I’ve Learned from Pets Who Were Left Behind
by Foster, Ken
I donated http://www.amazon.com/Tamar-No.....GXN34UNV87 because I just finished Leviathan (which, honestly, I want to make a list of books I think they’d like because…I am a YA lit reading dork) and wanted to give a book that was even remotely like that one. I also am a 7 Sisters alum and I’m honestly bonkers jealous that Mt. Ho students have an opportunity to volunteer in this way. It’s pure genius and I am whatever the non-condescending-sounding word for proud is, of this effort.
So Pamie’s blog post saying that this wishlist didn’t get many donations made me sad. I skipped a $4 latte and a $6 subway lunch today so I decided I could afford to send a couple of books to the Westfield Detention Center:
Scepter of the Ancients (Skulduggery Pleasant)
By: Derek Landy, Tom Percival
Mister Pip
By: Lloyd Jones
This is an awfully fun way to celebrate National Library Week!
Jennie
PS – Having @deweydonation tweet at me was the highlight of my day yesterday. He’s so sweet. ;-)
I sent Laika by Nick Abadzis because who doesn’t want to know about the dog who went to space.
It took me a few attempts because I don’t understand US addresses!
Lovely to see Dewey back again!
I like charities that you get to feel connected to actually doing something and not just sending a check (although I know checks are needed greatly).
I sent:
“A Window to Heaven: When Children See Life in Death”
Diane M. Komp
Asperger Syndrome and Difficult Moments: Practical Solutions for Tantrums, Rage, and Meltdowns”
Brenda Smith Myles
“Spanish Bible: Reina-Valera”
American Bible Society
Hope your knee is better soon! I tore the ligaments in my knee and it hurt like a bitch for quite a while.
-Courtney
I wasn’t actually going to write since I didn’t really want to seem as though I was donating books to win anything. However, after learning that not a lot of people are donating books, I wanted to at least alert you to my donations. I ended up buying four Discworld books for Alchesay High School through the Guys Lit Wire book drop event.
–E
[It doesn't matter WHY you donated, it just matters that you did! Thank you so much. -pamie]
As a physical therapist, I really appreciate your day one wishlists highlighting children’s hospitals.
I sent these titles to Riley Hospital for Children. I had orginially wanted to donate to UCSF where I got my doctoral degree, but they had only 6 things left on their list (awesome!), and saw the 6 page list of books for Riley’s and figured they could use help.
Straight Talk About Death for Teenagers: How to Cope with Losing Someone You Love by EA Grollman (http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ.....os_product) because if there was ever a book a children’s hospital unfortunately needed, this is probably it.
Childhood Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors: A Guide for Families, Friends, and Caregivers by T Shaminski-Maher (http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ.....os_product) because I’ve actually referred families, friends, and caregivers of adults with central nervous system tumors to this book because it’s really a great resource.
Also, trying to spread the word in my limited circle on Livejournal and Facebook. Thanks for organizing such a wonderful way to give back.
As someone who is about to start seeing a physical therapist, I appreciate all that you do! Thanks for the donations, and for spreading the word.
I think I am in love with the Westfield Detention Center Book Group. I went to their wish list and sent the first book I saw, The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron.
Congratulations on your newest book!
Thanks, Laura! The Westfield Detention Center Book Group will surely love you back.
I ordered some books for the Benton Harbor Public Library, from their wish list http://www.amazon.com/wishlist.....l_rlist_go
I ordered “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie
“I Am the Cheese” by Robert Cormier
and “My Life as a Rhombus” by Varian Johnson
I love Dewey. I hope the kids like the books.
Thank you, Dewey, for providing such an opportunity. I volunteer at my local rural library, and I’m always happy to find new ways to share books.
I purchased three books for the Westfield Detention Center Book Club:
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath (Hardcover)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ.....ss_product
Rectangle Of Sins (Teri Woods Fable)