Newbery Award 2013

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the

Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it's up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

World Read Aloud Day

Read It Forward on World Read Aloud Day: March 6

Imagine a world where everyone can read...
March 6, 2013, is World Read Aloud Day, an awareness day advocating for literacy as a human right. Celebrate by reading aloud, giving away a book, or taking action in any way you can to "Read It Forward" on behalf of the 793 million people who cannot yet read or write.World Read Aloud Day creates a community of people who are advocating for every child’s right to learn to read and technology that will make them lifelong readers. Everyone can change the world and Read It Forward call to action and reading aloud with loved ones or new friends. Read It Forward, creating a ripple effect that resonates around the world with the power of story and shared words.

Visit http://litworld.org/wrad to join the Read It Forward movement. Register your participation, and spread the word to friends, family, and networks for March 6! LitWorld, the organization that founded World Read Aloud Day, offers free downloadable activity kits full of ideas for children, teens, families, educators, and professionals at http://litworld.org.

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