[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 20, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S41-S42]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
2010 NATIONAL AMBASSADOR FOR YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I am pleased that this month Katherine
Paterson of Barre, VT, has been named the 2010 National Ambassador for
Young People's Literature. Her books, which include ``A Bridge to
Terabithia,'' ``Jacob Have I Loved,'' and ``Bread and Roses Too,''
motivate young readers to become excited about reading and understand
struggles and joy in their own lives. She has long inspired readers in
Vermont and across the country to make reading a daily part of their
lives.
Reading at a young age can have a dramatic impact on a child's
ability to succeed and learn more than can be taught in a classroom. In
my home town of Montpelier, VT, the Kellogg-Hubbard Library serves as
the center of the community to many local children. When I am home, I
love seeing children flood the library after school and borrow new and
exciting books or choose to reread old favorites.
Despite what I witness at my local Vermont library, reading rates
among children today are on the decline, which makes Ms. Paterson's
role as National Ambassador even more crucial as she tours the country
to attract new, young readers. I cannot think of a better suited choice
for this challenging role, and I congratulate her on her appointment.
On a personal note, Marcelle and I have valued our years of friendship
with Katherine and John Paterson.
I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a January 6,
2010, Washington Post article about this year's National Ambassador for
Young People's Literature.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[From the Washington Post, Jan. 6, 2010]
Katherine Paterson Named National Ambassador for Young People's
Literature
(By David Montgomery)
The Stinky Cheese Man has been replaced by the Queen of
Terabithia.
They have nothing in common, these two, and yet everything
in common. Tuesday morning in the Library of Congress, with
elementary school children as witnesses, the ceremony of
succession was accomplished and a proud nation with so-so
reading habits got a new National Ambassador for Young
People's Literature.
She is Katherine Paterson, the award-winning author of more
than 30 books, probably best-known for ``Bridge to
Terabithia,'' which was published and Newbery-Medaled in the
late 1970s but had its longest run on the bestseller lists
after release of the 2007 movie.
The outgoing ambassador wisecracked about all the imaginary
diplomatic perks he would be giving up. He is Jon Scieszka,
the award-winning author of more than three dozen illustrated
books and chapter books and the Web-savvy creator of an
online kid empire--but perhaps best known for his 1992 opus,
``The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Fairy
Tales.''
It's hard to imagine two more different writers being asked
to perform the same mission. Scieszka was the first kid-lit
ambassador, serving the two-year term.
``We couldn't be more different,'' said Scieszka, 55.
``Sometimes you want to read `Bridge to Terabithia' and deal
with that, sometimes you're feeling like a `Knucklehead' and
`Stinky Cheese Man.' Kids are willing to try all of it.''
``If you're trying to catch young readers, you have to fish
with the right bait,'' said
[[Page S42]]
Paterson, 77. ``Kids that are going to be caught by Jon's
books are not going to be caught by my books.''
Corey Shaw, 10, a fifth-grader at Brent Elementary School--
one of three Capitol Hill schools that sent about a dozen
students each to the ceremony--has read both ``Terabithia''
and Scieszka's ``Tut, Tut.'' He gave thumbs up to both.
``It's actually a very important and surprising book,''
Corey said of ``Tut, Tut,'' about a trip back in time to
ancient Egypt.
Of ``Terabithia,'' about a boy and a girl who invent a
magical land together, Corey said: ``The ending was very sad.
Then I thought about it, and it's not that bad. You have to
remember that you have to get over things.''
Indeed, many of the other students also turned out to be
what you might call Stinky Cheese Terabithians, fans of both
the incoming and outgoing ambassadors, which helped Librarian
of Congress James Billington and the others behind the
ambassadorships make their larger point. The ambassador's
role is to raise national awareness about the importance of
young people's literature in getting young readers off to a
good start. By picking two such different writers as the
first two ambassadors, the program reminds parents that there
are many different ways to be a reader, Billington said.
``Read for your life,'' Paterson told the young people in
the audience.``Read for your life as a member of a family, as
a part of a community, as a citizen of this country and a
citizen of the world.''
Meanwhile, reading rates among young people are in decline,
while there has been an uptick in reading among adults,
according to the latest figures released by the National
Endowment for the Arts. Just over half of 9-year-olds, fewer
than a third of 13-year-olds and about one-in-five 17-year-
olds read almost every day for fun, the NEA reported in 2007.
The ambassador's responsibilities amount to making
appearances at major book events around the country to
evangelize for young reading--which Paterson has been doing
for 30 years. ``It will sound a little fancier now that I
have this medal,'' she said.
A selection committee of children's book experts and the
outgoing ambassador recommended Paterson to Billington.
Sponsors of the ambassador program include the library's
Center for the Book and the Children's Book Council, a
nonprofit trade association. Several publishers also
underwrite expenses.
Paterson's works include ``Jacob Have I Loved,'' ``The
Great Gilly Hopkins,'' ``Bread and Roses, Too,'' and, most
recently, ``The Day of the Pelican,'' about a refugee
family's escape from the war in Kosovo to the United States.
Paterson lives in Barre, Vt., but inspiration for
``Terabithia'' came when she lived in Takoma Park. Her son
David had a best friend, Lisa Hill, and the pair played
imaginative games in Sligo Creek Park. While away on
vacation, Lisa was struck and killed by lightning. Paterson
wrote ``Terabithia'' to make sense of the tragedy, with
protagonists named Leslie and Jess.
Before the ceremony in the library, David Paterson walked
up to the rows of students. Katherine Paterson's four
children, seven grandchildren and husband had come to watch
her be honored.
``How many kids have read `Bridge to Terabithia'?'' he
asked. Nearly 30 hands shot up. ``You can tell your friends
you met the original Jess.''
Charlotte Harrington gasped. She's 9, a fourth-grader at
St. Peter's Interparish School. ``Terabithia'' is one of her
favorite books. ``It starts out miserable, and then goes
joyous, then goes downhill, then uphill,'' she said after
David Paterson walked away.
When it was Charlotte's turn to get ``Bread and Roses,
Too,'' signed by Paterson, the girl told the author, ``I
loved `Bridge to Terabithia.' It's one of the best books
ever.''
The Charlottes of the nation don't need an ambassador. But
she and her friends had plenty of ideas for the new
ambassador on hooking reluctant young readers.
``Give them a book that shows them what they feel like,''
said Fiona Campbell, 9, a fourth-grader at St. Peter's.
Isn't that what Paterson and Scieszka both have been doing,
after their own fashion? Afterwards, they laughed about being
such an odd couple.
``I think the No. 3 [ambassador] should be different from
both of us!'' Paterson said. ``The variety of books is a
wonder to behold, but we also have a variety of readers.''
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