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We spent months poring over the thoughtful and creative entries to our Win-A-Visit with Walter Dean Myers contest and are delighted to announce our winner...

The Johnson County Library in Shawnee Mission, Kansas!  

In January, The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, Every Child a Reader, and the Children's Book Council invited schools and libraries nationwide to enter to win an appearance by National Ambassador Walter Dean Myers. Entrants were asked to describe, in 500 words or less, the event they would develop if Walter were to visit, how they would spread the word about it, and to whom.    

The Johnson County Library in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, founder of 6 by 6, an award winning early literacy initiative which uses picture books to get children ready to read long before they start school, highlighted the following in their winning proposal:

• The dedication of the 10th anniversary issue of their award-winning literary arts magazine to Walter Dean Myers. Young adult writers & artists from the Kansas City Metro Area will be asked to present poetry, fiction, non-fiction, art, or photography that shows that reading is not optional and/or finds inspiration in Walter's characters, ideas, or stories.
• The unveiling of Walter Dean Myers's "Look Like Me" early literacy 6 by 6 kit, designed to encourage six pre-reading skills that children need to know before they can learn to read.
• a presentation at the Juvenile Detention Center
• a Lunch & Learn with the Broaden Your Horizons book group for girls, a bi-monthly book club at an alternative high school developed to encourage young girls to challenge their views of themselves and society
• a reception -- with Myers as the keynote -- honoring the young adult writers and artists featured in their literary arts magazine and expanding on Walter's platform "Reading is Not Optional"  

Congratulations, Johnson County Library!   

Walter Dean Myers, the third National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, is a critically acclaimed author of books for young people. His award-winning body of work includes Sunrise Over Fallujah, Fallen Angels, Monster, Somewhere in the Darkness, Harlem, and the forthcoming title, All The Right Stuff (On Sale 4/24/2012). Myers has received numerous accolades, including two Newbery Honor Awards and five Coretta Scott King Awards. For his 2-year tenure as National Ambassador, Walter Dean has selected "Reading is not optional" as his banner platform.

 

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About the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature 

The post was created by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, Every Child a Reader (ECAR), and the Children's Book Council (CBC) to raise national awareness of the importance of young people's literature as it relates to literacy, education, and the development and betterment of children's lives. Appointed for a two-year term, the National Ambassador selects a platform that reflects his or her personal interests and will advocate this policy throughout his or her travels and tenure.

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, the Children's Book Council (CBC) and Every Child a Reader are the sponsors of the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature initiative. Financial support for the National Ambassador program is provided by Penguin Young Readers Group, Scholastic Inc., HarperCollins Children's Books, Random House Children's Books, and Candlewick Press.

For more information about the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, go to www.ChildrensBookAmbassador.com and visit Myers' web page at