UA, Local Neighborhood, Participate in Statewide Literature Project

Janis Leibold
April 7, 2004


The University of Arizona's School of Information Resources and Library Science is participating in a statewide project that promotes literature and brings together communities.

In conjunction with OneBookAZ for Kids and Tucson's Valencia Neighborhood, a storytelling and celebration of the book, "The Warm Place" by Nancy Farmer will be held at the Valencia Middle School Library, 4400 W. Irvington Road, on Friday, April 23.

There will be two storytellings of the book in Spanish at 9:20 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. Some copies of the book will be given to the students.

OneBookAZ for Kids is a program hosted by libraries and other partners across the state. The driving force behind the project is to bring communities together through literature and reading. It encourages communities across the state of Arizona to read the same book and participate in discussion and programs centered on that book during the month of April.

A committee made up of area librarians and educators selects the titles for OneBookAZ in the summer. Suggestions from the public, librarians, bookstore folks and teachers, along with the evaluation from the last OneBookAZ all weigh into the decision. During the first two years, 20,000 people read and discussed the adult selection and 5,000 children read or participated in a program related event. Participants said the program helped them revive books groups, brought together new groups of people, and encouraged multigenerational activities.

Told from the animals' point of view, "The Warm Place" is the story of Ruva, a young giraffe who is captured and sent to a zoo. With the help a chameleon, a rat, a little boy, and all the magical powers of the animal world, Ruva is able to return to "the warm place" that is home.

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Patricia Montiel Overall
overall@email.arizona.edu
or
Richard Prouty
rprouty@u.arizona.edu