Special events
September 29 - October 6, 2007Banned Books Week - Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, the annual event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. Banned Books Week (BBW) celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.
September 28, 2006Just Read, Florida - Governor Bush believes that reading is the most powerful skill a child can learn, as it influences success in school and improves the overall quality of life. The unequivocal goal is for all students in Florida to be able to read on grade level or higher by 2012. Shoot for the Stars: A Record Breaking Year for Middle Schools - In addition to the three contests involved in the "Shoot for the Stars: A Record Breaking Year for Middle Schools" initiative, Governor Bush announced that our middle school students will also move forward to break a reading record through Guinness World Records™ entitled Most People Reading Aloud Simultaneously at Multiple Locations.
Read Together Florida Essay Contest - Reading is cool. That is why Read Together, Florida is featuring an essay contest for high school students with some great rewards. Florida High School Students can compete for scholarships for up to $5,000. The winning essay should be submitted electronically, via a submission for that will be posted through Just Read, Florida! by January 31, 2007. Check back to this page for details and a link to submit by that date.
October 14-20, 200Teen Read Week - Teen Read Week™ is a national literacy initiative aimed at teens, their parents, librarians and educators. It is celebrated each year during the third week of October. Teen Read Week™ is administered by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest growing division of the American Library Association. For nearly 50 years YALSA has been the world leader in selecting reading, listening and viewing for teens.
The theme for 2007 will be: LOL @ your library.
March 20, 2007NEA's Read Across America is a reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child to celebrate reading.
Read Across Manatee
Manatee District Schools will join an estimated 50 million children and adults across the country to celebrate the joy of reading during the month of March – a month which begins with the birthday of Dr. Seuss.
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The Florida Association for Media in Education has a young adult reading award for students in grades 9-12, Florida Teens Read. The mission of the program is to encourage Florida teens to read enjoyable, quality literature that will stimulate imagination, awaken curiosity, expand horizons, enhance verbal fluency, and foster critical thinking and a lifelong love for reading and learning.
Winner for 2005-2006: Eragon (by Christopher Paolini, A. A. Knopf, ©2003)
