I wonder if the phones have already rung? It’s 5:15am EST and today is the day when the Youth Media Awards will be announced here in the Boston Convention Center at 8:00am. Someone will learn she or he has won the Newbery Medal or the Caldecott Medal or the Schneider or any one of the amazing 19 awards to be announced today. Lives changed forever.
Last year I had goosebumps as the Newbery winner was announced….goosebumps.
My dream is that the day will come when America joins us in our goosebumps. My dream is that the awareness of this day will spread and families will know that on this day the most distinguished contribution to literature for children in the U.S. was honored.
Boston with all of its memories of revolution and change and determination to create a place where everyone could be free to carve out a life of dreams come true might be a starting point for us. Let’s consider together what we might do to catapult ….absolutely launch … the importance of reading and books onto the national stage and into the national conversation.
Come on America…let’s talk books for children. Let’s change lives. Let’s share story. The big networks have been silent about the youth media awards for about 5 years now. They either think we don’t care or they think we shouldn’t care and I’m not keen on either one of those assumptions. No thanks.
In an era when someone’s breakfast gets notice I think stories that create possibilities in the lives of children deserve to have a huge moment.
Pretty soon the microphones will come alive and the energy in the room will start pulsing. I’ll be waiting for the goosebumps to come! I would love to invite a few million children to join me.
Cheers!!