OK, so my kids have no idea who any on the hottest Hollywood celebrities or pop stars are... no clue.  Ask them and they will just stare at you like you are dumb.  (I've got to work on their manners!) As homeschoolers we get to pick and choose who we want to admire and why.  The media cannot force feed us or our children because we abstain from their influence altogether.  No cable television, no satellite, and only rabbit ears on rare occasions (like when we got a direct hit from Tropical Storm Fey). So on December 7th, we can look at the lives of real people who made a difference... like those brave men who did their duty for family, liberty, and country on December 7, 1941.  Brave men like Cassin Young: CASSIN YOUNG Congressional Medal of Honor Rank and organization: Commander, U.S. Navy. Place and date: Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941. Born: 6 March 1894, Washington, D.C. Appointed from: Wisconsin. Other Navy award: Navy Cross. "Comdr. Young proceeded to the bridge and later took personal command of the 3-inch antiaircraft gun. When blown overboard by the blast of the forward magazine explosion of the U.S.S. Arizona, to which the U.S.S. Vestal was moored, he swam back to his ship. The entire forward part of the U.S.S. Arizona was a blazing inferno with oil afire on the water between the 2 ships; as a result of several bomb hits, the U.S.S. Vestal was afire in several places, was settling and taking on a list. Despite severe enemy bombing and strafing at the time, and his shocking experience of having been blown overboard, Comdr. Young, with extreme coolness and calmness, moved his ship to an anchorage distant from the U.S.S. Arizona, and subsequently beached the U.S.S. Vestal upon determining that such action was required to save his ship."   U.S.S. Vestal If you are considering homeschooling, consider turning off your TV and reading to your children starting now.  You can read about more of these brave heroes here and here.

This from the Palm Beach Post: Three students at Glades Middle School in Miramar were suspended this week and face expulsion after school administrators say they were engaged in inappropriate sexual activity in a classroom. One female and two male seventh-graders may have been involved in sexual activity for several weeks, school district spokesman Keith Bromery said. Two seventh-grade teachers have been reassigned to work away from students while the district investigates, Bromery said. The activity was allegedly going on in their classrooms," Bromery said. "They're responsible for maintaining a certain decorum." He said none of the students are being accused of rape. Other students may have been involved aside from the three suspended - all of whom are about 13 years old. "These three are the perpetrators," Bromery said. Principal Krista Herrera sent a letter home with students Tuesday, assuring parents that students at the school are safe. Reason 524,237 to start your home school today.  I like the quote about the "reassigned pending an investigation" teachers:  "They're responsible for maintaining a certain decorum."  No word yet if these are former "Teacher of the Year" awardees.

I keep seeing stories about homeschooled college football star and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.  The prospect of competing in high school sports, scouting, and having a professional sports career are not concerns for our family.  But, sports are a consideration for many families considering homeschooling, especially as families consider homeschooling high school. In some states, homeschoolers are able to play on local public school teams.  In other states certain homeschoolers are fighting to change laws to allow homeschoolers to play.  The public school bureaucrats, of course, don't want private homeschoolers playing on their teams.  My personal opinion is that I don't want anything the government schools have to offer.  With "free" goodies comes control and government control of my home school would be an anathema.  The good news is that the options for private sports training are many and varied.  Private and amateur leagues abound in most metro areas. For example, the Oklahoma Christian Home Educated Football Association is a nonprofit Christian athletic organization established to serve homeschool families in Oklahoma City and the surrounding areas.  Although the public schools may have larger programs for traditional team sports, we live in a new world order of sporting.  Baseball and American football are not Olympic sports.  (Baseball and softball was voted off the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.)  The internet provides a medium for acquiring the best training information regardless of your locale.  So, if it’s the training, discipline, team experience, or personal confidence that you are hoping sports will help provide your children, homeschooling is still the best option... if your children love the Lord, sports is just another avenue where these positive character traits can be a good witness. Let's pray that Tim Tebow can continue to be a good witness for the Lord and homeschoolers.  Here is some Tim Tebow biography from Wikipedia: Timothy "Tim" Richard Tebow (born August 14, 1987) is an American football quarterback for the Florida Gators. He was the first college football player to both rush and pass for 20 touchdowns in a season and was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. Tebow played quarterback for Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where he became a Division I-A recruit and ranked among the top quarterback prospects in the nation as a senior. After a tight recruiting battle, he chose to attend the University of Florida over the University of Alabama. Tebow, being a dual threat quarterback adept at rushing and passing the football, was used in his freshman season largely as a change of pace to the Gators' more traditional quarterback, Chris Leak. His contribution in the 2006 college football season was as a key reserve who helped the Gators win college football's national championship game for the first time since 1996. As a sophomore in the 2007 season, he became the Gators' starting quarterback and broke the Southeastern Conference records for both rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns accounted for in a single season. In addition to the Heisman Trophy, his performance in 2007 also earned him the Maxwell Award as the nation's top football player, the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback, and the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation's most outstanding amateur athlete in any sport. Tebow was born on August 14, 1987 in the Philippines to Bob and Pam Tebow, who were serving as Christian missionaries at the time. While pregnant Pam suffered a life-threatening infection with a pathogenic amoeba. Because of extremely strong drugs used to bring her out of a coma and to relieve her dysentery, the fetus had experienced a severe placental abruption. Expecting a stillbirth, doctors recommended an abortion to protect her own life. She carried the baby to term, and both mother and child survived. All of the Tebow children were homeschooled by their mother, who worked to instill the family’s deep Christian beliefs along the way. In 1996, legislation was passed in Florida allowing homeschooled students to compete in local high school sporting events. The law specifies that homeschooled students may participate on the team of the local school in the school district in which they live. The Tebows lived in Jacksonville, Florida, and Tim played linebacker and tight end at the local Trinity Christian Academy for one season. Tebow's preferred position was quarterback, but Trinity football team's offense did not rely on passing the football, so he began to explore his options to play for a new high school. He decided to attend Nease High School, which under head coach Craig Howard was known for having a passing offense. With the rest of his family living on a farm in Duval County, Tim and his mother moved into an apartment in nearby St. Johns County, making him eligible to play for the football team at Nease. His performance soon began to turn some heads, and led to a minor controversy over him being a homeschooled student that chose for which school he wanted to play. As a junior at Nease, Tebow’s stock rose as he became a major college football quarterback prospect and was named the state of Florida's Player of the Year. He would repeat as Player of the Year in his senior season. One of his highlights as a high school athlete was finishing a game on a broken leg. During his senior season he led the Nease Panthers to a state title, earned All-State honors, was named Florida's Mr. Football and a Parade All-American. Tebow finished his high school career with 9,810 passing yards, 3,186 rushing yards, 95 passing touchdowns and 62 rushing touchdowns. He played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Game in San Antonio, Texas which features the top 78 senior high school football players in the nation and is shown nationally on NBC television. Tebow was considered one of the nation’s top recruits and was the subject of an ESPN “Faces in Sports” documentary. The segment was titled "Tim Tebow: The Chosen One", and focused on Tim’s homeschool controversy and missionary work in the Philippines, as well as his exploits on the field of play and the college recruiting process. Tim Tebow was also featured in Sports Illustrated on the “Faces in the Crowd” page. In 2007 he was named to FHSAA's All-Century Team that listed the Top 33 football players in the state of Florida's 100 year history of high school football. Despite having family ties to the University of Florida, where his parents first met as students, he remained open-minded during the recruiting process and became very close to Alabama coach Mike Shula. After careful consideration he decided to play for Urban Meyer's Florida Gators. One of the reasons he chose Florida was because of Meyer's spread option offense, an offense for which Tebow was deemed a prototypical quarterback. Tebow spent the last three summers before enrolling at the University of Florida in the Philippines, assisting with his father's orphanage and missionary work.

Posted by: Considering Homeschooling The North Dakota Home School Association (NDHSA) 2009 Home School Convention is March 19-21, 2009 in Jamestown, ND.  Workshops and guest speakers include: Michael P. Farris is Chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association and Chancellor of Patrick Henry College. George Escobar is the founder of Advent Film Group (AFG) and has over 20 years experience in film, television and interactive media. He has worked for top executives in the industry including Sony CEO, Fox Network and TELE-TV SVP. Prior to AFG, Escobar was VP of Product Development for Discovery, Executive Director for AOL/Time Warner and is former producing Fellow from the American Film Institute Conservatory. He holds seven U.S. patents in technology and user-interface design. Most recently, George co-produced, directed, and scripted COME WHAT MAY in association with Patrick Henry College (PHC). Mike Farris, founder and chancellor of PHC, plays the moot court coach in the movie. COME WHAT MAY was made by and stars homeschooled students. George acknowledges, “When I was in Hollywood I was a marginal Christian. I knew Christ, but I didn’t live for Him. Now, as a more mature Christian, I can clearly see and appreciate why the Lord literally pulled me away from Hollywood. I might have grown to become a successful filmmaker, but I would have been an ineffective ambassador for Christ. The Lord first had to mold and remake me as a homeschool dad of three sons and a devoted husband to my wife, Claire, for 20 years. More importantly, I needed to learn that the Lord comes first in everything I do. That includes my family, church, education, world view, my craft as a filmmaker, the people I work with and the organizations I support.” Theresa Deckert lives in Devils Lake, ND with her husband Jeff. They have been homeschooling in the state of North Dakota for 24 years. Their two oldest children have graduated from their homeschool and are married. Theresa is currently homeschooling a senior and a 2nd grader. She and her husband serve on the board of the North Dakota Homeschool Association. She is also part of the legislative team working toward a better law for our state and the Lake Region Area Homeschoolers. Her passion as a board member and a workshop leader is to represent and help those who are just beginning this amazing journey called homeschooling. Steve Demme and his wife Sandra have been married for over 29 years. They have been blessed with four boys: Isaac, 28; Ethan, 26; Joseph, 23; and Johnny, 21. With God’s help, they have all been home educated. Steve addresses a variety of topics at homeschool conferences to encourage parents in their God-given responsibilities of raising and training their children for His glory. He and Sandra have created the Math•U•See Foundation, a nonprofit corporation to assist and encourage parents and families with cassettes, booklets, and other helpful resources. Steve is the author and founder of Math•U•See. He served in full or part time pastoral ministry for many years after graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. www.stevedemme.com Lois Walfrid Johnson believes that an important part of her call as an author is to restore the spiritual dimension to our understanding of history and religious and political freedoms. Her 29 books and 17 updated editions include three historical series and 21 novels: the Adventures of the Northwoods (1906-07, transition years in MN, WI, and upper MI) and Riverboat Adventures (1857, immigrant, steamboat, and Underground Railroad history). In her Viking Quest series (approximate year 1000) Lois shows a world view in which Vikings came to raid and encountered Christianity. When enough of them became Christians the raids stopped, and courageous sailors changed world history. In the fifth novel, The Raider’s Promise, Lois’ characters join Leif Erikson in founding the only authenticated Viking site in North America. For a partial list of awards received see www.loiswalfridjohnson.com and click the “about Lois” tab. Peggy Ployhar serves as the MACHE (Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators) Special Needs Coordinator with the goal of “Empowering parents to love homeschooling the special needs children God has chosen for their homes.” She says that homeschooling was God’s chosen blessing for their family, an adventure that started almost 6 years ago when her oldest son was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. Peggy’s passion to serve God where He calls and motivate others through her speaking and counseling to do the same, has given countless individuals the courage to step out in faith and trust. She believes that being in the will of God is the cornerstone of the Christian walk and therefore her lessons, lectures and retreats all center around bringing individuals back to truth in all life circumstances. Peggy is the former MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Area Coordinator for MN, ND and SD, and she is certified by the American Association of Christian Counselors. Peggy lives in Apple Valley, MN with her husband Doug and their three children, two cats and one dog. Victor Storkel is founder and president of Virtue in Knowledge Publications. He is first a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and has committed his life to follow and apply the teaching of the Bible in all areas of life and to follow the example of Jesus Christ under the leading and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. He is also a national speaker and author on the topics of education and critical thinking skill development. He has been a featured speaker at National Home Education Conventions across the country for the last 10 years. He and his wife Gail have 3 children, Crystal, James and Collette. In his spare time he enjoys studying God’s Priceless Word, travel, golf and soccer. www.virtueinknowledge.com Allen Wold is a former farmer from Wheaton, Minnesota. He has been married to his wife Beth for thirty-two years, and together they have three children and one grandchild. He farmed for twenty-seven years before God led him to enroll at Oak Brook College of Law, a Christian college. He graduated in October 2007. Since the school was online, he homeschooled himself in law while continuing to homeschool his two youngest children.

I keep seeing stories about homeschooled college football star and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.  The prospect of competing in high school sports, scouting, and having a professional sports career are not concerns for our family.  But, sports are a consideration for many families considering homeschooling, especially as families consider homeschooling high school. In some states, homeschoolers are able to play on local public school teams.  In other states certain homeschoolers are fighting to change laws to allow homeschoolers to play.  The public school bureaucrats, of course, don't want private homeschoolers playing on their teams.  My personal opinion is that I don't want anything the government schools have to offer.  With "free" goodies comes control and government control of my home school would be an anathema.  The good news is that the options for private sports training are many and varied.  Private and amateur leagues abound in most metro areas. For example, the Oklahoma Christian Home Educated Football Association is a nonprofit Christian athletic organization established to serve homeschool families in Oklahoma City and the surrounding areas.  Although the public schools may have larger programs for traditional team sports, we live in a new world order of sporting.  Baseball and American football are not Olympic sports.  (Baseball and softball was voted off the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.)  The internet provides a medium for acquiring the best training information regardless of your locale.  So, if it’s the training, discipline, team experience, or personal confidence that you are hoping sports will help provide your children, homeschooling is still the best option... if your children love the Lord, sports is just another avenue where these positive character traits can be a good witness. Let's pray that Tim Tebow can continue to be a good witness for the Lord and homeschoolers.  Here is some Tim Tebow biography from Wikipedia: Timothy "Tim" Richard Tebow (born August 14, 1987) is an American football quarterback for the Florida Gators. He was the first college football player to both rush and pass for 20 touchdowns in a season and was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. Tebow played quarterback for Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where he became a Division I-A recruit and ranked among the top quarterback prospects in the nation as a senior. After a tight recruiting battle, he chose to attend the University of Florida over the University of Alabama. Tebow, being a dual threat quarterback adept at rushing and passing the football, was used in his freshman season largely as a change of pace to the Gators' more traditional quarterback, Chris Leak. His contribution in the 2006 college football season was as a key reserve who helped the Gators win college football's national championship game for the first time since 1996. As a sophomore in the 2007 season, he became the Gators' starting quarterback and broke the Southeastern Conference records for both rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns accounted for in a single season. In addition to the Heisman Trophy, his performance in 2007 also earned him the Maxwell Award as the nation's top football player, the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback, and the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation's most outstanding amateur athlete in any sport. Tebow was born on August 14, 1987 in the Philippines to Bob and Pam Tebow, who were serving as Christian missionaries at the time. While pregnant Pam suffered a life-threatening infection with a pathogenic amoeba. Because of extremely strong drugs used to bring her out of a coma and to relieve her dysentery, the fetus had experienced a severe placental abruption. Expecting a stillbirth, doctors recommended an abortion to protect her own life. She carried the baby to term, and both mother and child survived. All of the Tebow children were homeschooled by their mother, who worked to instill the family’s deep Christian beliefs along the way. In 1996, legislation was passed in Florida allowing homeschooled students to compete in local high school sporting events. The law specifies that homeschooled students may participate on the team of the local school in the school district in which they live. The Tebows lived in Jacksonville, Florida, and Tim played linebacker and tight end at the local Trinity Christian Academy for one season. Tebow's preferred position was quarterback, but Trinity football team's offense did not rely on passing the football, so he began to explore his options to play for a new high school. He decided to attend Nease High School, which under head coach Craig Howard was known for having a passing offense. With the rest of his family living on a farm in Duval County, Tim and his mother moved into an apartment in nearby St. Johns County, making him eligible to play for the football team at Nease. His performance soon began to turn some heads, and led to a minor controversy over him being a homeschooled student that chose for which school he wanted to play. As a junior at Nease, Tebow’s stock rose as he became a major college football quarterback prospect and was named the state of Florida's Player of the Year. He would repeat as Player of the Year in his senior season. One of his highlights as a high school athlete was finishing a game on a broken leg. During his senior season he led the Nease Panthers to a state title, earned All-State honors, was named Florida's Mr. Football and a Parade All-American. Tebow finished his high school career with 9,810 passing yards, 3,186 rushing yards, 95 passing touchdowns and 62 rushing touchdowns. He played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Game in San Antonio, Texas which features the top 78 senior high school football players in the nation and is shown nationally on NBC television. Tebow was considered one of the nation’s top recruits and was the subject of an ESPN “Faces in Sports” documentary. The segment was titled "Tim Tebow: The Chosen One", and focused on Tim’s homeschool controversy and missionary work in the Philippines, as well as his exploits on the field of play and the college recruiting process. Tim Tebow was also featured in Sports Illustrated on the “Faces in the Crowd” page. In 2007 he was named to FHSAA's All-Century Team that listed the Top 33 football players in the state of Florida's 100 year history of high school football. Despite having family ties to the University of Florida, where his parents first met as students, he remained open-minded during the recruiting process and became very close to Alabama coach Mike Shula. After careful consideration he decided to play for Urban Meyer's Florida Gators. One of the reasons he chose Florida was because of Meyer's spread option offense, an offense for which Tebow was deemed a prototypical quarterback. Tebow spent the last three summers before enrolling at the University of Florida in the Philippines, assisting with his father's orphanage and missionary work.

Posted by: Considering Homeschooling The North Dakota Home School Association (NDHSA) 2009 Home School Convention is March 19-21, 2009 in Jamestown, ND.  Workshops and guest speakers include: Michael P. Farris is Chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association and Chancellor of Patrick Henry College. George Escobar is the founder of Advent Film Group (AFG) and has over 20 years experience in film, television and interactive media. He has worked for top executives in the industry including Sony CEO, Fox Network and TELE-TV SVP. Prior to AFG, Escobar was VP of Product Development for Discovery, Executive Director for AOL/Time Warner and is former producing Fellow from the American Film Institute Conservatory. He holds seven U.S. patents in technology and user-interface design. Most recently, George co-produced, directed, and scripted COME WHAT MAY in association with Patrick Henry College (PHC). Mike Farris, founder and chancellor of PHC, plays the moot court coach in the movie. COME WHAT MAY was made by and stars homeschooled students. George acknowledges, “When I was in Hollywood I was a marginal Christian. I knew Christ, but I didn’t live for Him. Now, as a more mature Christian, I can clearly see and appreciate why the Lord literally pulled me away from Hollywood. I might have grown to become a successful filmmaker, but I would have been an ineffective ambassador for Christ. The Lord first had to mold and remake me as a homeschool dad of three sons and a devoted husband to my wife, Claire, for 20 years. More importantly, I needed to learn that the Lord comes first in everything I do. That includes my family, church, education, world view, my craft as a filmmaker, the people I work with and the organizations I support.” Theresa Deckert lives in Devils Lake, ND with her husband Jeff. They have been homeschooling in the state of North Dakota for 24 years. Their two oldest children have graduated from their homeschool and are married. Theresa is currently homeschooling a senior and a 2nd grader. She and her husband serve on the board of the North Dakota Homeschool Association. She is also part of the legislative team working toward a better law for our state and the Lake Region Area Homeschoolers. Her passion as a board member and a workshop leader is to represent and help those who are just beginning this amazing journey called homeschooling. Steve Demme and his wife Sandra have been married for over 29 years. They have been blessed with four boys: Isaac, 28; Ethan, 26; Joseph, 23; and Johnny, 21. With God’s help, they have all been home educated. Steve addresses a variety of topics at homeschool conferences to encourage parents in their God-given responsibilities of raising and training their children for His glory. He and Sandra have created the Math•U•See Foundation, a nonprofit corporation to assist and encourage parents and families with cassettes, booklets, and other helpful resources. Steve is the author and founder of Math•U•See. He served in full or part time pastoral ministry for many years after graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. www.stevedemme.com Lois Walfrid Johnson believes that an important part of her call as an author is to restore the spiritual dimension to our understanding of history and religious and political freedoms. Her 29 books and 17 updated editions include three historical series and 21 novels: the Adventures of the Northwoods (1906-07, transition years in MN, WI, and upper MI) and Riverboat Adventures (1857, immigrant, steamboat, and Underground Railroad history). In her Viking Quest series (approximate year 1000) Lois shows a world view in which Vikings came to raid and encountered Christianity. When enough of them became Christians the raids stopped, and courageous sailors changed world history. In the fifth novel, The Raider’s Promise, Lois’ characters join Leif Erikson in founding the only authenticated Viking site in North America. For a partial list of awards received see www.loiswalfridjohnson.com and click the “about Lois” tab. Peggy Ployhar serves as the MACHE (Minnesota Association of Christian Home Educators) Special Needs Coordinator with the goal of “Empowering parents to love homeschooling the special needs children God has chosen for their homes.” She says that homeschooling was God’s chosen blessing for their family, an adventure that started almost 6 years ago when her oldest son was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. Peggy’s passion to serve God where He calls and motivate others through her speaking and counseling to do the same, has given countless individuals the courage to step out in faith and trust. She believes that being in the will of God is the cornerstone of the Christian walk and therefore her lessons, lectures and retreats all center around bringing individuals back to truth in all life circumstances. Peggy is the former MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Area Coordinator for MN, ND and SD, and she is certified by the American Association of Christian Counselors. Peggy lives in Apple Valley, MN with her husband Doug and their three children, two cats and one dog. Victor Storkel is founder and president of Virtue in Knowledge Publications. He is first a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ and has committed his life to follow and apply the teaching of the Bible in all areas of life and to follow the example of Jesus Christ under the leading and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. He is also a national speaker and author on the topics of education and critical thinking skill development. He has been a featured speaker at National Home Education Conventions across the country for the last 10 years. He and his wife Gail have 3 children, Crystal, James and Collette. In his spare time he enjoys studying God’s Priceless Word, travel, golf and soccer. www.virtueinknowledge.com Allen Wold is a former farmer from Wheaton, Minnesota. He has been married to his wife Beth for thirty-two years, and together they have three children and one grandchild. He farmed for twenty-seven years before God led him to enroll at Oak Brook College of Law, a Christian college. He graduated in October 2007. Since the school was online, he homeschooled himself in law while continuing to homeschool his two youngest children.

I LOVE the Gamewright Company! Do you know them yet? After reading this review, you will certainly want to add them to your gift idea list for Christmas!  From the Gamewright website:  “Gamewright was founded in 1994 by four parents whose kids wanted great games. From the start, our mission has remained clear: Create the highest quality family games with outstanding play-value. Guided by themes and experiences that transcend age and salted with a bit of irreverence, our games are designed to foster laughter, learning, friendship and fun.  Over the years our family has grown to over 50 games, 150 awards, and countless happy players.” Include my family in that “countless happy players” group! The Gamewright company was VERY generous in allowing me to review three of their brand new games!  My children LOVED playing with all of them.  I wish I could post a video review of the kids playing the games, but to anyone outside of my home, it would have just looked like pure chaos.  :) My youngest two children absolutely loved Ring-O Flamingo!  It is their new pastime.  It is perfect for younger children, since they picked up on the rules of the game immediately!  They are 2 and 4, and they weren’t the ONLY ones who loved the game.  My older two children also love playing it… and so do I! The object of the game:  Ring the most flamingos by shooting life preservers from your playing piece!  But be careful, don’t ring a crocodile instead!  Here is a picture of my kiddos having a ball playing it! The next game we reviewed was, “Do You See What I See?”. We had a great time trying to collect all of the items on our Keep Me tiles!  This game is based on the award winning book, “Can You See What I See?” by Walter Wick.  Just to prove to you that children of all ages can play this game, my two year old beat the pants off the entire rest of the family when we played this game!! The next amazing game they sent us was BOOCHIE!!  :) This is just an incredibly fun game!  Think, horseshoes meets croquet, meets lawn darts, meets… well, I guess this game is actually just all-together unique!! Here is a picture of my kiddos having great fun with Boochie-   Watch this great commercial on the Boochie Game! Now, it’s YOUR turn!! The Gamewright Company is offering YOUR FAMILY a 2009 Gamewright game of your OWN!! To enter, please do the following: Mandatory for Entry: Comment below, telling me which game from THIS GROUP you would love to own if you win.  Be sure to leave your email in the comment, in case you win! Become a follower of this blog, and comment that you do For Extra Entries: Retweet this contest (http://twitter.com/vaagen/statuses/3393681764) and comment that you do Gain an extra entry for asking your friends to subscribe to this blog, and commenting with their screen name Post this contest to your Facebook page, and leave the URL in the comments below. Become a follower of this blog on its Facebook page, and comment that you do Favorite this blog on Technorati (link in right hand column of this blog), and comment that you do Place my blog button on your blogsite, and leave the URL below This contest will end on Tuesday, August 25th at 6pm EST.  GOOD LUCK! Thank you for coming to Mingle Over Mocha with Anna!

Have you ever heard of Jishaku?Better yet, have you PLAYED Jishaku??This game is the perfect combination of skill, strategy, and plain old LUCK.Jishaku is the Japanese word for "magnet," and the game centers around the game pieces, which are magnetized rocks! Each player places their game piece into the unique game board, hoping to collect their opponent's pieces! Think of it like a magnetized game of chess!Jishaku has won several awards, including:Jishaku Awarded National Parenting Seal of Approval"Cookie" magazine profiles Jishaku in September issue Click to see article Jishaku wins iParenting media Award Click here for the full release Jishaku wins "Major Fun Award" Click here to see the review JishakuTM wins Prestigous Mr. Dad Seal of Approval Click here for the full Press Release ... And it wins my family's seal of approval! All 4 of my kids LOVE this game. Actually, my 2 year old simply attemps to run off with the game pieces. But, the rest of it LOVE playing! It allows us to teach our children patience, strategy, chance!And now you can win your OWN copy of this fabulous game!In order to win your own Jishaku game... enter this giveaway!!To enter, please do any or all of the following:1. Comment below, with your email address2. Visit the "Jishaku" site by clicking HERE, and leave a comment telling me what you think you will love about Jishaku!3. Subscribe to this blog (enter your email address in upper right corner), and comment that you do.4. Follow this blog (in right hand column), and comment that you do.5. Become a fan of this blog on Facebook by clicking HERE, and comment that you do.6. Email this contest out to your friends, and copy me on it at vaagen@bellsouth.net7. Follow me on Twitter (vaagen) and ReTweet this contest on Twitter: http://twitter.com/vaagen/status/3063067564. Comment below that you did.8. Favorite this blog on Technorati by clicking HEREThe winner will be chosen by random drawing on http://www.random.org/integers/ on Friday, August 7th at 6pm. Good luck!Thank you for coming to Mingle Over Mocha with Anna!

I was so excited to be chosen to review the One eskimO album "All Balloons!"One eskimO is a critically-acclaimed English band fronted by singer-songwriter Kristian Leontiou and includes musicians Pete Rinaldi (guitar), Jamie Sefton (bass, horns) and Adam Falkner (drums).They currently have the #1 adult alternative song called 'Kandi' which you may have already heard since it's the most played song on all adult rock radio 4 weeks and counting! ? Billboard Magazine calls One eskimO's self-titled debut album "...catchy, ambient pop." and Los Angeles Times Magazine hails the song "Kandi" “a beautiful, aspirational track.” The album is available in stores now.? ? Watch the amazing Kandi video now!The album release comes in tandem with a full length animated film. “Hometime”, one of the tracks that an animated short was first done with proved to be quite a sensation. It received numerous honors at film festivals around the world, as well as a 2008 British Animation Award. My opinion on the album...I LOVE quite a few songs on this CD.? Astronauts, WHICH YOU CAN DOWNLOAD FOR FREE HERE, is amazing.? It is bathtime music for me.? It just takes you away.? Kandi is the funnest, funkiest, jazziest, sassiest song I can think of at the moment.? And I can truely say there are NO SONGS on this CD I don't enjoy!!The listing of tracks on this CD are:HometimeAstronautsKandiSlipSimple DayGivin UpChocolateAll BalloonsChosen OneUFOAmazing? Be sure to visit One eskimO's Facebook page: http://bit.ly/906Gp3, their YouTube Channel:? http://bit.ly/bgZM8P , and subscribe to their newsletter:? http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1410294733! One? eskimO? is on tour May/June/July supporting Michael Franti and in addition to festivals and headlining showsTour Dates-May 14 Miami, FL Fillmore May 15 Jacksonville, FL Free Bird LiveMay 18 Orlando, FL House of BluesMay 19 Tampa, FL The Ritz YborMay 22 Raleigh, NC Lincoln TheatreMay 24 Asheville, NC The Orange PeelMay 25 Charleston, SC The Music FarmJun 01 Toronto, ON The Guvernment Jun 03 New York, NY The Beach at Governor's IslandJun 04 Boston, MA House of Blues Jun 05 Essex Junction, VT Camplain Valley ExpoJun 06 Hunter, NY Mountain Jam FestivalJun 08 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music ThtrJun 09 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit RoomJun 12 Memphis, TN Minglewood Hall Jun 13 Kansas City, MO CrossroadsAug 14 Denver, CO Mile High FestivalYou can download the deluxe edition of this album HERE!? You can also enter to WIN a copy from One2One Network and Mingle Over Mocha!? To enter, please do any or all of the following items. The "Mandatory" item(s) must be completed before getting any additional credits from the "Optional for Extra Credit" section.Mandatory:• Visit the One eskimO site by clicking HERE, and leave a comment (BE SURE to include? your email address in case you win!!? Sometimes, people never get their prize, because I can't find their email address!!) telling me what you love the most! Optional for Extra Credit:• Subscribe to this blog HERE, and comment that you do.• Follow this blog HERE, and comment that you do.• Post about this giveaway on your blog, and comment with a link to the post!• Digg this post by clicking HERE!• Become a fan of this blog on Facebook by clicking HERE, and comment that you do.• Email this contest out to your friends, and copy me on it at vaagen@bellsouth.net ? • Follow me on Twitter? HERE and ReTweet this: "I want to WIN the new One eskimO CD from @vaagen on her site http://www.mingleovermocha.com/!"? ? Comment below that you did! You can retweet this contest every day for extra entries- simply leave a comment each time you tweet!• Invite friends to follow Mingle Over Mocha on Facebook, and comment that you did!The winner will be chosen by random drawing on http://www.random.org/integers/ on May 31st at 6pm!? GOOD LUCK!Thank you to? One eskimO and One2One Network? for donating the free CD "All? Balloons"? for my review!! I was not compensated monetarily for this review, or for any reviews or giveaways on my blog site. All reviews are provided after I receive a free or donated product from the publisher, manufacturer, or PR company. Reviews are written from an unbiased point of view. Only business relationships exist with those who provide products for review. The Author of Mingle Over Mocha is not responsible for your difference in opinion or happiness with this product, or your safety when using this product.Thank you for coming to Mingle Over Mocha with Anna!

This Friday through Sunday! The 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival is VirtualThe 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival is celebrating its 20th birthday this year! Join us this weekend at loc.gov/bookfest for an interactive, online celebration of American Ingenuity featuring more than loc120 authors, poets and illustrators at the first virtual event in the festival’s history. Connect with your favorite writers across all genres at our virtual “stages” including, Children, Teens, Family, Food & Field, Fiction, Genre Fiction, History & Biography sponsored by Wells Fargo, Poetry & Prose sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts, Science, and Understanding Our World.View the full author lineup:? loc.gov/events/2020-national-book-festival/authors/?loclr=ealnComplete Your FREE Registration and Sign In NowCreate your FREE account now at loc.gov/bookfest to access on-demand videos, live author chats and discussions during the Festival weekend, Sept. 25 – 27. You’ll have options to personalize your own festival journey with timely topics, and to explore book buying possibilities through the festival’s official bookseller, Politics & Prose.Today! A Day of Programming for Schools, Children & Teens at HomeVideo interviews with popular authors of books for children and young adults,? as well as? two? 1-hour video specials, are available for on-demand viewing starting today at 9 a.m. ET on the festival platform under the “Stages” tab. Log on at loc.gov/bookfest or view on the Library’s YouTube channel at? youtube.com/loc/.Young people can also check out the Roadmap to Reading, which features a list of? “Great Reads from Great Places” – 53 books that reflect the literary heritage of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.Don't miss live Q&As with some of today's most popular children and young adult authors? – including Chelsea Clinton and Veronica Chambers. Visit loc.gov/bookfest for a complete schedule.Download this Learning Guide for tips and suggestions on experiencing the virtual festival all weekend long with the kids and teens in your life:? loc.gov/static/events/2020-national-book-festival/documents/NBF2020-Learning-Guide.pdf The Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction and Literacy Awards to be given at FestivalEach year we take the opportunity of the Library of Congress National Book Festival to award a series of important prizes that celebrate and honor literature and literacy. This year, Colson Whitehead, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novels “The Nickel Boys” and “The Underground Railroad,” will receive the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction during the festival. The author will take part in a live Q&A event and talk about his life and work at this year’s National Book Festival, Saturday, Sept. 26 at 11 a.m. Also, five organizations working to expand literacy and promote reading will be awarded the 2020 Library of Congress Literacy Awards.Read more:? blogs.loc.gov/national-book-festival/2020/09/our-award-winners-colson-whitehead-literacy-honorees/Watch the PBS Television Special on SundayAlso a first in the festival’s history, the festivities will culminate with a PBS television special! Watch “The Library of Congress National Book Festival: Celebrating American Ingenuity,” hosted by Hoda Kotb on Sunday, Sept. 27, 6-8 p.m. ET/PT (check local listings and PBS streaming info).? ? Festival ShopThe National Book Festival may be virtual, but you can still receive actual merchandise to help capture the memories this year. Purchase swag at our on-line shop where you can also order a FREE commemorative tote bag courtesy of our media partner, C-SPAN.? SHOP:? library-of-congress-shop.myshopify.com/collections/national-book-festivalOrder books by featured authors from the Festival’s official bookseller – Politics & Prose – within the online platform at loc.gov/bookfest. A limited number of signed copies are available.The 2020 National Book Festival poster is available for download at loc.gov/programs/national-book-festival/about-this-program/poster-gallery/. Also, a printed version of the poster will be shipped to you with a donation of $25 or more to support the National Book Festival from either our official bookseller, Politics & Prose, at this location politics-prose.com/national-book-festival-donation or the Library of Congress website at loc.gov/donate/ (select "National Book Festival").#NatBookFest - Follow & Share on Social MediaFollow our social media accounts, re-post festival info, and share your own posts about the event and your favorite presenting authors using the hashtag #NatBookFest. We’ve even created a fun Facebook frame for your profile picture to let friend know you’ll be there! (While logged into Facebook, select your profile picture > select Add Frame > search for National Book Festival Badge 2020 > select then save.) Twitter @librarycongress:? twitter.com/librarycongress Instagram @librarycongress:? instagram.com/librarycongress Facebook @libraryofcongress:? facebook.com/libraryofcongressFestival Facebook event:? facebook.com/events/492391091592698/Thank You to Our National Book Festival SupportersThe festival is free to the public with support from our sponsors and donors including National Book? Festival Co-Chair, David M. Rubenstein, Charter Sponsor, The Washington Post, Patrons, Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Arts, Wells Fargo, Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission, and many Friends and Media Partners. The full list can be found at? loc.gov/events/2020-national-book-festival/sponsors/.Our partners have even transformed their traditional Festival booths and are bringing you read-alongs, fun videos, author features, activities to download and giveaways — all online. Take a look at the schedule of those activities here, then log in to the platform to access them today. More:? blogs.loc.gov/national-book-festival/2020/09/festival-partners-family-friendly-activities-are-back/Please join us in thanking all of our supporters and consider making your gift to the Library of Congress at loc.gov/donate.?

News from the Library of CongressAda Limón to Reveal Poem for NASA Europa, Film Festival Lineup of of Rare Cinema and Special Guests Released,? Library Awards More than $200,000 to Five Projects Highlighting Uses of Digital Collections? and More Ada Limón to Reveal Poem for NASA Europa Clipper Mission During Live at the Library in JuneDuring Live at the Library in June, U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón — recently reappointed for a historic two-year term — will unveil her original poem written for the NASA Europa Clipper mission. Plus, celebrations for the Juneteenth holiday will honor African American folk music and photography. Celebrate Pride with a concert saluting Billy Strayhorn on June 8, and view a display of LGBTQ+ collection items in the Great Hall.Learn more.Connecting Communities Digital Initiative Announces Next Round of Award Opportunities for Libraries, Archives, Museums, Higher Education and Artists/Scholars in ResidenceIndividuals and educational and cultural institutions who seek to imaginatively remix and reuse the Library of Congress' digital collections and create projects centering one or more of the following groups, Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and/or other communities of color — are invited to apply to award opportunities through the Connecting Communities Digital Initiative.Learn more.Library of Congress Festival of Film and Sound Announces Full Lineup of Rare Cinema and Special GuestsThe Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center is announcing the full lineup of rare cinema and special guests to be featured at the inaugural Library of Congress Festival of Film and Sound.? The new four-day film festival will be held June 15-18 in association with the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center at the American Film Institute's beautifully restored 1938 art deco theater in Silver Spring, Maryland.Learn more.Library Awards More than $200,000 to Five Projects Highlighting Uses of Digital CollectionsThe Library of Congress announced that five awards, totaling more than $200,000, have been awarded from the Connecting Communities Digital Initiative through a program available to Libraries, Archives, Museums and Higher Education institutions. The 2023 awardees will use these funds to create projects that offer creative approaches to the Library's digital collections and center Black, Indigenous, and Latino or Hispanic studies.Learn more.Library Completes Digitization of Yongle Encyclopedia, Largest Reference Work of Pre-Modern EraThe Library of Congress has completed a yearslong effort to digitize the Yongle Encyclopedia (Yongle dadian ????), the largest reference work created in pre-modern China, and possibly the world. Digital publication of the 41 volumes held in the Library's collections provides open access to one of the most extensive attempts in world history to capture the entirety of human knowledge in book form.Learn more.

News from the Library of CongressAda Limón to Reveal Poem for NASA Europa, Film Festival Lineup of of Rare Cinema and Special Guests Released,? Library Awards More than $200,000 to Five Projects Highlighting Uses of Digital Collections? and More Ada Limón to Reveal Poem for NASA Europa Clipper Mission During Live at the Library in JuneDuring Live at the Library in June, U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón — recently reappointed for a historic two-year term — will unveil her original poem written for the NASA Europa Clipper mission. Plus, celebrations for the Juneteenth holiday will honor African American folk music and photography. Celebrate Pride with a concert saluting Billy Strayhorn on June 8, and view a display of LGBTQ+ collection items in the Great Hall.Learn more.Connecting Communities Digital Initiative Announces Next Round of Award Opportunities for Libraries, Archives, Museums, Higher Education and Artists/Scholars in ResidenceIndividuals and educational and cultural institutions who seek to imaginatively remix and reuse the Library of Congress' digital collections and create projects centering one or more of the following groups, Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and/or other communities of color — are invited to apply to award opportunities through the Connecting Communities Digital Initiative.Learn more.Library of Congress Festival of Film and Sound Announces Full Lineup of Rare Cinema and Special GuestsThe Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center is announcing the full lineup of rare cinema and special guests to be featured at the inaugural Library of Congress Festival of Film and Sound.? The new four-day film festival will be held June 15-18 in association with the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center at the American Film Institute's beautifully restored 1938 art deco theater in Silver Spring, Maryland.Learn more.Library Awards More than $200,000 to Five Projects Highlighting Uses of Digital CollectionsThe Library of Congress announced that five awards, totaling more than $200,000, have been awarded from the Connecting Communities Digital Initiative through a program available to Libraries, Archives, Museums and Higher Education institutions. The 2023 awardees will use these funds to create projects that offer creative approaches to the Library's digital collections and center Black, Indigenous, and Latino or Hispanic studies.Learn more.Library Completes Digitization of Yongle Encyclopedia, Largest Reference Work of Pre-Modern EraThe Library of Congress has completed a yearslong effort to digitize the Yongle Encyclopedia (Yongle dadian ????), the largest reference work created in pre-modern China, and possibly the world. Digital publication of the 41 volumes held in the Library's collections provides open access to one of the most extensive attempts in world history to capture the entirety of human knowledge in book form.Learn more.

News from the Library of CongressAda Limón to Reveal Poem for NASA Europa, Film Festival Lineup of of Rare Cinema and Special Guests Released,? Library Awards More than $200,000 to Five Projects Highlighting Uses of Digital Collections? and More Ada Limón to Reveal Poem for NASA Europa Clipper Mission During Live at the Library in JuneDuring Live at the Library in June, U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón — recently reappointed for a historic two-year term — will unveil her original poem written for the NASA Europa Clipper mission. Plus, celebrations for the Juneteenth holiday will honor African American folk music and photography. Celebrate Pride with a concert saluting Billy Strayhorn on June 8, and view a display of LGBTQ+ collection items in the Great Hall.Learn more.Connecting Communities Digital Initiative Announces Next Round of Award Opportunities for Libraries, Archives, Museums, Higher Education and Artists/Scholars in ResidenceIndividuals and educational and cultural institutions who seek to imaginatively remix and reuse the Library of Congress' digital collections and create projects centering one or more of the following groups, Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and/or other communities of color — are invited to apply to award opportunities through the Connecting Communities Digital Initiative.Learn more.Library of Congress Festival of Film and Sound Announces Full Lineup of Rare Cinema and Special GuestsThe Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center is announcing the full lineup of rare cinema and special guests to be featured at the inaugural Library of Congress Festival of Film and Sound.? The new four-day film festival will be held June 15-18 in association with the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center at the American Film Institute's beautifully restored 1938 art deco theater in Silver Spring, Maryland.Learn more.Library Awards More than $200,000 to Five Projects Highlighting Uses of Digital CollectionsThe Library of Congress announced that five awards, totaling more than $200,000, have been awarded from the Connecting Communities Digital Initiative through a program available to Libraries, Archives, Museums and Higher Education institutions. The 2023 awardees will use these funds to create projects that offer creative approaches to the Library's digital collections and center Black, Indigenous, and Latino or Hispanic studies.Learn more.Library Completes Digitization of Yongle Encyclopedia, Largest Reference Work of Pre-Modern EraThe Library of Congress has completed a yearslong effort to digitize the Yongle Encyclopedia (Yongle dadian ????), the largest reference work created in pre-modern China, and possibly the world. Digital publication of the 41 volumes held in the Library's collections provides open access to one of the most extensive attempts in world history to capture the entirety of human knowledge in book form.Learn more.

This Friday through Sunday! The 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival is VirtualThe 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival is celebrating its 20th birthday this year! Join us this weekend at loc.gov/bookfest for an interactive, online celebration of American Ingenuity featuring more than loc120 authors, poets and illustrators at the first virtual event in the festival’s history. Connect with your favorite writers across all genres at our virtual “stages” including, Children, Teens, Family, Food & Field, Fiction, Genre Fiction, History & Biography sponsored by Wells Fargo, Poetry & Prose sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts, Science, and Understanding Our World.View the full author lineup:? loc.gov/events/2020-national-book-festival/authors/?loclr=ealnComplete Your FREE Registration and Sign In NowCreate your FREE account now at loc.gov/bookfest to access on-demand videos, live author chats and discussions during the Festival weekend, Sept. 25 – 27. You’ll have options to personalize your own festival journey with timely topics, and to explore book buying possibilities through the festival’s official bookseller, Politics & Prose.Today! A Day of Programming for Schools, Children & Teens at HomeVideo interviews with popular authors of books for children and young adults,? as well as? two? 1-hour video specials, are available for on-demand viewing starting today at 9 a.m. ET on the festival platform under the “Stages” tab. Log on at loc.gov/bookfest or view on the Library’s YouTube channel at? youtube.com/loc/.Young people can also check out the Roadmap to Reading, which features a list of? “Great Reads from Great Places” – 53 books that reflect the literary heritage of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.Don't miss live Q&As with some of today's most popular children and young adult authors? – including Chelsea Clinton and Veronica Chambers. Visit loc.gov/bookfest for a complete schedule.Download this Learning Guide for tips and suggestions on experiencing the virtual festival all weekend long with the kids and teens in your life:? loc.gov/static/events/2020-national-book-festival/documents/NBF2020-Learning-Guide.pdf The Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction and Literacy Awards to be given at FestivalEach year we take the opportunity of the Library of Congress National Book Festival to award a series of important prizes that celebrate and honor literature and literacy. This year, Colson Whitehead, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novels “The Nickel Boys” and “The Underground Railroad,” will receive the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction during the festival. The author will take part in a live Q&A event and talk about his life and work at this year’s National Book Festival, Saturday, Sept. 26 at 11 a.m. Also, five organizations working to expand literacy and promote reading will be awarded the 2020 Library of Congress Literacy Awards.Read more:? blogs.loc.gov/national-book-festival/2020/09/our-award-winners-colson-whitehead-literacy-honorees/Watch the PBS Television Special on SundayAlso a first in the festival’s history, the festivities will culminate with a PBS television special! Watch “The Library of Congress National Book Festival: Celebrating American Ingenuity,” hosted by Hoda Kotb on Sunday, Sept. 27, 6-8 p.m. ET/PT (check local listings and PBS streaming info).? ? Festival ShopThe National Book Festival may be virtual, but you can still receive actual merchandise to help capture the memories this year. Purchase swag at our on-line shop where you can also order a FREE commemorative tote bag courtesy of our media partner, C-SPAN.? SHOP:? library-of-congress-shop.myshopify.com/collections/national-book-festivalOrder books by featured authors from the Festival’s official bookseller – Politics & Prose – within the online platform at loc.gov/bookfest. A limited number of signed copies are available.The 2020 National Book Festival poster is available for download at loc.gov/programs/national-book-festival/about-this-program/poster-gallery/. Also, a printed version of the poster will be shipped to you with a donation of $25 or more to support the National Book Festival from either our official bookseller, Politics & Prose, at this location politics-prose.com/national-book-festival-donation or the Library of Congress website at loc.gov/donate/ (select "National Book Festival").#NatBookFest - Follow & Share on Social MediaFollow our social media accounts, re-post festival info, and share your own posts about the event and your favorite presenting authors using the hashtag #NatBookFest. We’ve even created a fun Facebook frame for your profile picture to let friend know you’ll be there! (While logged into Facebook, select your profile picture > select Add Frame > search for National Book Festival Badge 2020 > select then save.) Twitter @librarycongress:? twitter.com/librarycongress Instagram @librarycongress:? instagram.com/librarycongress Facebook @libraryofcongress:? facebook.com/libraryofcongressFestival Facebook event:? facebook.com/events/492391091592698/Thank You to Our National Book Festival SupportersThe festival is free to the public with support from our sponsors and donors including National Book? Festival Co-Chair, David M. Rubenstein, Charter Sponsor, The Washington Post, Patrons, Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Endowment for the Arts, Wells Fargo, Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission, and many Friends and Media Partners. The full list can be found at? loc.gov/events/2020-national-book-festival/sponsors/.Our partners have even transformed their traditional Festival booths and are bringing you read-alongs, fun videos, author features, activities to download and giveaways — all online. Take a look at the schedule of those activities here, then log in to the platform to access them today. More:? blogs.loc.gov/national-book-festival/2020/09/festival-partners-family-friendly-activities-are-back/Please join us in thanking all of our supporters and consider making your gift to the Library of Congress at loc.gov/donate.?

George Saunders to Receive 2023 Library of Congress Prize for American FictionLibrarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today that the 2023 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction will be awarded to George Saunders. One of the Library’s most prestigious awards, the annual Prize for American Fiction honors an American literary writer whose body of work is distinguished not only for its mastery of the art but also for its originality of thought and imagination. The award seeks to commend strong, unique, enduring voices that — throughout consistently accomplished careers — have told us something essential about the American experience.Click here for more information. You are subscribed to Latest News from the Library of Congress.

The National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress and invites you to attend the webinar on September 20, 2023 at 4:00PM ET "Can Historical Newspapers be an Antidote to the Environmental Crisis?" in which author Kerri Arsenault considers how our environmental crisis is tethered to an aesthetic and rhetorical crisis. So many institutions grant the public “free” access to archives, but what if—as an ordinary citizen—you can’t even find the door? This talk will consider barriers to information, how such obstacles may exacerbate the environmental crisis, and what newspapers can do that many resources cannot to help unlock knowledge for those who need it most.Kerri Arsenault is a literary critic, co-director of The Environmental Storytelling Studio at Brown University, contributing editor at Orion magazine, and author of Mill Town: Reckoning with What Remains (2020), which won the Rachel Carson Environmental Book Award (2021) and the Maine Literary Award for Nonfiction (2021) and was a finalist for the Connecticut Humanities Book Award for Nonfiction (2021). Recently, she was a Democracy Fellow at Harvard’s Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History and a fellow at the Science History Institute. Her writing has been published in the Boston Globe, the Paris Review, the New York Review of Books, the Washington Post, and the New York Times.Click to register for the event.

Library of Congress Awards 2023-2024 National Stereoscopic Association Research FellowshipsThe Library of Congress today announced Rachel Lee Hutcheson, Isabelle Lynch and Lynn Marie Mitchell as its next class of fellows awarded the National Stereoscopic Association Research Fellowship.Established in 2022 with a generous monetary donation from the National Stereoscopic Association, the fellowship supports research on stereoscopy and the history of photography within the Prints and Photographs Division holdings and the unparalleled photographic history collections at the Library of Congress — including more than 15 million photographs, rare publications, manuscript materials and historic newspapers.Click here for more information. You are subscribed to Latest News from the Library of Congress.

Library of Congress Honors New Jersey and Michigan Libraries for Outstanding Service to Readers with DisabilitiesThe National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) at the Library of Congress today recognized two of its cooperating libraries in New Jersey and Michigan for their outstanding service to readers with visual, physical or print disabilities.The New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center in Trenton, New Jersey, received the 2023 Regional Library of the Year Award, while the Library for the Visually and Physically Disabled Branch of Muskegon Area District Library in Muskegon, Michigan, received the Sub-regional Library/Advisory and Outreach Center of the Year Award.Click here for more information. You are subscribed to Latest News from the Library of Congress.

Library of Congress Announces 2023 Literacy Awards on International Literacy DayThree organizations working to expand literacy and promote reading will be awarded the 2023 Library of Congress Literacy Awards, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today. Top prizes are being awarded to The News Literacy Project, Downtown Boxing Gym and Worldreader.The Literacy Awards program, sponsored by David M. Rubenstein since 2013, honors organizations that provide exemplary, innovative and replicable strategies to combat illiteracy. For more than 10 years, the Library of Congress has recognized the urgent need to achieve universal literacy through the program."Literacy is a pathway to an individual’s happiness, health, and wellbeing,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “The Library of Congress is proud to honor and celebrate the achievements of these extraordinary organizations, through the generosity of David M. Rubenstein, in their commitment to expanding literacy around the world.”Click here for more information. You are subscribed to Latest News from the Library of Congress.

Library Awards New Lewis-Houghton Civics and Democracy Initiative Grants to Organizations Developing Resources for History, Civics and Democracy StudentsThe Library of Congress has awarded Lewis-Houghton Civics and Democracy Initiative grants to six organizations that are working to develop digital educational projects that teach history, civics, and democracy to secondary students using creative arts materials from the Library’s collections.The Legislative Branch Appropriations Act of 2023 appropriated money for the new Lewis-Houghton Civics and Democracy Initiative, which honors the service and democratic ideals of Reps. John R. Lewis and Amo Houghton. The Library has awarded each organization $100,000. Grantees who make sufficient progress toward agreed-upon goals may apply for an additional two years of funding.Click here for more information. You are subscribed to Latest News from the Library of Congress.

Library Announces 2023 Music Commissions from Koussevitzky FoundationThe Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress has awarded commissions for new musical works to six composers. The commissions are granted jointly by the foundation and the performing organizations that will present the world premiere of each work.Click here for more information. You are subscribed to Latest News from the Library of Congress.

Library of Congress Hosts Premiere of “Language Is Life,” an Episode from the PBS series Native AmericaThe Library of Congress will premiere one of four new episodes of the acclaimed PBS series “Native America” on Nov. 9, focused on Native people’s efforts to preserve their languages and ways of life. The film, which features Library collections, will be followed by a panel discussion on Indigenous language preservation, as part of the Library’s celebration of Native American Heritage Month. Click here for more information. You are subscribed to Latest News from the Library of Congress.

Library of Congress Opens Award Nominations for Outstanding Federal Libraries, Librarians and Library TechniciansTo honor the innovations and successes of federal libraries, librarians and library technicians in meeting the information demands of government, businesses, scholarly communities and the public, the Federal Library and Information Network (FEDLINK) in the Library of Congress has opened nominations for its national awards for federal librarianship in fiscal year 2023.Click here for more information. You are subscribed to Latest News from the Library of Congress.

The Library of Congress is excited to announce that the Chronicling America Historic Newspapers website is in the process of transitioning from the legacy Chronicling America interface to a new Chronicling America interface and back-end search infrastructure. In Spring 2024, visitors going to chroniclingamerica.loc.gov will be re-directed to the new Chronicling America website, which will continue to provide free access to historic digitized newspapers. The exact date will be announced in the coming months on the new Chronicling America Website Migration page, on the Chronicling America Historical Newspapers email list, and also added to the home pages on both versions of the Chronicling America website. The current version of the website will be officially sunset later in 2024.Users are encouraged to begin using the new Chronicling America website for research. A Research Guide on using Chronicling America in the new environment is available. In the new system, the digitized newspapers will become part of a larger Library of Congress digital collections framework that recently received major upgrades to accommodate future growth and expansion of the collection. New website features include faceted browse options (refine searches by ethnicity, location, subject, language, etc.), improved image viewing, improved Advanced Search options, and more. The new interface also allows users to browse digitized titles in a map. Uploads to the new interface are now automated so you may notice that there are more pages available in the new interface than the longstanding version of Chronicling America. As part of the updates, the United States Newspaper Directory 1690-Present has also been migrated into a separate searchable collection. Users can access the new Directory of U.S. Newspapers in American Libraries, which is a searchable index of newspapers published in the United States since 1690. This directory can help identify what titles exist for a specific place and time, and how to access them. For a detailed overview of the Directory, search tips, and FAQs, please consult the Directory of U.S. Newspapers in American Libraries: A Guide for Researchers.  Digital Humanities scholars and researchers who access the collection via computational methods will continue to have access to bulk OCR but should transition to using the Loc.Gov API at loc.gov/apis. Bulk OCR downloads can be accessed from the longstanding OCR Data page until further notice when a new "Datasets" page will be made available on the new site.Chronicling America was originally launched in 2007 and later updated to the current version of the website in 2011. Since that time, the site saw the growth of the collection to include over 21 million newspaper pages from every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands as part of the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). Co-sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), NDNP continues to award funds to cultural heritage institutions around the United States to participate in the program.Please send feedback about the new website to ndnptech@loc.gov and subscribe to the Chronicling America Historical Newspapers email list for more updates.

News from the Library of CongressFriends of the Library of Congress, Materials from the Musical ‘Hadestown' and More Be A Friend + Vote for the 2024 Friends Choice Awards!What does a preservation makeover really look like? How does supporting librarians serving the blind and print disabled worldwide build accessible collections? Where do you begin celebrating Africana food and foodways? Help us find out! Be a friend and Vote for your choice in the 2024 Friends' Choice Awards.    The Friends' Choice Award recognizes the project donors most want to fund. You get to decide! If you're already a Friend of the Library - check your email for the voting link. If you are not a Friend - join today! Memberships begin at $50 annually. Learn more about the proposals and vote for the one you want to see come to life.Be a Friend + Vote today!Materials from the Musical ‘Hadestown' Added to Library of Congress CollectionsThe Library of Congress has added rare materials from the development of the Tony Award-winning musical “Hadestown” to its collections, thanks to a donation from the show's Tony Award-winning creator, singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell.Learn more.Library Announces 2023 Music Commissions from Koussevitzky FoundationThe Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress has awarded commissions for new musical works to six composers. The commissions are granted jointly by the foundation and the performing organizations that will present the world premiere of each work.Learn more. George Chauncey, Historian of LGBTQ+ Life and Kluge Prize Recipient, Releases New Video Series “Through History to Equality”George Chauncey, recipient of the 2022 John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity, released three videos today with the Library of Congress examining the experiences of LGBTQ+ Americans. These are now available to watch on loc.gov and the Library's YouTube channel.Learn more. The Wright Brothers History Takes Wing at the LibraryAt 10:35 on the morning of Dec. 17, 1903, on a remote sand dune in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, mankind flew for the first time. Orville Wright piloted a homemade airplane powered by a homemade engine for a few wobbly seconds while his brother and co-creator Wilbur ran alongside the right wingtip. “Success four flights thursday morning” Orville telegraphed their father back home in Dayton, Ohio. The world would never be the same. Humans flew to the moon 65 years later.Read more in the latest issue of the Library of Congress Magazine.