Read All About It!

Dear teens and relatives thereof,

One of our fabulous partners, 826CHI, has an exciting summer program for you! Read on and sign up NOW at http://826chi.org! Erin

HIGH SCHOOL WRITING WITH LOCAL AUTHORS
Five Sessions: Monday, June 23rd through Friday, June 27th
Time: 10 AM to 5PM
Taught by local Chicago authors, 826CHI staff & volunteers
Limited to 20 students entering grades 9-13

Students will team up with professional writers and poets to develop their
writing skills. Participants will have the opportunity to be published in
the 2008­9 826CHI publication. Guest speakers for the 2008 camp will include
Joe Meno, Monica Eng, Sam Weller, Alex Kotlowitz, Robby Q. Telfer and other
dynamic Chicago authors. The schedule each day will be from 10 AM to 5PM,
including a lunch break. Students who sign up are required to attend all
daytime sessions. On Friday we will celebrate student work with an evening
reading. Preference will be given to high school students entering 10th,
11th, and 12th grade in CPS, and to those just graduated. Please fill out
the form linked below, and in the “comments” section include a short
500-word essay detailing your interest in writing. Once accepted, to reserve
a place, students must leave a $25 deposit, which will be fully refunded at
the last class.

Hooray! The Open Books team has another fabulous new intern to introduce! Becky will be working on literacy and development projects and, as all interns and volunteers do, will be her unique experience and perspective to our growing team. When you see her at programs and events, please say hi and welcome her to the family. — Erin
Hi! My name is Becky Eisinger, and I’m really excited to be starting at Open Books. I am a graduate of St. Olaf College in Minnesota. I decided to continue my education immediately after, and I just finished my first year at Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs, where I am pursuing a Master of Public Affairs with a concentration in nonprofit management and policy analysis. I am really excited to be a part of Open Books, since it will allow me to share my love for reading with my native (sort of – I grew up in a suburb) Chicago. I think education in any form can empower individuals and break the cycle of poverty, which is why organizations like Open Books are so important.

When I’m not working or studying you can find me rock climbing, either at a gym or down in Kentucky. I enjoy traveling, coffee, and of course reading. Currently I’m reading Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle, and my favorite book is What is the What by Dave Eggers. I’m looking forward to a great summer!

The StoryBus is coming to the South Side! All families — especially those with preschool and early elementary aged kids — are invited to come play, read, enjoy face painting and free books, and frolic on the StoryBus (a children’s museum on wheels!) with Open Books volunteers and staff.

If you live on the South Side, this is your chance to bring your kids to the StoryBus for free in your neck of the woods. If you’re not from the South Side, this is an excellent opportunity for you to explore our wonderful city!

The Kohl McCormick StoryBus and Open Books will be at three different South Side locations over the next three weeks. Today the bus will stop in historic Bronzeville from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Walgreen’s, 3429 S King Drive, just south of McCormick Place.

The following two Saturdays, May 17th and 24th, we’ll be making stops along Cottage Grove, one of the Chicago’s great streets. The event on the 17th will be at another Walgreen’s, 8628 S. Cottage Grove, and on the 24th at a Save A Lot, 4701 S. Cottage Grove.

Again, everyone is welcome: volunteers, friends, families and of course, the children of these communities. Stop by and join the fun! — Erin Walter and Matt Johnson, Open Books literacy dept.

Friday greetings, Open Booksers! After a fabulous night of books and music at the Spring Sock Hop, I’m pleased to spend a relaxing morning getting caught up in the office. And nothing brings me more pleasure than introducing a new member of the Open Books family. We are a group of passionate, dedicated, book-obsessed people around here — from volunteers to staff — and Christine Blaine fits right in. She’ll primarily be helping with volunteer coordination, so expect to see her name in e-mails this summer. Thanks, Christine, for join us! Here’s her introduction:

Hey there! My name is Christine Blaine and I’ll be starting an internship with Open Books in May. In the past few years, I have put in a good deal of time with community service programs. Most recently, I worked with a program that placed me with a literacy non-profit in Los Angeles. I worked with volunteers at a reading program in elementary schools, and after seeing such positive interactions between the kids and adults reading together, I knew that I wanted to make reading a fun experience for as many kids as I could reach. When I moved to Chicago and heard about Open Books, I wanted to participate in some way because I think the Open Books reading programs are really unique, creative, and, most importantly, fun!

In addition to general literary enthusiasm, I devote much of my free time towards outdoor education and activity. I like being outside, and since it’s spring right now, I spend most of my extra energy paddling down rivers, cruising around on my bike, and exploring new places. Although it switches every month, I’ll go ahead and say that my current favorite book is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Give it a few months, though, and I’m sure it will change.

Yesterday, it was exciting to read blog comments from two of the students who joined us for a creative writing field trip in April. Today I’d like to share those two writers’ stories. Erin

The Perfect Touch
By: Alyssa

When I was in my mother’s womb as a baby, I had this uncle named cubby. My older sister was 3 when I was in my mother’s womb. My uncle played with my sister a lot and took her to a lot of places. But when I was in my mom’s womb, he kept touching my mother’s stomach telling her that, “When this baby comes out into the world she will look so beautiful, just like her older sister.” But one day my uncle Cubby was shot while walking down the sidewalk. The bullet had ricocheted inside of him. He lived only two days in the hospital, and then died. So really I never got a chance to see my uncle, and he never got a chance to see me. That was one of the worst days of my life, seeing an uncle I never even got a chance to see.

We Are a Family
By: Karmiah

When I was born August 9th, 1995 I entered a new world. When I got to the age of about two years old my dad didn’t care about me anymore. One day when my mom and me went to the mall she met someone special. It was a man. They started dating and I didn’t realize that he was so great and he used to call me his daughter and I would say, “That’s not my daddy”.

When I got older my mom and the man she met got married. It was a wonderful thing. . . . The man my mama married that is now my father is loving, he cares for me by protecting me and being a real dad even though I am not his real daughter.

He loves my mama and he brought 2 little girls in this world that are my sisters. I love him with all my heart and I thank God for sending this wonderful man to my family that I now call dad.