Boston Book Festival 6/20

BOSTON BOOK FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES
WINNER OF INAUGURAL SHELF HELP INITIATIVE:
PAULINE A. SHAW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, DORCHESTER
TO RECEIVE 50 BRAND NEW K-5 BOOKS
AND AN IN-PERSON VISIT WITH A CHILDREN’S AUTHOR
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IN CONJUNCTION WITH ITS UPCOMING FREE FESTIVAL
HUBBUB: CREATIVE COMMOTION FOR KIDS -------
SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2015, COPLEY SQUARE, BOSTON, FREE!
[Boston, MA – June 5, 2015] In conjunction with the upcoming launch of its new children’s
festival, HUBBUB: Creative Commotion for Kids, on June 20, 2015, the Boston Book Festival announces the recipient of its inaugural SHELF HELP initiative, designed to cultivate and inspire a new generation of readers in Greater Boston: the Pauline A. Shaw Elementary School in Dorchester.
Initiated by the school’s library paraprofessional Morgan VanClief, this recently re-opened Boston Public School with six kindergarten classrooms will enjoy at least 50 brand new books and an in-person visit from a children’s author or illustrator sometime during the 2015-16 school year. Members of the public are encouraged to donate books to the program via an online wish list or can donate on-site at the Hubbub festival in Copley Square on June 20.
Ms. Morgan VanClief, reading at the Pauline A. Shaw Elementary School in Dorchester, MA

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“Many of my students live in the inner city and come from low-income families,” says VanClief, “and don’t have access to books at home. To see them come to school and be fascinated by all that books have to offer is truly amazing. These students are not only eager to read and learn but are enthusiastic to share knowledge with their families, siblings, and grandparents outside of school.”
“The primary goal of my library program,” continues VanClief, “is to instill the love of reading for both pleasure and information. Currently, the students have been studying animals in their classrooms and learning to tell the difference between living and non-living. They came to me asking to learn more and wanting some stories that show both real animals and imaginary ones. Delving deeper into topics like these is giving our students ownership over the curriculum and empowering them to take charge and make decisions about their own learning.”
“With Shelf Help,” says BBF Deputy Director Norah Piehl, “we aim to support students’ discovery and expression of their own unique voices through access to an increased selection of books within their school environment. Words have great power to motivate and provoke all readers to explore themselves and their place in the world around them, and we hope that Shelf Help will encourage students to view themselves as such literary explorers.”
“We know,” says BBF Executive Director Deborah Porter, “that many elementary schools lack the resources to fully stock their school or classroom libraries with contemporary, high-quality books. Meanwhile, elementary school teachers and librarians just want to offer their students books that will motivate them to read, captivate their imaginations, and ignite their wide-ranging interests. We think that one of these schools deserves a little ‘Shelf Help’.”
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Boston Book Festival’s inaugural HUBBUB Festival, an all-day free festival for kids and families of all ages, features dozens of entertaining and educational programs including fun-filled creativity, inventiveness, and exploration, such as an author presentation by Mo Willems, a special concert with Dan Zanes and Friends, and workshops with Esh Circus Arts, Urbanity Dance, and much more. Visit www.hubbubfest.org for all the details.
Author Mo Willems, musical Group Dan Zanes and Friends,and puppetry theatre the Squirel Stole My Underpants
All events are free except the Dan Zanes and Friends concert which offers a $15 ticket for adults and a $10 ticket for children ages 2-12. Tickets may be purchased online at www.hubbubfest.org. There are a handful of presentations that require complimentary online registration – they are noted on the website.
“The offerings for children at the annual Boston Book Festival have been so popular,” says Boston Book Festival founder and executive director Deborah Porter, “that it seemed only fitting to develop another festival focused solely on cultural enrichment for children and families. Our aim is to be inclusive to families

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from every Boston neighborhood. With support from The Highland Street Foundation and others, we hope to encourage creativity with a combination of world-class authors and artistic acts, as well as hands-on activities and experiences where kids will experiment, design, and create. We believe that curiosity, excitement, wonder, and play are the keys to lifelong learning.”
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