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Author who helps kids bring their biggest ideas to life wins
2023 “Freedom Through Literacy Award” Grand Prize
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CONTACT: Cathy Leiber
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Judith’s Reading Room Announces a Global Collaboration
“Pen Pals Across the World”
Africa’s Ivory Coast and New York’s E. Harlem Students Share Life Stories
February 10, 2023 — Judith’s Reading Room applauded today a global collaboration between two of its “Freedom Through Literacy” Award winners: Mr. Toti Jean Marc Yale, founder and CEO of the NGO Education and English For You, based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast and Ms. Daliz Vasquez, Principal, Mosaic Preparatory Academy, East Harlem, New York who agreed to name each other’s schools as “Pen Pals.”
“Pen Pals Across the World,” was an idea spawned by Judith’s Reading Room and Mr. Yale, whose work with impoverished primary school children in the French-speaking African nation inspired the organization to honor him with a 2022 Freedom Through Literacy Award Honorable Mention. The organization subsequently made a donation of $600 to purchase English language books for the students.
Ms. Vasquez, her Vice Principal Ms. Wilson and numerous Mosaic Preparatory Academy teachers in East Harlem, NY, for their part, enthusiastically agreed to reciprocate by inviting their eager scholars to write letters to their new friends in this west African nation. In 2021 and 2022 Mosaic’s former principal, Dr. Lisette Caesar won a Freedom through Literacy Award Honorable Mention and Board Option Prize, respectively.
“We estimate that initially 60 children from each location will participate in the Pen Pal project,” said Cathy Leiber, President, Judith’s Reading Room.” She added, “Our aim is to figuratively shrink the 4,933 miles in distance between Abidjan and East Harlem by illustrating that families, friendships, concerns, fears and hopes are universal.”
To kick start the program and to assist the students in English, Judith’s Reading Room has provided funding for Mr. Yale to purchase 60 English dictionaries for each student participating in “Pen Pals Across the World.”
Mr. Yale wrote,
“I have the honor and immense pleasure on behalf of our community students and all the volunteers of the NGO Education and English for You to say to you from the bottom of my heart a big Thank You. For this program, we have worked in the past with students from the following countries: U.S, Canada, Mexico, Ukraine and Spain and we have never received support like Yours. Thank you so much Judith’s Reading Room for all the Happiness you offer to the children of the world. I’m a living witness.”
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Organization fulfills “Book Wish List” from Louisiana youth in Residential Care
December 8, 2022 — Judith’s Reading Room, a literacy nonprofit founded in 2010 with its mission to enrich lives and societies by proactively encouraging freedom through literacy, announced its 105th library dedicated in Ruston, Louisiana at the Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home (LUMCFS), an organization providing intensive residential care to children from traumatic backgrounds with significant emotional and behavioral needs. The 105th Judith’s Reading Room library contains 124 books valued at $1,449.
The founders of Judith’s Reading Room, Scott and Cathy Leiber, learned about the comprehensive therapeutic services of LUMCFS while on a riverboat cruise of the lower Mississippi River in September 2022. While on an excursion, Lynette Tanner, owner of Frogmore, a working cotton farm in rural Louisiana, shared with the Leibers her passion for supporting the mission of LUMCFS. “The compassionate work of LUMCFS to provide services to the most vulnerable boys and girls ages 11-17 caught our attention,” said Cathy Leiber, President, Judith’s Reading Room.
With the idea that children healing from trauma can “get out of their heads” and into a good story with a book and find solace, they might also find friends who are interested in the same author. The book wish list was compiled by the youth and includes best-selling and award winning books by Christopher Paolini, Dav Pilkey, Scott Cawthon, Rick Riordan, R.L. Stine, Tui Sutherland and Jeff Kinney. Judith’s Reading Room has committed to replenishing the books since it is hoped that children will take their favorite books with them when they return to a stable home or loving household.
“Children come to LUMCFS from all kinds of challenging situations, and while they are with us, we aim to provide the love and care that is so needed. We are grateful to Judith’s Reading Room for supporting the healing journey of these children through reading,” shares Sarah Head, LUMCFS Director of Development.
Winter 2023 – PATHWAYS
Click to access Pages-from-Final-Pathways_LoRes.pdf
Judith’s Reading Room
Judith’s Reading Room was founded in 2010 in the memory of the founders’ first cousin, Judith F. Krug, who served as Director of Intellectual Freedom for the American Library Association for 40 years. The organization has fulfilled its mission by establishing 105 libraries (and counting!) in 23 countries with 132,000 books worth $1,421,000.
“The Freedom Through Literacy Award,” established in 2015, honors individual champions of literacy from all disciplines around the world— teachers, librarians, authors, researchers, nonprofit literacy organizations, educators — anyone who has done exemplary work to instill in others a love of reading. To date, the organization has disbursed $48,500 in cash awards to 47 individual champions of literacy. Applications for the 2023 Freedom Through Literacy Award are available on-line at www.judithsreadingroom.org. The deadline for submissions is February 1, 2023.
The Founders’ Award, inaugurated in September 2022, is a cash prize at the discretion of Judith’s Reading Room co-founders, Scott and Cathy Leiber, to honor literacy heroes who have had to overcome immense obstacles in order to enrich lives through literacy. Two winners were named in 2022 with a cash prize of $1,000 each: Ms. Basarat Kazim, Alif Laila Book Bus Society, Lahore, Pakistan and Ms. Simon Ke, Anjali House, Siem Reap, Cambodia.
The Literacy Chair Award, established in October 2022, is in honor of —or in memory of — a champion of literacy nominated by a Judith’s Reading Room member of the Board of Directors. Dr. Lisette Caesar, founder and past-principal of Mosaic Preparatory Academy in East Harlem, New York is the recipient of the 2022 Literacy Chair Award.
Louisiana United Methodist Children & Family Services (LUMCFS)
Louisiana United Methodist Children & Family Services is a nonprofit organization with a 120-year history dedicated to the well-being of Louisiana’s children and families. LUMCFS programs include the state’s most intensive, comprehensive residential treatment in the three Methodist Children’s Homes; the OWL Equine Center’s therapeutic services for children; four Life Skills Training Centers for children in foster care; Methodist Foster Care’s therapeutic foster care program, the Kinship Navigator program, and the Louisiana Foster Care Support Organization; and the Family Counseling Center. For more information, visit www.LUMCFS.org.
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CONTACT: Cathy Leiber
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November 1, 2022 — Judith’s Reading Room today announced a schedule change in its coveted global literacy award season. Applications are available beginning November 1st, 2022 at www.judithsreadingroom.org for the 2023 Freedom Through Literacy Award. Deadline for submissions is February 1, 2023.
“We accelerated the calendar and placed the Freedom Through Literacy Award in the first quarter in order to make room later in the year for promoting our two newest awards, The Founders’ Award and The Literacy Chair Award, both inaugurated in 2022,” said Cathy Leiber, President, Judith’s Reading Room. Details of all awards may be found at www.judithsreadingroom.org .
The annual Freedom Through Literacy Award recognizes the achievements of teachers, librarians, authors, booksellers, literacy nonprofits — anyone who has done exemplary work to instill in others a love of reading. Applicants are judged on five criteria including how their philosophy about literacy guides their work.
The organization’s $5,000 Freedom Through Literacy Award was inaugurated in 2015 to pay tribute to those on the front line of literacy. The 2023 Awards include $2,500 for the Grand Prize Winner and $1,500 for the Judith’s Award Winner. And, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, up to four applicants may share a Board Option Prize totaling $1,000.
To date, Judith’s Reading Room has awarded $48,500 to 47 individual winners (some have won twice) in 14 countries. The organization’s mission is to enrich lives and societies by proactively encouraging freedom through literacy. That mission has been fulfilled by establishing 103 libraries (& counting!) in 22 countries with nearly 132,000 books donated worth over $1.42 million dollars.
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www.JudithsReadingRoom.org
October 31, 2022 — Judith’s Reading Room, a literacy nonprofit founded in 2010, based in eastern Pennsylvania, announced today that it has established its 104th Judith’s Reading Room Library in its 23rd country: the Ivory Coast, West Africa.
For a decade, Judith’s Reading Room has responded to the “cry for help” from Peace Corps volunteers, Universities and literacy nonprofits in their quest to obtain books in English to achieve their assigned mission: get books into classrooms in Africa.
In fact, the organization has dedicated nine libraries in six African nations including Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and today the Ivory Coast. Since 2012, more than 100,000 children across Africa have benefitted from learning English through books donated by Judith’s Reading Room.
The 104th Judith’s Reading Room library is dedicated in collaboration with the Ivory Coast nonprofit Education & English For You, and its CEO and founder, Toti Jean-Marc Yale, a Judith’s Reading Room 2022 Freedom Through Literacy ‘Honorable Mention’ Award winner. His program promotes early childhood education, gender equality and English on a voluntary basis.
“The Little Red Hen, Boy and the Donkey, The Rabbit and the Turtle, are among 150 titles hand-picked by Yale’s organization to serve as a springboard for the promotion of English literacy in this French speaking West African country,” said Cathy Leiber, President, Judith’s Reading Room.
“On behalf of all kids from our community, Anono, and our organization, Education and English for You, we say a Big Thanks for the donation of 150 English books for our library,” said Yale. He added, “Judith’s Reading Room remains from today, a springboard for our community students because of this great privilege to discover, read, travel, learn, acquire new knowledge through the diverse books we received. This is why Judith’s Reading Room is the source of happiness for all kids of this world, thanks to the support of the books they distribute each year.”
Judith’s Reading Room
Judith’s Reading Room was founded in 2010 in the memory of the founders’ first cousin, Judith F. Krug, who served as Director of Intellectual Freedom for the American Library Association for 40 years. The organization’s mission is to enrich lives and societies by proactively encouraging freedom through literacy. We have fulfilled that mission by establishing 104 libraries (and counting!) in 23 countries with 132,000 books worth $1,421,000.
The Freedom Through Literacy Award, established in 2015 honors individual champions of literacy from all disciplines around the world — teachers, librarians, authors, researchers, nonprofit literacy organizations, educators — anyone who has done exemplary work to instill in others a love of reading. To date, the organization has disbursed $48,500 in cash awards to 47 individual champions of literacy. Winners hail from 14 countries, including nine states in the United States. Applications for the 2023 Freedom Through Literacy Award are available at www.judithsreadingroom.org <https://www.judithsreadingroom.org/> beginning November 1, 2022.
The Founders’ Award, inaugurated in September 2022, is a cash prize at the discretion of Judith’s Reading Room co-founders, Scott and Cathy Leiber, to honor literacy heroes who have had to overcome immense obstacles in order to enrich lives through literacy. Ms. Basarat Kazim, Alif Laila Book Bus Society, Lehore, Pakistan and Ms. Simon Ke, Anjali House, Siem Reap, Cambodia are the recipients of the 2022 Award, each winning a cash prize of $1,000.
The Literacy Chair Award, inaugurated in October 2022, is in honor of a champion of literacy nominated by a Judith’s Reading Room member of the Board of Directors. Dr. Lisette Caesar, founder and past-principal of Mosaic Preparatory Academy in East Harlem, NY is the recipient of the 2022 Literacy Chair Award.
The organization chose Storytime Crafts, a nonprofit organization in Massachusetts to create the inaugural chair. Storytime creates beautifully crafted decoupage chairs, based on children’s books selected by their clients. The Snowy Day was Dr. Lisette Caesar’s favorite childhood book. The chair illustrates the power of literacy through art and is meant to inspire reluctant readers to explore a different way of reading a book. Dr. Liz’s chair has been permanently placed in the Mosaic Preparatory Academy school library.
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CONTACT: Cathy Leiber
www.JudithsReadingRoom.org
October 3, 2022. New York, New York — Judith’s Reading Room, a literacy nonprofit founded in 2010 in the memory of Judith F. Krug, a librarian, dedicated an original piece of art — a decoupaged chair — of the Ezra Jack Keats famous The Snowy Day in honor of Dr. Lisette Caesar, founder and past principal of Mosaic Preparatory Academy, East Harlem, NY. Dr. Caesar retired in June 2022. It illustrates the power of literacy through art.
The Literacy Chair Award, inaugurated in October 2022, is in honor of or in memory of a champion of literacy nominated by a Judith’s Reading Room member of the Board of Directors.
“In recognition of her incessant and energetic focus to engage children in reading, Judith’s Reading Room names Dr. Lisette Caesar its first Literacy Chair Award recipient,” announced Cathy Leiber, President, Judith’s Reading Room. Dr. Caesar’s favorite childhood book, The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is the theme of the chair which is meant to spread the joy of reading.
As principal and founder of a Title 1 school, with a large population of students living in temporary housing, Dr. Caesar set as a goal to put 100 books into the hands of each of her scholars. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she installed a Free Little Library so that the entire community could have books while the school was shutdown. Her innovative Book Vending Machine, which rewards good behavior, has succeeded in increasing reading motivation and has been shared with several New York City schools.
For her lifetime of work centered on literacy, Caesar has been honored twice by Judith’s Reading Room. First, in 2021, she was named its Freedom Through Literacy Award ‘Honorable Mention’ and this year she won a Freedom Through Literacy Board Option Award for her Book Vending Machine.
When asked who she thought should get the honor of sitting in The Snowy Day chair,? Dr. Caesar instantly replied, “each month, the child who read the most books or the one who made the most significant progress in reading during the previous month.”
Joining in the dedication celebration, Caesar was surrounded by the 2022 Kindergarten classes, their teachers and librarians, Ms. Daliz Vasquez, interim principal, Ty Allan Jackson, author, Dr. Kristy DeLa Cruz, Superintendent, School District 4 and Stephanie Herrera, Bronx Outreach Coordinator from Hon. Diana Ayala’s New York City Council 8th Council District.
Judith’s Reading Room
Judith’s Reading Room was founded in 2010 in the memory of the founders’ first cousin, Judith F. Krug, who served as Director of Intellectual Freedom for the American Library Association for 40 years. The organization’s mission is to enrich lives and societies by proactively encouraging freedom through literacy. We have fulfilled that mission by establishing 103 libraries (and counting!) in 22 countries with nearly 132,000 books worth $1,420,000.
The Freedom Through Literacy Award, now in its 8th year, honors individual champions of literacy from all disciplines around the world — teachers, librarians, authors, researchers, nonprofit literacy organizations, educators — anyone who has done exemplary work to instill in others a love of reading. To date, the organization has disbursed $48,500 in cash awards to 47 champions of literacy. Winners hail from 14 countries, including nine states in the United States. Applications for the 2023 Freedom Through Literacy Award will be posted on www.judithsreadingroom.org beginning November 1, 2022.
The Founders’ Award, inaugurated in September 2022, is a cash prize at the discretion of Judith’s Reading Room founders to honor literacy heroes who have had to overcome immense obstacles in order to enrich lives through literacy. Ms. Basarat Kazim, Alif Laila Book Bus Society, Lehore, Pakistan and Ms. Simon Ke, Anjali House, Siem Reap, Cambodia are the recipients of the 2022 Award, each winning a cash prize of $1,000.
The Literacy Chair Award, inaugurated in October 2022, is in honor of or in memory of a champion of literacy nominated by a Judith’s Reading Room member of the Board of Directors. The Literacy Chair Award is a beautifully crafted decoupage story-themed chair, from Storytime Crafts, a charitable nonprofit organization in Needham, Massachusetts. Judith’s Reading Room selected Storytime’s chair for its Literacy Chair Award because it illustrates the power of literacy through art. Dr. Lisette Caesar is named recipient of the inaugural 2022 Literacy Chair Award.
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CONTACT: Cathy Leiber
www.JudithsReadingRoom.org
Judith’s Reading Room Announces the “Founders’ Award”
In honor of literacy heroes everywhere who nourish souls and fulfill dreams
September 18, 2022 — Judith’s Reading Room announced today its newest Award — the Founders’ Award, a cash prize at the discretion of its founders, Scott & Cathy Leiber, to honor literacy heroes who have had to overcome immense obstacles in order to enrich lives through literacy.
Judith’s Reading Room names two winners of the inaugural 2022 Founders’ Award: Ms. Basarat Kazim, Lehore, Pakistan and Ms. Simon Ke, Siem Reap, Cambodia. Each is awarded a cash prize of $1,000.
Ms. Basarat Kazim, Alif Laila Book Bus Society, Lehore, Pakistan
(L) Ms. Basarat Kazim, President, Alif Laila Book Bus Society, Lehore, Pakistan. (R) Judith’s Reading Room’s 101st library: The Camel Library shown here with Murad, camel driver and Roshan, camel with children in Mand, Pakistan.
Our friendship with Basarat dates back to 2015 when she was awarded the first Freedom Through Literacy Award Grand Prize. Subsequently, in 2020, Judith’s Reading Room dedicated with Kazim its 101st library — our first-ever mobile library to utilize a camel to deliver books to children. “Our” camel driver, Murad, and his camel named Roshan carried 500 children’s books to the nearly impossible to reach community of Balochistan in southwest Pakistan.
We thought that was terrible. Today, a third of Pakistan is underwater amid its worst floods in history.
Recently, Basarat wrote:
“My friend, the floods are horrendous and are continuing to wipe away buildings, homes, people. Such a sad and depressing time. Alif Laila is reaching out to our friends and partners in the affected areas and sending in supplies for children; books, dry food, play material, and medicines head the list. Schools are closed in Balochistan right now. Roshan (camel) and Murad (camel driver) remain safe. Thank you once again my dear sister/ friend for caring and being there for Alif Laila and the children of Pakistan always.”
In honor of Basarat’s commitment to play her part in overcoming the devastating impact of the deadly flooding, she receives a Founders’ Award in the amount of $1,000.
Ms. Simon Ke, Siem Reap, Cambodia
(L) Ms. Simon Ke, Executive Director, Anjali House, Siem Reap, Cambodia. (R) Teacher with children practicing reading aloud.
In 2013, Judith’s Reading Room established a library containing 87 children’s books at Anjali House in Siem Reap, near Angkor Wat. Anjali House serves destitute children.
Fast forward to 2021, Anjali House applied for the organization’s Freedom Through Literacy Award, but as their project described something not yet realized, it did not qualify for a cash prize. However, Judith’s Reading Room awarded Anjali House a 2021 “Honorable Mention” designation intended to encourage the organization and to pursue its dream.
Particularly hard-hit by the exponential growth in COVID-19 cases, Cambodia’s poor have suffered disproportionately. Throughout, Simon Ke and her colleagues never abandoned hope for their Mobile Library project.
Recently, Simon Ke reported:
“In 2021 we won Honorable Mention for our Mobile Library and Distance Learning program during COVID. Due to government restrictions, we were unable to run the activity for 2021. Finally in 2022, restrictions began to lift. Luckily, in July we received funding to design our own mobile library cart and restart this project. While the cart is still being constructed, we have been able to rent a tuk-tuk and take our library materials to the community twice so far. We run the mobile library on Sundays and connect with the commune chief, who helps us select the area and gather the children. Right now, our young adult students are helping conduct the activities. Children have time to explore books on their own, do a group reading activity, and end with a fun activity or game.
We plan to go into the community every Sunday for the rest of the year, and hopefully next! Thank you supporting our library, which has allowed this to be possible.”
In honor of Anjali House’s determination and perseverance in the face of a global pandemic, Simon Ke receives a 2022 Founders’ Award in the amount of $1,000.
Judith’s Reading Room
Judith’s Reading Room, a nonprofit literacy organization, was established in 2010 in the memory of Judith F. Krug, by her first cousins, Scott and Cathy Leiber. Judy served as Director, Office for Intellectual Freedom at the American Library Association where for over 40 years she was a critic of censorship and a proponent of the freedom of speech.
In 2022, Judith’s Reading Room’s founders initiated the Founders’ Award in recognition of the indisputable civic significance of exceptional individuals who continue to foster a love of reading despite all odds.
Judith’s Reading Room’s mission is to enrich lives and societies by proactively encouraging Freedom Through Literacy. The organization has, to date, dedicated 103 curated libraries in 22 countries with nearly 132,000 books worth over $1.4 million. It’s signature Freedom Through Literacy Award was established in 2015 and to date has honored 47 champions of literacy from 14 countries with cash prizes totaling $48,500. “The Founders’ Award is one more way to honor the amazing work of literacy champions around the world to build community and collaboration,” said Scott Leiber, co-founder.
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Jamaica, NY Educator and a Municipal Librarian in Romania Captured Top Awards
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www.JudithsReadingRoom.org
January 3, 2022 — Judith’s Reading Room is pleased to announce its 8th annual Freedom Through Literacy Awards. There is no cost to apply and it is open to champions of literacy from around the world. Apply now for the 2022 Freedom Through Literacy Award at www.judithsreadingroom.org/freedom-through-literacy-award. Deadline for submissions is July 1. Winners will be announced end-July and will be honored at an exclusive online event Sunday, September 18.
Judith’s Reading Room, a non-profit literacy organization, founded in 2010 in the memory of Judith F. Krug, a librarian — through this signature event — recognizes the achievements of teachers, librarians, poets, writers, booksellers, educators and literacy not-for-profit organizations. Applicants are judged on five criteria including how their philosophy about literacy guides their work.
The organization’s $5,000 Freedom Through Literacy Award was inaugurated in 2015 to pay tribute to those on the front line of literacy. The 2022 Awards include $2,500 for the Grand Prize Winner and $1,500 for the Judith’s Award Winner. And, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, up to four applicants may share a Board Option Prize, totaling $1,000.
To date, the organization has awarded $43,500 in Freedom Through Literacy Award prize money to 40 individual winners in 12 countries: Australia, Bhutan, Cambodia, Cyprus, Greece, Honduras, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, Rwanda, the U.S.A. and Zimbabwe. Winners hail from 7 different US states.
The organization’s mission is to enrich lives and societies by proactively encouraging freedom through literacy. That mission has been fulfilled by establishing 103 libraries in 22 countries with 131,470 books donated worth over $1.4 million.
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Adult Community Literacy Program awarded a custom Judith’s Reading Room Library
November 21, 2021 — Judith’s Reading Room dedicated its 103rd library today at Jabulani Community Center in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. This custom library contains books designed for teenagers and adults who, for whatever reason, find themselves grown but not fully literate.
The difficulty was to find appropriate adult-level reading materials with locally relevant stories. Books were out of print but soft copies were provided on the website of a South Africa publisher. The library contains very simple entry-level reading books to more complex and detailed stories. Primary and secondary teachers facilitate the program in the evening, earning them additional income.
“Giving teenagers and adults in any country, in any community, the opportunity to come to a community center and learn to read without judgement helps empower parents and raise literate children,” said Cathy Leiber, President, Judith’s Reading Room.
This is the second library Judith’s Reading Room has dedicated in Zimbabwe with its nonprofit literacy partner, Children in the Wilderness. “Watching someone work their way through a sentence that they weren’t able to do before is truly heart-warming,” states Sarah Adams, CHE.
Judith’s Reading Room’s mission is to enrich lives and societies by proactively encouraging freedom through literacy. In 11 years, that mission has been fulfilled by establishing 103 libraries in 22 countries.
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