Registration Form

Name_______________________________________________________

Home address________________________________________________

City/State________________________________Zip code_____________

Phone________________________________________________________

Email address_________________________________________________

School/organization____________________________________________

School address________________________________________________

Grade/position________________________________________________

Registrations are accepted in the order in which they are received. Conference space is limited—please register early.

Early registration: $95 if received by February 3 Regular registration: $115, deadline is March 3

Registration fee includes handouts, morning coffee and lunch. To reduce carbon footprint, we are sending confirmation packets via email. Help us by including your email address. Please make check or purchase order payable to Eastern National, and mail with completed registration form to:

Kathleen O’Leary John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site 83 Beals Street Brookline, MA 02446

For information, contact Jim Roberts at (617) 566-7937 ext.10 or Sam Rubin at (617) 514-1650.

Reproduce registration form as needed.

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and MuseumColumbia PointBoston, MA 02125

PRSRT STANDARD MAILU.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT NO. 157BOSTON, MA

John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site

www.jfklibrary.org www.nps.gov/jofi

Presented by the John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site & John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

A Conference for Teachers of Grades 3 to 8 and School Librarians

Close to Home: Autobiographies, Memoirs and Family Stories

for Young Readers & Writers

March 29, 2017

Alma Flor Ada has written more than 200 books of poetry, narrative, folklore and nonfiction for young readers, many of them in both English and Spanish. Her two memoirs, Under the Royal Palms (winner of the Pura Belpré Award) and Where the Flame Trees Bloom are now available in a single volume, Island Treasures: Growing Up in Cuba, which includes new stories from her childhood. Alma Flor is the recipient of the 2012 Virginia Hamilton Literary Award.

F. Isabel Campoy is an author and leader in the field of bilingual education whose work explores the richness of Latino history and cultural heritage. Her many publications for children and teachers include Tales Our Abuelitas Told and Authors in the Classroom: A Transformative Education Process (both co-authored with Alma Flor Ada). Her most recent book for young readers is Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood.

Ralph Fletcher is the author of poetry, novels, picture books and nonfiction for children and adults. In Marshfield Dreams: When I Was a Kid, he recounts stories of growing up as the oldest of nine children. In Moving Day he revisits, through a series of poems, the many feelings associated with being uprooted from a beloved childhood home. Ralph has also published a series of instructional books on the writing process for teachers as well as young writers, including How to Write Your Life Story.

Nikki Grimes is a writer, artist, singer, former radio host, and recipient of the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. She has drawn on her own difficult early years living in various foster homes in books such as The Road to Paris and Jazmin’s Notebook—and many of her stories sensitively explore family relationships. Nikki writes with deep insight about the power of words to change one’s life and connect with others, inspiring young readers to discover their own voice.

Lois Lowry is a prolific author and two-time recipient of the Newbery Medal for Number the Stars and The Giver. In Looking Back, she weaves together quotes from her books with family photos and personal experiences that have inspired her writing. The picture book Crow Call beautifully depicts how Lois and her father renewed their relationship after a lengthy separation during World War II. She writes that all of her books “deal essentially with the same general theme: the importance of human connections.”

Cindy Rivka Marshall is an award-winning performer of multicultural stories with universal lessons. Her recordings include Bear’s Tail and other Animal Tales and By the River: Women’s Voices in Jewish Stories. Cindy runs the Dancing Tree Story Workshop in Needham, MA where she offers workshops and coaching in storytelling skills. She has also trained educators, students and others in using story sharing to build community, diversity awareness and a culture of appreciation.

Discovering history and our place in it begins at home, or close to home, through stories shared within families and among a widening circle of friends, neighbors, teachers and classmates. Gradually, we form a picture of who we are and how we fit into the world around us. Reading can greatly enlarge our world, providing new stories and new models to draw upon as we grow, change and begin to make our own history.

This was certainly true for young John F. Kennedy who grew up in an environment rich with family and political lore, and who loved reading personal accounts of inspiring figures from the past. As we mark JFK’s centennial this spring, join us at the Kennedy Library to explore ways that autobiography, memoirs and family stories can serve as stepping stones into history for today’s young readers and writers.

8:00 Registration, book browsing

8:30 Introduction

8:45 “The Gift of Stories” Performance by Cindy Rivka Marshall

9:00 “Writing from Life” Panel discussion with Alma Flor Ada, Nikki Grimes and Lois Lowry, moderated by Sam Rubin

10:15 Book browsing/conversation with colleagues

10:45 “When I Was a Kid: Turning Childhood Memories into Stories and Poems” Presentation by Ralph Fletcher

11:45 Lunch

12:45 Concurrent Sessions:

A. “Writing a Self-Portrait of Identity” Workshop with F. Isabel Campoy

B. “Autobiography and Memoir in the Classroom” Workshop with Ralph Fletcher

C. “In the Moment: Capturing a Memory through Storytelling” Workshop with Cindy Rivka Marshall

2:00 Break

2:10 Meet the Authors:

A. Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy

B. Nikki Grimes

C. Lois Lowry

3:10 Conclusion, book signing

More detailed information on the program and speakers is available at:

• www.nps.gov/jofi/learn/education/ conference.htm

• www.jfklibrary.org/profdev

“I hope that you will see my stories as an invitation for you to discover the many stories in your own life, and the meaning that they hold for you.” —ALMA FLOR ADA

Program At A Glance

Close to Home: Autobiographies, Memoirs and Family Stories for Young Readers & Writers

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum • Boston, MA • March 29, 2017

Alma Flor Ada has written more than 200 books of poetry, narrative, folklore and nonfiction for young readers, many of them in both English and Spanish. Her two memoirs, Under the Royal Palms (winner of the Pura Belpré Award) and Where the Flame Trees Bloom are now available in a single volume, Island Treasures: Growing Up in Cuba, which includes new stories from her childhood. Alma Flor is the recipient of the 2012 Virginia Hamilton Literary Award.

F. Isabel Campoy is an author and leader in the field of bilingual education whose work explores the richness of Latino history and cultural heritage. Her many publications for children and teachers include Tales Our Abuelitas Told and Authors in the Classroom: A Transformative Education Process (both co-authored with Alma Flor Ada). Her most recent book for young readers is Maybe Something Beautiful: How Art Transformed a Neighborhood.

Ralph Fletcher is the author of poetry, novels, picture books and nonfiction for children and adults. In Marshfield Dreams: When I Was a Kid, he recounts stories of growing up as the oldest of nine children. In Moving Day he revisits, through a series of poems, the many feelings associated with being uprooted from a beloved childhood home. Ralph has also published a series of instructional books on the writing process for teachers as well as young writers, including How to Write Your Life Story.

Nikki Grimes is a writer, artist, singer, former radio host, and recipient of the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. She has drawn on her own difficult early years living in various foster homes in books such as The Road to Paris and Jazmin’s Notebook—and many of her stories sensitively explore family relationships. Nikki writes with deep insight about the power of words to change one’s life and connect with others, inspiring young readers to discover their own voice.

Lois Lowry is a prolific author and two-time recipient of the Newbery Medal for Number the Stars and The Giver. In Looking Back, she weaves together quotes from her books with family photos and personal experiences that have inspired her writing. The picture book Crow Call beautifully depicts how Lois and her father renewed their relationship after a lengthy separation during World War II. She writes that all of her books “deal essentially with the same general theme: the importance of human connections.”

Cindy Rivka Marshall is an award-winning performer of multicultural stories with universal lessons. Her recordings include Bear’s Tail and other Animal Tales and By the River: Women’s Voices in Jewish Stories. Cindy runs the Dancing Tree Story Workshop in Needham, MA where she offers workshops and coaching in storytelling skills. She has also trained educators, students and others in using story sharing to build community, diversity awareness and a culture of appreciation.

Discovering history and our place in it begins at home, or close to home, through stories shared within families and among a widening circle of friends, neighbors, teachers and classmates. Gradually, we form a picture of who we are and how we fit into the world around us. Reading can greatly enlarge our world, providing new stories and new models to draw upon as we grow, change and begin to make our own history.

This was certainly true for young John F. Kennedy who grew up in an environment rich with family and political lore, and who loved reading personal accounts of inspiring figures from the past. As we mark JFK’s centennial this spring, join us at the Kennedy Library to explore ways that autobiography, memoirs and family stories can serve as stepping stones into history for today’s young readers and writers.

8:00 Registration, book browsing

8:30 Introduction

8:45 “The Gift of Stories” Performance by Cindy Rivka Marshall

9:00 “Writing from Life” Panel discussion with Alma Flor Ada, Nikki Grimes and Lois Lowry, moderated by Sam Rubin

10:15 Book browsing/conversation with colleagues

10:45 “When I Was a Kid: Turning Childhood Memories into Stories and Poems” Presentation by Ralph Fletcher

11:45 Lunch

12:45 Concurrent Sessions:

A. “Writing a Self-Portrait of Identity” Workshop with F. Isabel Campoy

B. “Autobiography and Memoir in the Classroom” Workshop with Ralph Fletcher

C. “In the Moment: Capturing a Memory through Storytelling” Workshop with Cindy Rivka Marshall

2:00 Break

2:10 Meet the Authors:

A. Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy

B. Nikki Grimes

C. Lois Lowry

3:10 Conclusion, book signing

More detailed information on the program and speakers is available at:

• www.nps.gov/jofi/learn/education/ conference.htm

• www.jfklibrary.org/profdev

“I hope that you will see my stories as an invitation for you to discover the many stories in your own life, and the meaning that they hold for you.” —ALMA FLOR ADA

Program At A Glance

Close to Home: Autobiographies, Memoirs and Family Stories for Young Readers & Writers

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum • Boston, MA • March 29, 2017

Registration Form

Name_______________________________________________________

Home address________________________________________________

City/State________________________________Zip code_____________

Phone________________________________________________________

Email address_________________________________________________

School/organization____________________________________________

School address________________________________________________

Grade/position________________________________________________

Registrations are accepted in the order in which they are received. Conference space is limited—please register early.

Early registration: $95 if received by February 3 Regular registration: $115, deadline is March 3

Registration fee includes handouts, morning coffee and lunch. To reduce carbon footprint, we are sending confirmation packets via email. Help us by including your email address. Please make check or purchase order payable to Eastern National, and mail with completed registration form to:

Kathleen O’Leary John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site 83 Beals Street Brookline, MA 02446

For information, contact Jim Roberts at (617) 566-7937 ext.10 or Sam Rubin at (617) 514-1650.

Reproduce registration form as needed.

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and MuseumColumbia PointBoston, MA 02125

PRSRT STANDARD MAILU.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT NO. 157BOSTON, MA

John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site

www.jfklibrary.org www.nps.gov/jofi

Presented by the John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site & John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

A Conference for Teachers of Grades 3 to 8 and School Librarians

Close to Home: Autobiographies, Memoirs and Family Stories

for Young Readers & Writers

March 29, 2017