13 Seuss-gestions

• Involve all NEA members. For example, bus drivers can set up a reading challenge; cafeteria workers can prepare recipes from your favorite books; and students and higher ed members can get their campus involved in your community. All of them can be guest readers.
• Look for partners to include in your event. NEA's Read Across America has more than 50 national organization partners from the American Library Association to Youth Service America. Check out our partners list at www.nea.org/readacross and find out if there's a local link for you. Don't forget to contact local businesses and organizations. They're great sources of book donations and volunteer readers.
• Arrange for a proclamation. Have your mayor, school board, or legislators issue a proclamation. For a sample proclamation, go to www.nea.org/readacross.
• Everyone loves a challenge, especially students. Remember the principal who ate a worm? The teacher who jumped into a vat of green jello? Be creative and students will "read" to the challenge.
• Read on the radio. Ask your local radio disc jockey to read or even broadcast from your school.
• Aim high. Who says high school students won't get involved? High School students love reader's theater and poetry slams, and middle school students can organize book fairs and read to elementary students.
• Invite parents and students to don their pajamas and snuggle up and read.
• Hats off to hometown heroes. Have students write to local heroes and ask them about their favorite books. Showcase these hometown heroes and their choices in your reading celebration.
• Put reading on parade or hold a book lovers' ball. Celebrate your favorite authors, books and characters in style.
• Put on your culture cap. Create a culture cafe and put books on the menu. Your reading recipes can combine food and fiction or nonfiction.
• Break a record! Guinness records were made to be broken, give one a try.
• Make your reading event a multilingual, multicultural affair.
• Team up for reading. Contact your local sports team for reading challenges and guest readers.

Don't forget to pledge your own event on NEA's Read Across America Web site, www.nea.org/readacross. You'll also be able to sign up for the Read Across America e-newsletter; find out what's already being planned around the country; request a Read Across America resource kit; and order T-shirts, Cat in the Hat stovepipe hats, and more from the Read Across Catalog. Go to www.nea.org/readacross.

Materials

Wonder how you're going to promote your Read Across America event? Well, we've got you covered. Use these materials to help raise awareness about Read Across America and spread the word about your event.

Cool FREE Stuff to Print and Reproduce

Teachers can get colorful posters to decorate their classrooms and certificates to inspire students and recognize their participation.

• Posters
• Bookmarks
• Certificates
• Logo Use
• Printed Resource Kit Request

Other Fun Things To Do

More tips on fun ways to encourage your students to read, read, read!

• Reader's Oath
• Reading Adventures Song
• Read Across America Song

Get Noticed by the Media

Use these resources to reach out to the media and get your Read Across America event publicized in advance or covered the day of the activity.

• Media Workplan
• Media Advisory
• Sample Letters to the Editor
• Sample Op-Ed Piece
• Save the Date Announcement

Get Politicians and School Board Members Involved

Tell them what you are doing and ask for their support.

• Sample Proclamation Letter
• Sample School Board Presentation

Activity Ideas

Get creative! The opportunities are endless when it comes to planning your Read Across America event. Here's a list of previous programs that were successful.

Need Ideas? 13 Seuss-gestions

Find tips on how to involve everyone from parents to politicians. Here are 13 ideas  in case you've hit a creative wall. They will help make your event Seuss-sational!

50 Great Event Ideas

Oh, the Places Readers Will Go! They've read the Cat in the Hat in the Redskins locker room and on the radio. They mixed salsa and Seussims and even matched wits with a top Jeopardy champion. Read more about great events  in the past put on across America.

As part of Super Bowl week in Jacksonville, Fla., NFL players visited local Jacksonville schools to read with students and encourage them to celebrate literacy. The Heart of America Foundation also generously donated hundreds of books to local Jacksonville schools.

Click on an image (or the corresponding link) to view a larger version.

Or, to save it to your computer:  

• PC users: right-click your mouse on the photo (or link) and choose "Save."  
• Mac users: hold down the <ctrl> key while clicking your mouse on the photo (or link), and click "Save."

	Greg Jones, full back for the Jacksonville Jaguars , joins students at Jean Ribault Middle School to rev them up for NEA's Read Across America Day (JPG, 475 KB) Photo credit: Todd Drexler, NEA Staff Photographer
	Jacksonville Jaguars' safety Nick Sorensen reads to third graders at St. Clair Evans Academy as part of NEA's Read Across America activities during Super Bowl week in Jacksonville.  (JPG, 580 KB) Photo credit: Todd Drexler, NEA Staff Photographer
	Jacksonville Jaguars' safety Nick Sorensen translates answers to students' questions for the Cat in the Hat at a read-in to St. Clair Evans Academy in Jacksonville, as part of the NEA's Read Across America program.  (JPG, 382 KB) Photo credit: Todd Drexler, NEA Staff Photographer
	Jacksonville Jaguars' safety Nick Sorensen traded in his football helmet for a red and white striped stovepipe hat to encourage students to open up a book and read.  (JPG, 362 KB) Photo credit: Todd Drexler, NEA Staff Photographer

Click on an image (or the corresponding link) to view a larger version.

Or, to save it to your computer:  

• PC users: right-click your mouse on the photo (or link) and choose "Save."  
• Mac users: hold down the <ctrl> key while clicking your mouse on the photo (or link), and click "Save."

	Edward James Olmos photo #1 (JPG, 413 KB)
	Edward James Olmos photo #2 (JPG, 560 KB)
	Edward James Olmos photo #3 -- at San Fernando Middle School in San Fernando Valley, Calif. (JPG, 194 KB)
	Edward James Olmos photo #4  -- at San Fernando Middle School in San Fernando Valley, Calif. (JPG, 364 KB)
	Edward James Olmos photo #5  -- at San Fernando Middle School in San Fernando Valley, Calif. (JPG, 291 KB)
	Edward James Olmos photo #6  -- at San Fernando Middle School in San Fernando Valley, Calif. (JPG, 155 KB)

Click on an image (or the corresponding link) to view a larger version.

Or, to save it to your computer:  

• PC users: right-click your mouse on the photo (or link) and choose "Save."  
• Mac users: hold down the <ctrl> key while clicking your mouse on the photo (or link), and click "Save."

	kids photo #1  (695KB JPG)
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Sample Proclamation
for Local Government

Present this to your community's local governing body and ask them to declare March 3 NEA's Read Across America Day. You might consider printing it out on special paper and framing it after it has been signed and sealed.

WHEREAS, the citizens of _____________________________ stand firmly committed to promoting reading as the catalyst for our students' future academic success, their preparation for America's jobs of the future, and their ability to compete in a global economy; and

WHEREAS, __________________________ has provided significant leadership in the area of community involvement in the education of our youth, grounded in the principle that educational investment is key to the community's well being and long-term quality of life; and

WHEREAS, "NEA's Read Across America," a national celebration of Dr. Seuss's 104th birthday on March 3, 2008, promotes reading and adult involvement in the education of our community's students;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the _________________________________ calls on the citizens of _________________________________ to assure that every child is in a safe place reading together with a caring adult on March 3, 2008;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body enthusiastically endorses "NEA's Read Across America" and recommits our community to engage in programs and activities to make America's children the best readers in the world.

Signed _________________________________
Signed _________________________________
Signed _________________________________

Note that some of these files are large and may take a few moments to download

	Grab Your Hat & Read With the Cat (4827KB,  PDF)
	Celebrate Reading (2086KB, PDF)
	Building a Nation of Readers (10,242KB, PDF)
	Building a Nation of Readers  (173 KB, JPG)
	The Lorax (front) (1482KB, PDF)
The Lorax (back) (1486KB, PDF) Poster Activities: Activity 1 (1776KB,  PDF) Activity 2 (1766KB,  PDF) Activity 3 (1766KB,  PDF) Activity 4 (961KB,  PDF) Activity 5 (961KB,  PDF) Activity 6 (961KB,  PDF)

In order to view and print some of these certificates you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

	2008 Certificate of Participation  (8.5 x 11, 1,519 KB, PDF)
	Certificate of Participation (8.5 x 12.5, 100 KB JPG) Certificate of Participation  (8.5 x 12.5, 136KB PDF)
	Certificate of Appreciation (8.5 x 11, 1.4MB PDF)
	Certificate of Appreciation (Spanish) (8.5 x 11, 1.4MB JPG)

The following list was compiled from an online survey in 2007. Parents and teachers will find it useful in selecting quality literature for children.

1. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
2. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
3. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
4. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
5. Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
6. I Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch
7. Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
8. Oh! The Places You Will Go by Dr. Seuss
9. The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
10. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
11. Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner
12. Thank You Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
13. The Cat In The Hat by Dr. Seuss
14. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
15. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
16. The Mitten by Jan Brett
17. Crunching Carrots, Not Candy by Judy Slack
18. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willlems
19. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
20. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
21. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
22. Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
23. Corduroy by Don Freeman
24. Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
25. Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
26. Tacky the Penquin by Helen Lester
27. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
28. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
29. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
30. Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type Doreen Cronin
31. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
32. Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
33. Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park
34. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
35. Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
36. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
37. Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini
38. The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
39. The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone
40. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
41. A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
42. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
43. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
44. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
45. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
46. Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
47. Olivia by Ian Falconer
48. The BFG by Roald Dahl
49. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
50. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
51. The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss
52. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
53. Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
54. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
55. Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
56. Bunnicula by James Howe
57. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
58. Charlie the Caterpillar by Dom DeLuise
59. Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
60. Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
61. Frederick by Leo Lionni
62. Frindle by Andrew Clements
63. Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
64. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
65. Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen
66. Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
67. Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
68. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
69. I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt
70. Is Your Mama A Llama? by Deborah Guarino
71. Jan Brett’s books
72. Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr.
73. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
74. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
75. Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
76. My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
77. My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
78. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
79. No David! by David Shannon
80. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
81. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
82. Stephanie's Ponytail by Robert Munsch
83. Swimmy by Leo Lionni
84. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
85. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Warner
86. The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
87. The Empty Pot by Demi
88. The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop
89. The Giver by Lois Lowr
90. The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
91. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
92. The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown
93. The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements
94. The Napping House by Audrey Wood
95. The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau
96. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
97. The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack
98. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
99. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
100. The Wide-Mouthed Frog: A Pop-Up Book by Keith Faulkner

Winners of the NEA/Youth Service America program Youth Leaders for Literacy come from diverse backgrounds and different parts of America. These youth, ages 8 to 18, all heard the call to service and all had books influence and shape their lives. Below are some of their own thoughts on books special to them, followed by a booklist featuring titles recommended by some of these young people.

"A book that had a huge impact on my life was A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer. The book entails the story of a young boy who was abused by his mother. In the book the child finds the strength to survive and overcome his mother's mistreatment. The book has influenced me because it has made me realize the horrible things that go on in the world. After hearing his story I was inspired to try to improve the lives of children and help them in whatever ways I can. That's why working on the youth literacy project was so rewarding."

Organizing

Once an author has an idea he or she wants to expand, it's time to get organized. There are many exercises to help a young author reflect and focus before getting down to the business of writing: introduce the outline, timeline, story board or story map, or cluster diagrams as appropriate to the ages and abilites of your students. For soon-to-be writers and readers, this might be an adult-led group effort.

Writing

Once ideas are organized -- remember the definition of "organized" here depends only on the organizer -- writing can begin! But students should heed the words of Ted Geisel on the arduousness of writing:

"I tend to basically exaggerate in life, and in writing, it's fine to exaggerate. I really enjoy overstating for the purpose of getting a laugh. For another thing, writing is easier than digging ditches. Well, actually that's an exaggeration. It isn't."

If your students need more structure and instruction as they prepare to write, sharing titles introducing young authors to the writing process may be useful:

PreK-K

Grades 1-3

Grades 4-6

Grades 7-9

Grades 10-12

For Teachers

Revising

Another important point to stress with students: the great thing about writing is revising! Ideas can be rearranged -- or just take out old ones and put in new. Any number of changes can be made any number of times. Once he had an idea and unleashed his imagination on it, Geisel would go through countless revisions of a book. His great-nephew, Ted Owens, remembers: "All the walls would just be plastered with rough tissue sketchings. Sketches of what the story would be, what the layout would be, with the ideas for texts (and) crossed-out words as he refined over and over again, finding the right cadence and words to use in these stories."

After completing a first draft, students need to read their work. Then, they should put it aside -- at least for a day -- before rereading it and revising. Another round of rereading is then in order, and possibly more revising. Young authors should not be discouraged at what might be viewed as "extra work." Have them consider Geisel's struggle with Horton. Horton was first named Osmer, then Bosco, then Humphrey before he became the famous elephant who hatched an egg and rescued the Whos.

Editing

Editing should follow revising. Students should always edit their own work before asking someone else to play the role of editor. This is the time to check spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and if the story can be understood by others.

Help students create guidelines for peer editing that include providing both oral and written feedback. Depending on students' ages and abilities, peer editing can be done in pairs, in small groups, or in a large adult-led group. Even soon-to-be readers can offer suggestions about stories told or read to them.

Peer editing resources:

• Amy Pavely at Cole R-I Elementary School in Russelville, MO, offers a Peer Editing Checklist and a Self-Evaluation Checklist.

• Student advice on peer editing from Chimacum Middle School, Chimacum, WA. 

• From Joel Littauer, Los Angeles Unified School District, Teach Peer Editing.

• The Teenfinity Project at Fruita Monument High School, Fruita, CO, offers Peer Editing of a Science Fiction Story. 

• Faculty and students at the University of Richmond Writing Center offer peer editing strategies. 

A popular activity is to "travel" across a map of the U.S. by reading a book that takes place in each of the states. (A variation is to read a book whose author lives in a particular state, or a book about a particular state.) If your class is participating in this activity and you are a book or two short, or your students are eager for more, try these titles.

Our thanks go to Erin McQuiston of LMS Grimshaw Elementary School in LaFayette, New York, and Donna McCrory, a librarian at Westside Elementary School in Westmoreland, Tennessee for contributing to this list, which spans fiction and non-fiction for younger to older readers.

• Alabama
  
  • Picture Book of Rosa Parks by David Adler
  • Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Curtis
  • Run Away Home by Patricia McKissack
  • Helen Keller: From Tragedy to Triumph by Katharine E. Wilkie
• Alaska
  
  • Kiana's Iditarod by Shelley Gill
  • Williwaw by Tom Bodett
  • Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
  • Child of the Wolves by Elizabeth Hall
  • Call of the Wild by Jack London
  • The Eagle’s Shadow by Nora Martin
  • Gentle Ben by Walt Morey
  • Kavik the Wolf Dog by Walt Morey
  • The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto by Natalie Standiford
• Arizona
  
  • Saguaro Cactus by Paul Fleisher
  • Annie and the Old One by Miska Miles
  • Tarantula Shoes by Tom Birdseye
  • Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry
  • As the Crow Flies by Elizabeth Winthrop
• Arkansas
  
  • Bill Clinton: President of the 90’s by Robert Cwiklik
  • Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
  • Buckaroo by Betty Traylor
  • Cracking the Wall: The Struggles of the Little Rock Nine by Eileen Lucas
  • Falling From Grace by Ann McNichols
  • Gravy on a Bucket Lid by Eddie Bowman
  • Only the Names Remain: The Cherokee and the Trail of Tears by Alex W. Bealer
• California
  
  • Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say
  • Cat Running by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
  • Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
  • Ballad of Lucy Whipple by Karen Cushman
  • The Journal of Ben Uchida by Barry Denenberg
  • Earthquake Terror by Peg Kehret
  • Annie's Promise by Sonia Levitin
  • Dragonwings by Laurence Yep
  • Smoky Night by Eve Bunting
  • Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi
  • Working Cotton by Sherley Williams
  • Maxi, the Star by Debra & Sal Barracca
  • Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
• Colorado
  
  • Rocky Mountain National Park by Ruth Radlauer
  • Face to Face by Marion Dane Bauer
  • Ancient Cliff Dwellers of Arizona by Caroline Arnold
  • Bearstone by Will Hobbs
  • The Great Turkey Walk by Kathleen Karr
• Connecticut
  
  • Secret of the Sachem's Tree by F. N. Monjo
  • Windcatcher by Avi
  • 26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie dePaola
  • The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth Speare
  • The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
  • From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
  • McBroom Tells the Truth by Sid Fleishman
• Delaware
  
  • Red Bird by Barbara Mitchell
  • Light in the Storm: The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin by Karen Hesse
  • A Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
  • As the Crow Flies by Elizabeth Winthrop
• District of Columbia
  
  • The Wall by Eve Bunting
  • Nightwalkers by Judy K. Morris
• Florida
  
  • Donald and the Fish That Walked by Edward R. Ricciuti
  • Panther Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
  • Bigmama's by Donald Crews
  • Shortcut by Donald Crews
  • Sam the Sea Cow by Francine Jacobs
  • Stealing Home by Mary Stolz
  • Sunken Treasure by Gail Gibbons
  • Michael Graves by Eric Kudalis
  • Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
• Georgia
  
  • Red Cap by G. Clifton Wisler
  • Turn Homeward Hannalee by Patricia Beatty
  • Greg Maddux, Ace by John Torres
  • Herschel Walker by Jim Aenagh
  • Ida Early Comes Over the Mountain by Robert Burch
  • Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco
  • The PeeWee Jubilee by Judy Delton
  • Only the Names Remain: the Cherokee and the Trail of Tears by Alex W. Bealer
• Hawaii
  
  • Pearl Harbor by Deborah Hopkinson
  • Under the Blood Red Sun by Graham Salisbury
  • The Broccoli Tapes by Jan Slepian
  • The Story of the U.S.S. Arizona by Conrad Stein
  • The Last Princess: The story of Princess Ka'iulani of Hawai'i by Fay Stanley
• Idaho
  
  • West to a Land of Plenty by Jim Murphy
  • Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
  • The Case of the Missing Cutthroats: An Eco Mystery by Jean Craighead George
  • The Eagle and the River by Charles Craighead
  • Jenny of the Tetons by Kristiana Gregory
  • Never Cry “Arp!” and Other Great Adventures by Patrick F. McManus
• Illinois
  
  • Christmas Blizzard by Helen Ketteman
  • A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck
  • Lincoln, a Photo Biography by Russell Freedman
  • Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt
  • The Great Fire by Jim Murphy
  • Oprah Winfrey: Television Star by Steven Otfinoski
  • Ruth Law Thrills a Nation by Don Brown
  • Michael Jordan: Star Guard by Ron Knapp
• Indiana
  
  • Running out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix
  • Julie Meyer by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
  • The Christmas Blizzard by Helen Ketterman
  • The Floating House by Scott R. Sanders
  • A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter
  • A Place Called Freedom by Scott Russell Sanders
• Iowa
  
  • McBroom Tells TheTruth by Sid Fleischmann
  • Kate Shelley and The Midnight Express by Wetterer
  • Mystery of Pony Hollow by Lynn Hall
• Kansas
  
  • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
  • Going West by Nancy Van Leeuwen
  • Steal Away Home by Lois Ruby
  • Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Kentucky
  
  • Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech
  • Daniel Boone by James Daugherty
  • Daniel Boone: Pioneer Trailblazer by Jim Hargrove
  • Sally Ann Thunder and Whirlwind Crockett by Steven Kellogg
  • Tarantula Shoes by Tom Birdseye
• Louisiana
  
  • Bill and Pete To The Rescue by Tomie DePaola
  • Blackwater Swamp by Bill Wallace
  • The Million Dollar Shot by Dan Gutman
  • Mama Don’t Allow by Thatcher Hurd
  • My Louisiana Sky by Kimberly Willis Holt
• Maine
  
  • Fudge-A-Mania by Judy Blume
  • Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
  • One Morning in Maine by Robert McClosky
  • Blueberries for Sal by Robert McClosky
  • Time of Wonder by Robert McClosky
  • Calico Bush by Rachel Field
  • Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie by Peter and Connie Roop
• Maryland
  
  • By The Dawn's Early Light by Steven Kroll
  • Count Me In by Cal Ripken
  • Chita’s Christmas Tree by Elizabeth Howard
  • Aunt Flossie's Hats (and Crab Cakes Later) by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard
  • The Fox Hunt Mystery: Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene
• Massachusetts
  
  • Letting Swift River Go by Jane Yolen
  • Night Raiders Along the Cape by John Waters
  • Make way for Ducklings by Robert McClosky
  • Comet's Nine Lives by Jan Brett
  • She’s Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head by Kathryn Lasky
  • The First Thanksgiving by Jean Craighead George
  • Why We Have Thanksgiving by Margaret Hillert
  • An Island Far From Home by John Donahue
  • Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates
  • Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry
  • Anastasia at Your Service by Lois Lowry
  • Anastasia, Ask Your Analyst by Lois Lowry
  • Who’s That Stepping On Plymouth Rock? by Jean Fritz
  • Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellog
• Michigan
  
  • Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Curtis
  • Mrs. Mack by Patricia Polacco
  • Keeper of the Light by Patricia Pfitsch
  • The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis
  • My Ol’ Man by Patricia Polacco
• Minnesota
  
  • Tracker by Gary Paulsen
  • On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • Betsy-Tacy by Maud Lovelace
  • Kirsten: An American Girl Books by Janet Shaw
• Mississippi
  
  • Vicksburg Veteran by F. N. Monjo
  • Let The Circle Be Unbroken by Mildred Taylor
  • Mississippi Bridge by Mildred D. Taylor
  • Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
  • The Well: David’s Story by Mildred Taylor
  • The Friendship by Mildred D. Taylor
  • The Drummer Boy of Vicksburg by G. Clifton Wisler
  • Goodbye, Charles Lindbergh by Louise Borden
  • The Haunted Cabin Mystery: Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner
  • Night cry by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
• Missouri
  
  • Sooner by Patricia Calvert
  • George Washington Carver by Lois Nicholson
  • On My Way Home by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • Little House on Rocky Ridge by Roger MacBride
  • Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
  • Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• Montana
  
  • Wolf Stalker by Gloria Skurzynski
  • It Is a Good Day to Die by Herman Viola
  • Smoky, the Cow Horse by Will James
  • Max, the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
• Nebraska
  
  • Native American Doctor by Jeri Ferris
  • Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman
  • Gratefully Yours by Jane Buchanan
  • Prairie Songs by Pam Conrad
  • My Daniel by Pam Conrad
• Nevada
  
  • Sarah Winnemucca by Mary Frances Morrow
  • Snowshoe Thompson by Nancy Levinson
  • Cowboy country by Ann Herbert Scott
  • The Runaways by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
  • Weird Stories from the Lonesome Café by Judy Cox
  • Alice Rose and Sam: a Novel by Kathryn Lasky
  • Chico and Dan by Harold Keith
• New Hampshire
  
  • Gathering Of Days by Joan Blos
  • Bear That Heard Crying by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
  • Miss Hickory by Carolyn Bailey
• New Jersey
  
  • Battle of Trenton by Martin McPhillips
  • Captain Grey by Avi
  • Henry Reed, Inc. by Keith Robertson
  • Henry Reed’s Baby-Sitting Service by Keith Robertson
  • Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid by Walter Dean Myers
  • Fighting Ground by Avi
  • George Washington's Socks by Elvira Wooddruff
• New Mexico
  
  • Cowboys by Joan Anderson
  • Carlsbad Caverns by Lewann Sotnak
  • And Now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold
  • Wildlife Rescue by Jennifer Dewey
  • Sing Down the Moon by Scott O’Dell
  • Josefina: an American Girl by Valerie Tripp
• New York
  
  • How Pizza Came to Queens by Dayal Khalsa
  • Hessian's Secret Diary by Lisa Banim
  • Tar Beach by Faith Ringold
  • Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
  • Adventures of Ali Baba Bernstein by Johanna Hurwitz
  • And Still the Turtle Watched by Sheila MacGill-Callahan
  • The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
  • Ruth Law Thrills a Nation by Don Brown
  • The Adventures of Taxi Dog by Debra Barracca
  • When Jessie Came Across the Sea by Amy Hest
  • The Matchlock Gun by Walter D. Edmonds
  • Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
  • Hattie and the Wild Waves by Barbara Cooney
  • Hey, Al by Arthur Yorinks
  • Lyle, Lyle Crocodile by Bernard Waber
  • Remember Me to Harold Square by Paula Danziger
• North Carolina
  
  • Wright Brothers by Russell Freedman
  • Who Comes With Cannons by Patricia Beatty
  • My Great-Aunt Arizona by Gloria Houston
  • The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston
  • Meet Addy: an American Girl by Connie Porter
  • Where the Lilies Bloom by Vera Cleaver
  • Michael Jordan: Star Guard by Ron Knapp
  • Back Home by Gloria Jean Pinkney
  • A Fine White Dust by Cynthia Rylant
• North Dakota
  
  • Edge of Nowhere by Lucy Sypher
  • Dakota Dugout by Ann Turner
  • On the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • Sitting Bull by Herman Viola
  • Buffalo Before Breakfast by Mary Pope Osborne
• Ohio
  
  • M. C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton
  • John Glenn by Paul Westman
  • Wild Willie and King Kyle Detectives by Barbara M. Joose
  • Lentil by Robert McClosky
  • Johnny Appleseed Goes A’Planting by Patsy Jensen
• Oklahoma
  
  • Time of Hunting by Wayne Dodd
  • Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Smith
  • Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
  • Where the Red Fern Grows by Winston Rawls
  • Red-Dirt Jessie by Anna Myers
  • Captain’s Command by Anna Myers
• Oregon
  
  • Summer Discovery by Drew Carson
  • A Girl From Yamhill by Beverly Cleary
  • A Frontier Fort on the Oregon Trail by Scott Stedman
  • Wagon Train 911 by Jamie Gilson
• Pennsylvania
  
  • Christmas Cookie Tree by Ruth Hershey Irion
  • Knots in My Yo-Yo String by Jerry Spinelli
  • The Winter of Red Snow (Dear America) by Christina Gregory
  • The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz
  • What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? by Jean Fritz
  • Standing in the Light: The Captive Diary of Catherine C. Logan by Mary Pope Osborne
  • The Egg Tree by Katherine Milhous
• Rhode Island
  
  • Something Upstairs by Avi
  • Nickommoh! by Jackie French Koller
  • The Art of Keeping Cool by Janet Taylor Lisle
  • The Mill by David Macaulay
  • Christmas Tree Farm by Sandra Jordan
  • Kerry Hill Casecrackers Series by Peggy Nicholson and John F. Warner
  • Chicken Run by Ellen Weiss
  • Finding Providence: the Story of Roger Williams by Avi
• South Carolina
  
  • Cast Two Shadows by Ann Rinaldi
  • Hurricane Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
  • The Secret of Gumbo Grove by Eleanora E. Tate
  • The Keeping Room by Anna Myers
  • I Thought My Soul Would Rise Up and Fly: The Diary of Patsy by Joyce Hansen
  • The Girl Who Ate Chicken Feet by Sandy Richardson
• South Dakota
  
  • First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • Boy Called Slow by Joseph Bruchac
  • The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  • A Dinosaur Named Sue: the Find of the Century by Fay Robinson
  • A Dinosaur Named Sue: the Story of the Colossal Fossil by Patricia Relf
  • Driving Lessons by Catherine Dexter
• Tennessee
  
  • Davy Crockett by Anne Ford
  • Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs
  • Brown Sunshine of Sawdust Valley by Marguerite Henry
  • Tennessee Trailblazers by Patricia and Frederick McKissack
  • Knoxville, Tennessee by Nikki Giovanni
  • Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Krull
  • Sequoyah’s Gift by Janet Klausner
  • Oprah Winfrey: Television Star by Steven Otfinoski
  • When the Whippoorwill Calls by Candice Ransom
  • Al Gore by Rebecca Stefoff
  • Daniel’s Duck by Clyde Robert Bulla
  • A Band of Angels: a Story Inspired by the Jubilee Singers by Deborah Hopkinson
• Texas
  
  • Holes by Louis Sachar
  • Armadillo Rodeo by Jan Brett
  • Hank, the Cow Dog by John Erickson
  • Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
  • Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie dePaola
  • Search for the Shadowman by Joan Lowery Nixon
  • The White Stallion by Elizabeth Shub
• Utah
  
  • Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald
  • Hostage by Edward Myers
  • The Great Brain at the Academy by John D. Fitzgerald
• Vermont
  
  • Soup by Robert Newton Peck
  • Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Martin
  • Soup and Me by Robert Newton Peck
  • Soup for President by Robert Newton Peck
  • Soup’s Hoop by Robert Newton Peck
  • A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
  • The Canada Geese Quilt by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
• Virginia
  
  • Promise Quilt by Candice Ransom
  • Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
  • Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
  • George Washington’s Breakfast by Jean Fritz
  • Journal of James Edward Pease by Jim Murphy
  • The Relatives Came by Cynthis Rylant
  • The Twin in the Tavern by Barbara B. Wallace
  • Felicity: an American Girl by Valerie Tripp
  • When Will This Cruel War be Over by Barry Denenberg
• Washington
  
  • Turtle People by Brenda Guiberson
  • Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer Holm
  • Volcano: The Eruption and Healing of Mt. St. Helens by Patricia Lauber
  • The Last Man's Reward by David Patneaude
• West Virginia
  
  • Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
  • Saving Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
  • Shiloh Season by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
  • Missing May by Cynthia Rylant
  • Hound Heaven by Linda Oatman High
• Wisconsin
  
  • Rascal by Sterling North
  • Little House in the Big Woods by Laura I. Wilder
  • Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Brink
  • Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright
• Wyoming
  
  • Yellowstone by Carol A. Marron
  • Legend of the Indian Paintbrush by Tomie DePaola
  • My Friend Flicka by Mary O’Hara
  • Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
  • Red Dog by Bill Wallace

To honor Ted Geisel (a/k/a Dr. Seuss) on the anniversary of his 100th birthday, NEA, with Random House Children's Books and with support from Dr. Seuss Enterprises, has developed materials to help educators and others take children on an in-depth odyssey to learn about the man behind the pseudonym.

"The Many Hats of Ted Geisel" materials will help educators explore with students the many hats Ted Geisel wore, and open their minds to inspiration from the creative, imaginative genius of Dr. Seuss. Educators can use these materials as part of a year-long writing project, a special writing unit, or select from the activities to enhance language arts programs.

Introduction

Children naturally associate Dr. Seuss with a very particular hat -- the red and white stovepipe of the Cat in the Hat. Some young readers have made such a strong connection between the cheapeaued feline and Seuss that they think they are one and the same.

Ted Geisel may have felt kinship toward the lanky, mischevious, hat-wearing Cat, but the "hats" Geisel wore as an author, artist, advertising man and book publisher are our categories for exploring his rich, fulfilled life. Once this exploration is complete, students will have enjoyed building skills and imagination through pre-writing, writing, editing, illustrating, reading, publishing, and advertising activities. The activities are designed to help students through the creative process of writing their own children's picture book, but each activity can also stand alone as a useful classroom exercise.

Details to share with students about Geisel's life and work can be found in his in-depth biography. "Imagination Pad" templates are provided to reproduce and give to students to use as a launching place for their own creative writing -- similar to the notes and notebooks Ted Geisel kept as he created his books.

Ted Geisel really did have many hats -- hundreds, in fact. And for each one there was a story that went along with it. Geisel often put on a hat, like a fireman's helmet or a fez, for a bit of nonsense and fun.

A bit of nonsense and fun can lead to great creativity in the classroom. Activity suggestions are separated by grade level, but children of all ages can learn from trying on the many hats of Dr. Seuss.

A person's a person, no matter how small," Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, would say. "Children want the same things we want. To laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained and delighted."

Brilliant, playful, and always respectful of children, Dr. Seuss charmed his way into the consciousness of four generations of youngsters and parents. In the process, he helped millions of kids learn to read.

Dr. Seuss was born Theodor Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts, on March 2, 1904. After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1925, he went to Oxford University, intending to acquire a doctorate in literature. At Oxford, Geisel met Helen Palmer, whom he wed in 1927. Upon his return to America later that year, Geisel published cartoons and humorous articles for Judge, the leading humor magazine in America at the time. His cartoons also appeared in major magazines such as Life, Vanity Fair, and Liberty. Geisel gained national exposure when he won an advertising contract for an insecticide called Flit. He coined the phrase, "Quick, Henry, the Flit!" which became a popular expression.

Geisel developed the idea for his first children's book in 1936 while on a vacation cruise. The rhythm of the ship's engine drove the cadence to And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.

During World War II, Geisel joined the Army and was sent to Hollywood where he wrote documentaries for the military. During this time, he also created a cartoon called Gerald McBoing-Boing which won him an Oscar.

The Cat in the Hat is born

In May of 1954, Life published a report on illiteracy among schoolchildren, suggesting that children were having trouble reading because their books were boring. This problem inspired Geisel's publisher, prompting him to send Geisel a list of 400 words he felt were important for children to learn. The publisher asked Geisel to cut the list to 250 words and use them to write an entertaining children's book. Nine months later, Geisel, using 220 of the words given to him, published The Cat in the Hat, which brought instant success.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 and three Academy Awards, Geisel authored and illustrated 44 children's books. His enchanting stories are available as audiocassettes, animated television specials, and videos.

While Theodor Geisel died on September 24, 1991, Dr. Seuss lives on, inspiring generations of children of all ages to explore the joys of reading.

(Courtesy of Random House.)

Early years

Childhood

Theodor ("Ted") Seuss Geisel was born on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Though his German-immigrant father and grandfather ran a successful brewery, during Prohibition and World War I the Geisel's were targets for many slurs regarding both their heritage and livelihoods.

Despite some financial hardship the Geisels encountered due to Prohibition, Ted enjoyed a fairly happy childhood -- reading comic strips, writing humorous poems, and drawing his own cartoons. His mother, Henrietta Seuss Geisel, had worked in her father's bakery before marrying Ted's father, and to memorize the names of the pies she "chanted" them to customers. If Ted had difficulty getting to sleep, she would often recall her "pie-selling chants." As an adult, Ted credited his mother "for the rhythms in which I write and the urgency with which I do it." (Morgan, p.7)

Dartmouth

Ted attended Dartmouth College, where he was the editor-in-chief of Jack-O-Lantern, Dartmouth's humor magazine. His reign as editor, however, came to an abrupt end when Ted and his friends were caught throwing a party that did not coincide with school policy. Geisel continued to contribute to Jacko , merely signing his work as "Seuss," which was both his middle name and his mother's maiden name.

Oxford

In early 1925, as graduation from Dartmouth approached, Ted's father asked him what he was going to do after college.

Ted claimed to have been awarded a fellowship to Oxford University, and the elder Geisel reported the news to the Springfield newspaper, where it was published the following day. And though Ted later confessed the truth -- Oxford had denied his fellowship application -- Mr. Geisel, who had a great deal of family pride, managed to scrape together funds to send him anyway. Ted left for Oxford intending to become a professor because he couldn't think of anything else to do with an Oxford education.

Sitting in class, Ted's doodling caught the eye of a fellow American student named Helen Palmer, who suggested that he should become an artist instead of a professor. He took her advice, took to her, and eventually married her.

Early career

Judge, Standard Oil/Advertising

Before he could marry Helen, Ted needed to earn a living. He decided that he could do so as a cartoonist and was thrilled when one of his submissions was published in the Saturday Evening Post. His work caught the eye of the editor of Judge, a New York weekly, and Ted was offered a staff position. Many of the characters from his Judge sketches resemble the more familiar characters of his books: Horton-esque elephants, turtles that look like Yertle, Nizzard-like birds, etc.

Standard Oil recognized Ted's talents and offered him a job in their advertising department to promote Flit. Flit's competitor, Fly-Tox, offered Ted a simliar contract, and in true Ted Geisel form, he flipped a coin to make the decision. In all, Ted spent over 15 years in advertising, primarily with Standard.

World War II

From early 1941 to early 1943, Ted Geisel drew editorial cartoons for the leftist New York newspaper PM, which backed intervention in the war in Europe. Geisel, who didn't agree with a lot of their political policies, joined up with them because he felt, "I had one purpose: I wanted to, wherever I could at this particular time, point out as strongly as I could that the United States was going to get involved in this war." (Interview by Edward C. Lathem, 1976, Dartmouth College Archives.)

At 38, Ted was too old for the draft, and so decided to serve in Frank Capra's Signal Corps (U.S. Army), making movies relevant to the war effort. He was introduced to the art of animation and developed a series of animated training films, and also wrote scripts for live-action films for American military forces. Two of these films were later developed into Academy Award winning documentaries, Hitler Lives and Design for Death.

Publishing

In 1931, Ted was contributing to publications such as  Life, Vanity Fair, and Judge when an editor at Viking Press tapped him to illustrate a collection of children's sayings called Boners. Ted's illustrations were critically well received; he considered the work his first official "big break" in children's literature. (Morgan, p. 72)

Ted was making a good living as an illustrator and cartoonist -- but he also enjoyed writing. While traveling on the luxury liner M.S. Kungsholm, Ted became bothered by the rhythm of the ship's engines. At Helen's urging, he applied the incessant rhythm to his first children's book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.

Though Mulberry Street is a delightful peek into the vivid imagination of a child, publishers in 1937 were not receptive: Ted presented his manuscript to 27 publishing houses and received 27 rejections. But then Ted bumped into an old Dartmouth friend who worked at Vanguard Press, a divison of Houghton Mifflin, and Vanguard published Mulberry Street, which was well received by librarians and reviewers.

By 1939, Ted had left Vanguard for the rapidly growing Random House. Over the next two decades, he wrote 11 books, including Bartholomew and the Oobleck and Horton Hears a Who. He garnered excellent reviews and three Caldecott Honor Awards, but it was the 1957 publication of The Cat in the Hat that catapulted Ted to celebrity.

John Hersey, author of the article "Why Johnny Can't Read," was outraged with the reading primers of the day, calling them "antiseptic" and the children in them "unnaturally clean." He called for illustrations "that widen rather than narrow the associative richness the children give to the words," and concluded that the work of artists like Geisel and Walt Disney would be more appropriate. (Morgan, pp 153-54)

So in an unusual act of sharing an author, Houghton Mifflin and Random House asked Ted to write a children's primer using 220 new-reader vocabulary words. The end result was The Cat in the Hat . While schools were hesitant to adopt it as an offical primer, children and parents swarmed for copies.

Random House publisher Bennett Cerf was the mastermind behind the sharing agreement with Houghton Mifflin and perhaps the most influential figure in Ted's early publishing career. It was he who wagered that Ted couldn't write a book using 50 words or less, prompting Ted to write Green Eggs and Ham. Cerf had the vision to see that Ted was going to turn the children's book industry upside down, and he definitely wanted to be a part of it, so he, along with his wife Phyllis, Ted, and Helen, created Random House's Beginner Books division, one of the most innovative and successful ventures in children's publishing.

Personal life and interests

Art

A doodler at heart, Ted often remarked that he never really learned to draw, but he took his painting very seriously; it relaxed him. Using watercolor, gouache, ink, or casein, Ted would create vivid scenes with skewed, nonsensical perspectives and images. He would often contrast bright colors against a much darker background, creating an illusion of the subject popping out of the painting. While he longed for critical recognition that he was an artist, Ted would not sell his paintings out of fear of critics' rejection.

Helen Palmer Geisel

While Ted's wife Helen was a tremendous support editorially, artistically, and administratively during much of Ted's career, she was an accomplished author, too. One of her books, Do You Know What I'm Going to Do Next Saturday? was listed as one of the best juveniles by The New York Times in 1963. (Morgan, p. 182) Later in her life, Helen suffered from frail health dying on October 23, 1967.

The Tower/Writing Habits

In 1948, Ted and Helen purchased an old observation tower in la Jolla (la-HOY-yah), California. "The Tower," as it soon became known, was to remain the primary Geisel residence for the remainder of their lives. It was there that Ted worked his creative magic, locked in the studio within The Tower for at least eight hours each day, and very often, much longer than that.

Janet Schulman of Random House Books for Young Readers admits that Ted's actual writing process was a bit of a mystery. "He was so private about it," she explains. "When he was working on a book, he always had a general idea of what the book was going to be, but he put these pieces of paper on the wall, and there would be 'holes' within the sequence that usually belonged to the transitional points."

Others recall Ted putting on a "thinking cap" from his amazing hat collection and wearing it to help lighten the stress of creative blocks.

Ted enjoyed writing entertaining books that encouraged children to read. There are several -- his later books, in particular -- that were, in fact, inspired by current events or his own personal concerns.

The Butter Battle Book, perhaps the most controversial of all his books, was written in response to the nuclear arms race. Published in 1984, Butter Battle sheds light on the growing threat of war between the Yooks and the Zooks. The threat stems solely from the way Yooks and Zooks choose to eat their bread: butter-side up and butter-side down, respectively. The story ends with a blank page, leaving a cliffhanger ending that is open to interpretation. When Ted presented this particular project, Random House saw a red light!

For six months, Butter Battle remained on The New York Times Bestseller List -- for adults. In 1990, when the televised version of The Butter Battle Book was shown in the U.S.S.R., Ted bragged that the country began "falling apart." Indeed, the Soviet Union was crumbling at that time, but Ted's message reached a much broader audience -- and challenged readers to answer the question, how does it all end? (Morgan, p. 255)

Later years

Audrey Geisel

Audrey and Ted had been friends for a long time before they married on June 21, 1968. She brought order and stability to his life at a time when Ted's popularity was pulling him in various directions.

With Audrey's encouragement and inspiration, his imagination soared to new heights. This new "spark" certainly influenced Ted's work! Some of his most critically acclaimed and socially conscious books were written during this period, and Ted began experimenting with the color palette once again. Audrey would often suggest unexpected, unusual color combinations that complemented more meaningful manuscripts, such as The Lorax, The Butter Battle Book, and You're Only Old Once!

Never one to interfere directly with her husband's affairs, Audrey -- a former nurse -- saw her role as that of a caretaker and chief supporter, a role she continues to this day as the head of Dr. Seuss Enterprises.

Ted had no children, but his marriage to Audrey brought two step-daughters.

Other media

In 1966, Ted received a call from his old friend Chuck Jones, now a successful animator. Jones convinced Ted to adapt How the Grinch Stole Christmas for television. It was a painstaking task, as Jones used the full-animation technique that had been popular at Disney. The idea behind full animation is that one could follow the story, with or without the benefit of narration. With full animation, a half-hour television program would require approximately 25,000 drawings -- over 12 times as many drawings as most animations of equal length.

The length of the story, the color of the Grinch, and the development of a script that did not end on a trite or overly religious note also had to be addressed.

Again, Ted was always very particular about colors, and it took some convincing by Jones for Ted to concede to paint the Grinch green with evil red eyes. The songs were a collaborative effort between Ted and composer Albert Hague. To resolve Ted's concern that the story end in a way that was not trite or overly religious, the script called for a star to rise to the heavens (rather than drop from the sky) to emphasize the power of the heart.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas aired in time for the 1966 holiday season and it still ranks high in viewer ratings 25 years later. Nearly 30 of Ted's Dr. Seuss books have been adapted for television or video.

Legacy

Ted Geisel died in his sleep on September 24, 1991, at his home in La Jolla, California. He was 87 years old.

At the time of his death, some 200 million copies of his books, translated into 15 different languages, had found their way into homes and hearts around the world. Since then, sales continue to climb, estimated at more than 22 million since 1991.

Fast facts on Theodor Seuss Geisel (GUY-zel)

Also known as:
Dr. Seuss; also, Theo Le Sig, Rosetta Stone

Date of birth:
March 2, 1904

Place of birth:
Springfield, Massachusetts

Date of death:
September 24, 1991

Place of death:
La Jolla, California

Married to:
Helen Palmer Geisel, 1927-1967
Audrey Stone Geisel, 1968-1991

Education:
B.A., Dartmouth College, 1925
Oxford University (no degree)

Awards:
Academy Award for Gerald McBoing-Boing (Best Cartoon, 1951); two Emmys for Halloween is Grinch Night and The Grinch Grinches the Cat (Best Children's Special, 1977 and 1982, respectively); a Pulitzer Prize (1984); a Peabody for the animated specials How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and Horton Hears a Who! (1971); a New York Library Literary Lion (1986); Caldecott Honor Awards: McElligot's Pool (1947), Bartholomew and the Oobleck (1949), and If I Ran the Zoo (1950); the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award -- the American Library Association's special award given to an author or illustrator whose books have made a substantial contribution and lasting impact on children's literature (1980).

The question Ted Geisel most dreaded:
"Where do you get your ideas?"

Bibliography of Theodor Seuss Geisel

*****

Sources

This biography is adapted from "Dr. Seuss' Biography" at www.seussentennial.com which also credits:

Cohen, Charles. Personal Interview. August, 2001.

Dr. Seuss from Then to Now. San Diego: San Diego Museum of Art, 1986.

Morgan, Judith & Neil. Dr. Seuss and Mr. Geisel. New York: Da Capo Press, 1995.

Dr. Seuss. The Lorax. New York: Random House, 1971.

Your child has started school, but he still needs you to read to him at home. Your child will do better in school, and you'll enjoy the time spent together.

Here are helpful tips for reading to and with young children in school, kindergarten through third grade:

• Keep reading to your child even when he can read. Read books that are too difficult or long for him to read alone.
  
  
• Try reading books with chapters and talk about what is happening in the story. Encourage your child to make predictions about what will happen next, and connect characters or events to those in other books and stories.
  
  
• Talk with your child about reading preferences that are beginning to develop. Ask whether she likes adventure stories, mysteries, science fiction, animal stories, or stories about other children. Encourage her to explain the reasons for preferences.
  
  
• Talk with your child about favorite authors and help him find additional books by those authors.
  
  
• Take turns reading a story with your child. Don't interrupt to correct mistakes that do not change the meaning.
  
  
• Talk about the meaning of new words and ideas introduced in books. Help your child think of examples of new concepts.
  
  
• Talk with your child about stories using the notions of the beginning, middle, and end of the story to organize thinking and discussion.
  
  
• Ask your child to tell why a character might have taken a specific action. Ask for information from the story to support her answer.
  
  
• Enjoy yourself and have fun. The most important thing you can do to help your child become a successful reader is communicate that reading is valuable and enjoyable.

Sample "Save the Date" Announcement

The following piece can be used for school calendars, newspapers, newsletters, flyers, and information sheets sent home to parents, etc., whenever you want to remind folks about your NEA's Read Across America celebration. Feel free to adapt the text to suit your particular needs.

Save the Date!

NEA's Read Across America: Celebrating Dr. Seuss's  Birthday

Those who are six, sixteen, sixty-four and more have all kinds of great events in store for the National Education Association's tenth annual observance of NEA's Read Across America. NEA is calling all of America's children, both young and old, to reward their learning by celebrating the joys of reading with Dr. Seuss on his 104th birthday. Readers of all ages are encouraged to celebrate on March 3, 2008.

Our reading party here at [insert location] will take place on Monday, March 3, 2008, from [insert beginning time] to [insert ending time].

So please mark your calendars now and feel free to call [insert contact name and phone number] if you have questions. For more information about how to generate excitement for reading among America's children and their families and about best practices for motivating and teaching reading, visit www.nea.org/readacross.

For the past four years, Saturn/UAW retailers across the country have taken part in NEA's Read Across America. Many have hosted birthday parties, cooked green eggs and ham, provided vehicles for Cat in the Hat appearances, supported reading contests, and most importantly, taken time to read to local schoolchildren.

Contact your local Saturn/UAW retailer to see how they can partner in your NEA's Read Across America event.

Below is an alphabetical listing of dealerships in the Western region of the United States. You can also access listings in the southern, eastern, and central regions.

Western region

For the past four years, Saturn/UAW retailers across the country have taken part in NEA's Read Across America. Many have hosted birthday parties, cooked green eggs and ham, provided vehicles for Cat in the Hat appearances, supported reading contests, and most importantly, taken time to read to local schoolchildren.

Contact your local Saturn/UAW retailer to see how they can partner in your NEA's Read Across America event.

Below is an alphabetical listing of dealerships in the Southern region of the United States. You can also access listings in the western, eastern, and central regions.

Southern region