October reading activities

Help young adolescents reach their potential and draw public attention to their unique needs during the Month of the Young Adolescent, sponsored by the National Middle School Association. And find out what kind of literature they crave with Books for Middle-Schoolers, a book list from the Children's Library in the Mt. Lebanon Public Library in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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October is National Book Month, America's annual celebration of writers and readers, sponsored by the National Book Foundation. Find suggested reading and ways to celebrate at NBF's Web site.

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Pay tribute to the custodial workers in our schools on October 2, 2005, National Custodial Workers Day.

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October 10-14 is National School Lunch Week (NSLW). NSLW was established in 1963 by a proclamation from President John F. Kennedy. It is designed to help raise awareness of and garner support for the role that school foodservice and nutrition programs play in the lives of America's children today, and in the strength of America tomorrow. Go to www.schoolnutrition.org/nslw for activities, brochures, toolkits, and more.

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"Get Real! @ your library" is the 2005 theme of the American Library Association's Teen Read Week. The celebration takes place October 16—22. Go to the ALA Web site to find out how to get involved in the celebration.

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On October 20, 2005, thousands of afterschool programs in communities nationwide will celebrate Lights On Afterschool! Be a part of this effort to showcase the importance of afterschool programs and underscore the need for quality afterschool programs for all children. Resources to help local participants are available at the Afterschool Alliance Web site.

Send comments to readacross@nea.org