One Book NJ - Press Kit

The One Book New Jersey program is a fun and exciting program sponsored by the New Jersey Library Association with generous support from the New Jersey State Library. The goal of the program is to bring people together by encouraging them to read and participate in discussions and other events about the same book. Although this program is modeled on other "One Book" programs throughout the country, New Jersey's program is rather unique. We involve not just one community, but the whole state. We also felt it was important to reach people of all ages, so although we still call our program "One Book," it is in fact four books: an adult selection, a young adult selection, a book for older children and a read-to-me selection.

In the past, over six hundred programs or events were held in every county of the state at a majority of the 464 public libraries in New Jersey. These events ranged from book discussions to storyhours, from contests to film showings for people from preschoolers to senior citizens. One Book New Jersey selections for the past five years have been:

More information about the One Book New Jersey program can be found on our
website: www.onebooknewjersey.org

Contacts: Kate Vasilik, 2008 Chair, OBNJ
201-891-2224 kate_thelibrarian@yahoo.com Pat Tumulty, Exec. Director, NJLA
609-394-8032 ptumulty@njla.org

One Book New Jersey
2008 Featured Adult Book

The Plot Against America
by Philip Roth

Philip Roth, considered by many to be one of America's greatest contemporary novelists, creates this disturbing tale of "what if?" What if Charles Lindberg, national hero, described as a "rabid isolationist, Nazi sympathizer and crypto-fascist" was elected president in the 1940 election instead of FDR? This alternative history novel is told from the semi-autobiographical perspective of seven-year-old Philip, growing up with his family in the predominantly Jewish Weequahic section of Newark.

Life changes for Philip, his family, and his neighbors when the politics of the country change following the 1940 election. "…Of course, no childhood is without its terrors, yet I wonder if I would have been a less frightened boy if Lindbergh hadn't been president or if I hadn't been the offspring of Jews." These words introduce the book, setting the tone for this cautionary tale. The Plot Against America concedes that such an anti-Semitic regime is possible in the U.S., and it is Roth's father Herman, the true hero in this story, who rises up not in his Jewishness but in his Americanness.

Philip Roth, like many of his fictional characters, grew up in the Weequahic section of Newark, New Jersey. Author of more than 20 works of fiction, Roth won two National Book Awards for fiction, two National Book Critics Circle Awards for fiction, and a Pulitzer Prize for his 1997 novel American Pastoral. In 2005 he became one of only three living authors to have his work published by the Library of America, joining Eudora Welty and Saul Bellow.

In 2005 The Plot Against America won the Society of American Historians' prize for "outstanding historical novel on an American theme for 2003-2004," as well as the Sidewise Award for Alternate History. Roth also won his second W. H. Smith Literary Award for the novel. The idea for The Plot Against America apparently came to him while reading in Arthur Schlesinger's autobiography that the right wing Republic Party had considered nominating Charles Lindberg to run for president in 1940 against FDR.

Roth often writes semi-autobiographic novels through his alter-ego Nathan Zuckerman, the promiscuous Jewish-American writer who is featured in at least eight of his novels.

www.onebooknj.org

Contacts: Kate Vasilik, 2008 Chair, OBNJ
201-891-2224 kate_thelibrarian@yahoo.com Pat Tumulty, Exec. Director, NJLA
609-394-8032 ptumulty@njla.org

One Book New Jersey
2007 Featured Young Adult Book

Dr. Franklin's Island
by Ann Halam

Teen conservationists Semi, Miranda, and Arnie board a plane bound for the Ecuadorian rainforest. As part of a prize-winning team gathered by the TV show Planet Savers, they begin an amazing hands-on ecology experience. But their trip-of-a-lifetime quickly becomes a fight for survival as they find themselves on a remote island, the only survivors of a devastating plane crash. And this is no ordinary island - it is the home of a mad scientist, anxious for subjects for his ghastly experiments. Unfortunately for Semi, Miranda, and Arnie, the three teens are the perfect candidates for his interspecies tests.

Ann Halam (a pseudonym used by Gwyneth A. Jones) is a prolific author of fantasy and science fiction for readers of all ages. Born in Manchester, England, she has been writing since the age of fourteen, when she won a writing competition run by the Manchester Evening News. She has won numerous awards, including the Arthur C. Clarke Award and the World Fantasy Award. Two of her books, including Dr. Franklin's Island, were named ALA Best Books for Young Adults. She now lives with her husband and son in Brighton, England.

www.onebooknj.org

Contacts: Kate Vasilik, 2008 Chair, OBNJ
201-891-2224 kate_thelibrarian@yahoo.com Pat Tumulty, Exec. Director, NJLA
609-394-8032 ptumulty@njla.org

One Book New Jersey
2007 Featured Middle Grade Book

The Sisters Grimm: Fairy-Tale Detectives
by Michael Buckley

Orphans Sabrina and Daphne Grimm have gone from one bad foster home to another, and have become adept at running away. Now they have arrived at Ferryport Landing to live with Granny Relda. Sabrina is suspicious; she never knew she had a grandmother. But Sabrina and Daphne are soon caught up in the legacy of the Grimm family. As descendents of Wilhelm, they must keep the fairy tale characters, the "Everafters," contained. When Relda goes missing, it is up to the girls to solve the mystery - which involves giants, pixies, fairies and witches. This is a mystery-adventure with lots of fantasy and just as much humor. Prince Charming is the town mayor, Snow White is a school teacher, and the Big Bad Wolf is a friend, trying hard to reform. Once you get started, it's hard to put down.

Michael Buckley was born in Ohio. After graduating from Ohio University, he moved to New York City to find his fortune. Instead he found work as a pasta maker, hamburger flipper, personal assistant and stand-up comic. Mr. Buckley then began a ten-year stint in television production and he has developed programming for MTV, MTV Animation, Discover Networks and Klasky Csupo, the producers of Nickelodeon's Rugrats. The Sisters Grimm series is Mr. Buckley's first venture into the world of children's book writing. Mr. Buckley lives in New York City with his wife Alison, their new baby, and their dog.

More information about Mr. Buckley and The Sister Grimm Series can be found on the website http://www.sistersgrimm.com.

www.onebooknj.org

Contacts: Kate Vasilik, 2008 Chair, OBNJ
201-891-2224 kate_thelibrarian@yahoo.com Pat Tumulty, Exec. Director, NJLA
609-394-8032 ptumulty@njla.org

One Book New Jersey
2007 Featured Read to Me Book

Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock
by Eric A. Kimmel, illustrated by Janet Stevens

When Anansi discovers a magical rock that puts animals to sleep, he decides to use the stone's magic to trick the other animals out of their food supplies. Each animal - the hippo, the lion, the zebra, and more - are taken one at a time to the magic rock. Each is tricked into saying the magic words, and each animal sleeps while Anansi the trickster takes their food. But the shy little Bush Deer is watching, and she comes up with a plan to trick the trickster. Anansi is a well-known West African and Caribbean folk character, who sometimes appears as a man, sometimes as a spider. Janet Stevens' illustrations have depicted Anansi as a spider, which fits right in with this animal story. The repetition of the magic words and the sound effects as the animals fall into their magical sleep make this story a delight to read aloud.

Eric Kimmel was born in Brooklyn, New York and graduated from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania with a degree in English literature. After earning a Ph.D. in Education, Dr. Kimmel taught in several universities. He became a full-time writer in 1993 but still holds the rank of Professor Emeritus of Education at Portland State University in Oregon. Dr. Kimmel has written numerous books, including several other Anansi stories. He is the winner of the Sydney Taylor Picture Book Award for The Chanukah Guest and Gershon's Monster. In January of 2005 the Association of Jewish Libraries awarded him the Sydney Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award for his body of work.

www.onebooknj.org

Contacts: Kate Vasilik, 2008 Chair, OBNJ
201-891-2224 kate_thelibrarian@yahoo.com Pat Tumulty, Exec. Director, NJLA
609-394-8032 ptumulty@njla.org

PRESS KIT

Press Kit