Finally, A Great TV Ad!

This morning while I was getting ready for work, an interesting ad on television caught my attention. That hardly ever happens, but this one was so different that I stopped what I was doing to
watch.
The music was mysterious and majestic. The scene was of children holding books in their hands. They stood in line beside a huffing, black train, waiting to board. One scene was of a curly-headed boy looking up on the wall of the train station at a poster about Narnia. Another scene showed the conductor stamping a boy's book with the word "Narnia." The last scene showed another boy looking out the train window at a wonderous scene. Even the words the narrator spoke were enticing. "Explore new worlds. Read. Visit literacy.gov and let the journey begin."
I was enchanted with the whole thing! But then I'm enchanted by most things that have to do with books.
When I got to work, I checked out literacy.gov. I found out there is a "Lifelong Literacy Public Awareness Campaign." In an effort to inspire young people to become lifelong learners and encourage reading, the Ad Council and the Library of Congress have launched a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) to promote the Lifelong Literacy campaign. They say when kids become good readers in the early grades, they are more likely to become better learners throughout their school years and beyond. Well! I tell you, not only that ad caught my attention, but the whole
campaign!
The Ad Council and the Library of Congress listed on their website three books that can be read online:

• The Arabian Nights: Their Best-Known Tales
• Stories from Hans Anderson and
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

I also listened to parts of several books that are read as radio ads:

• Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
• Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
• A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
• Holes by Louis Sachar and
• Maniac McGee by Jerry Spinelli.

What I heard definitely made me want to read the books. And these are books children will thoroughly enjoy reading, as well as adults. Amazing what a great TV ad will do for you. If you're online, check out the website. I'm sure you'll find many of these great books in our library. But if we don't have them, remember we can get them for you through the PINES System. All you need is a library card and a few minutes with Johnnie, our Interlibrary Loan Clerk. (Source: Lifelong Literacy at http://www.loc.gov/literacy/about/)