SPRING 2012
•
RETHINK
Jones is not the only one who has seen the effects TBF has had on its community. According to TBF Director, STEPHANIE A. SQUICCIARINI, TBF has not only grown in size but has also had an increasingly profound effect on the teens who attend. One young teen told Squicciarini that instead of having a birthday party, she celebrates her birthday by gathering her friends to attend TBF. Squicciarini comments, “Each year we hear remarkable stories coming out of TBF... the ways authors have affected the lives of readers. And while it is a TON of work, it is worth every bit of it because of these stories. ” The festival gives teens a place to celebrate literacy and provides them with an opportunity to openly show their enthusiasm for reading and, for many, writing.
TBF ATTENDEES SPEAK OUT:
The festival also provides opportunities for teens to showcase other talents as for three years we have had a high school marching band leading the parade, welcoming the authors. Last year we also featured a performance by the Mercy High School Show Choir, and started our annual program cover design contest.” TBF has found a way to help young people see reading as an important component of their everyday life. As NAOMI ERDMANN, Director of the Marie Callahan Clinic and graduate Literacy Programs, comments, “TBF serves our youth in a way that no one else can. TBF helps them to see reading as something of value.” CARRIE MAE NIELSEN, a TBF volunteer and graduate student, enrolled in Nazareth College’s Literacy Education (5-12) Program, adds another important point. She recognizes that too often adolescents are perceived as apathetic and disinterested readers. “Kids get a bad rap and TBF puts everything in perspective.” For teachers who do not believe teenagers today like to read, Nielsen says, “TBF is a place where teens can get excited about reading. Teens’ excitement about their experiences at TBF is a testament to the importance of this event.” Not only are the teens fully engaged in reading all year long as they count down the
> “TBF is an amazing phenomenon. Thousands of readers get together to celebrate reading at a level usually reserved for sports teams.” Shair Maurer, TBF Author > “All of the TBF authors are wonderful. I can’t really say that I loved one author more than the other. It was amazing meeting them. [One] author I will never forget is Alyson Noël. She was so kind when I talked to her. At the time, things were really difficult for me and I was really touched when Alyson Noël told me to never give up.” TBF Teen
days for the annual Festival, but after the Festival they are hooked on new authors as well. It is precisely this kind of commitment and enthusiasm that TBF harnesses which enticed CARLY MALDONADO to attend the first TBF. Maldonado, who is currently completing her undergraduate studies at Nazareth College, has been a TBF volunteer since its inception. She
> “[After] hearing the authors speak I will be able to make better reading recommendations to my students.” High School Librarian
recalls from her experience as a teen attending authors’ presentations that, “This is a day for teens... teens are seated first instead of adults... how often do you hear that?” Once TBF came to Nazareth, Maldonado took on a greater role in TBF – she now serves as an
> “Knowing the person who created these works of art makes me more influenced.” TBF Teen
honorary committee member and the official TBF blogger with her site, Carly Reads for TBF (http://carlyreads.blogspot.com). When approached to write a blog to review YA authors, Maldonado was thrilled by the opportunity. The blog has been instrumental in keeping the excitement about reading and TBF going on campus and across the digital-TBF-community by providing the authors with a unique opportunity to connect with their readers.
> “I loved the bullying group presentation and it has impacted my 12 year old to accept himself more.” TBF Parent
> continued on page 8 WWW.NAZ.EDU/EDUCATION • 7