Boston Public Library welcomes authors and experts in children's literature

Boston Public Library’s 2014 “Gateway to Reading” Lowell Lecture Series begins Thursday, February 6, at 6 p.m. in Rabb Lecture Hall and features an appearance from Nínive Calegari, the co-founder of 826 National, which she helped grow from a local tutoring program into an influential education phenomenon that partners with organizations across the country. The series runs through May, welcoming highly acclaimed writers, illustrators, and educators in the children’s literature field.

A former teacher, Nínive Calegari is the president of the Teacher Salary Project; the co-author of Teachers Have It Easy; and the co-producer of American Teacher, a documentary by Oscar-winning director Vanessa Roth, with narration by Matt Damon. With Dave Eggers, Ms. Calegari started 826 Valencia, a student writing program that has spawned 826 National as well as many other local 826 chapters. She received her teaching credential at Harvard's Graduate School of Education and spent her first year teaching in a classroom setting at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School.

The series continues with recipients of the highest honors in the children’s literature field for their groundbreaking and timeless works: Marc Brown, the creator, author, and illustrator of the Arthur series; Norton Juster of the classic The Phantom Tollbooth and The Dot & the Line; Diary of a Wimpy Kid series author and illustrator Jeff Kinney; and Jack Gantos, creator of the Rotten Ralph picture book series and Joey Pigza novels. 

The complete schedule is available online at www.bpl.org/lowell.  All Lowell Lectures take place in Rabb Lecture Hall at the Central Library in Copley Square. The Lowell Lecture Series is generously sponsored by the Lowell Institute, established in 1836 with the specific mission of making great ideas accessible to all people, free of charge.

About BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY 
Boston Public Library has a Central Library, twenty-four branches, map center, business library, and a website filled with digital content and services. Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library has pioneered public library service in America. It was the first publicly supported municipal library in America, the first public library to lend books, the first to have a branch library, and the first to have a children’s room. Each year, the Boston Public Library hosts thousands of programs and serves millions of people. All of its programs and exhibitions are free and open to the public. At the Boston Public Library, books are just the beginning. To learn more, visit www.bpl.org.