The Final State of the Union
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Summary:
Here are a few of the thousands of books that low-income students will have access to thanks to the President's Connect Ed initiative.
President Obama joined students at Anacostia Neighborhood Library in Southeast Washington, D.C. yesterday to announce a plan to give low-income children access to 10,000 e-books. As a part of Discovery Education’s “Of the People" webinar series, students asked the President questions about his favorite books, how books have influenced his life, and the importance of technology in classrooms and libraries.
This discussion builds on the President's ConnectEd initiative to ensure all students have access to a cutting edge classroom. The plan includes $250 million in e-book commitments from major US publishing houses (Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Penguin Random House, HarperCollins) as well as a slate of independent publishers of books and magazines (Bloomsbury, Candlewick, Cricket Media, and Lee & Low).
These books will be made available in the coming months through a new app being launched by a consortia of libraries and non-profit organizations, supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Here are some of our favorite books that kids will now be able to read thanks to this initiative:
1. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin
It's even better when Malia, Sasha, and First Lady Michelle Obama read it to you.
2. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
When you open this up, you just might hear singing.
3. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
"Silas Phelps, Peter Wilks … now those last two were characters from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."
4. 2014 Pulitzer Prize Winner: The Goldfinch by Donna Tart
"Reading The Goldfinch will give people an idea of why I’ve made healthy eating choices such a focal point of my legacy in the White House."
- First Lady Michelle Obama
Read the rest of the First Lady's Book Review Here.
5.The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Fact check: Sherlock Holmes never actually says, "Elementary, my dear Watson" in a book.
6. The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
President Barack Obama tours the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C., Oct. 14, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
7.The Wonderful World of Oz by Frank Baum
The Lollipop Guild, represent.
8. Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela
First Lady Michelle Obama talks with former South African President Nelson Mandela about his book during a visit at Mandela's home in Houghton, South Africa, June 21, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)
9. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
A book by the youngest-ever Nobel Prize Laureate
President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and their daughter Malia meet with Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot in the head by the Taliban a year ago, in the Oval Office, Oct. 11, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
10. Dracula by Bram Stoker
The original vampire. Sorry, Team Edward.
11. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
All the ghoul kids love it.
12. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
Orson Welles actually broadcast parts of this book on the radio in 1938 and convinced America we were getting invaded by aliens.
13. Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Perhaps a little like President Obama and Luther (his anger translator).
Honorable Mention:
DEWEY: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
He may or may not hang out with Grumpy Cat on occasion.
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Ryan Gosling wants you to read.
These commitments build on the more than $2 billion in private sector commitments to support digital learning in schools and libraries. Learn more about how you can take advantage of those opportunities here: WhiteHouse.gov/ConnectED.
These new efforts will work to strengthen learning opportunities by improving access to digital reading content that prepare students for college and a career that fulfils their dreams.
