The We the People Bookshelf project for libraries is a national grant initiative that provides classic children’s literature to school and public libraries. In 2008, 3,000 school and public libraries in all 50 U.S. states received We the People Bookshelf grants.
Grant Benefits
Selected libraries received free hardcover editions of 17 classic books on the theme of “Created Equal.” The awards are part of the National Endowment for the Humanities We the People initiative, which supports projects that strengthen the teaching, study and understanding of American history and culture.
Libraries selected to receive the We the People Bookshelf grants will organize programs or events to raise awareness of the classic literature and engage young readers.
The Bookshelf Collection
The We the People Bookshelf on “Created Equal” includes the following books:
Grades K-3: “The Ugly Duckling” by Hans Christian Anderson, “The Gettysburg Address” by Abraham Lincoln, and “Pink and Say” by Patricia Polacco.
Grades 4-6: “Elijah of Buxton” by Christopher Paul Curtis, “Give Me Liberty! The Story of the Declaration of Independence” by Russell Freedman, “Lincoln: A Photobiography” By Russell Freedman, “Many Thousand Gone: African Americans from Slavery to Freedom” by Virginia Hamilton, and “Lyddie” by Katherine Paterson.
Grades 7-8: “Saturnalia” by Paul Fleishman, “Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott” by Russell Freedman, “Abraham Lincoln the Writer: A Treasury of His Greatest Speeches and Letters” edited by Harold Holzer, and “Breaking Through” by Francisco Jiménez.
Grades 9-12: “Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution” by Natalie S. Bober, “That All People May Be One People, Send Rain to Wash the Face of the Earth” by Nez Perce Chief Joseph, “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, “Lincoln’s Virtues: An Ethical Biography” by William Lee Miller, and “Amistad: A Novel” by David Pesci.
Program Leadership
The We the People Bookshelf is presented by the National Endowment for the Humanities in cooperation with the American Library Association.
Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities. NEH grants enrich classroom learning, create and preserve knowledge, and bring ideas to life through public television, radio, new technologies exhibitions, and programs in libraries, museums, and other community places.
Founded in 1876, ALA is the oldest and largest library association in the world with more than 65,000 members, representing all types of libraries and librarians, as well as trustees, publishers, and other library supporters. The mission of the ALA Public Programs Office is to foster cultural programming as an integral part of library service in all types of libraries.
Participating Libraries
To view a list of the 3,000 participating libraries or for more information about the We the People Bookshelf project, please visit http://www.ala.org/wethepeople.
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