Author Visit — Karen Levine and N.Y. Essay Contest
Award-winning author Karen Levine will be in Jamestown on April 28 and 29, 2008, as part of a youth education program co-sponsored by the Law, Youth and Citizenship Program of the New York State Bar Association and the Robert H. Jackson Center. This program includes an essay contest, a dinner honoring contest winners and an opportunity to attend a presentation by Ms. Levine.
The Essay Contest
5th – 8th grade students are invited to participate in an essay contest based on Hana’s Suitcase or a similar book about the Holocaust, with the theme: How does the story you have read help you to better understand how intolerance and racism can result in violations of peoples’ civil and human rights?
Schools may submit one essay per grade (5th – 8th grades eligible). Entries must be postmarked by Feb. 15, 2008.
Entry forms are available at www.lycny.org or www.roberthjackson.org
The Book
Reaching over three generations and three continents, Hana’s Suitcase connects a young Jewish girl who was murdered at Auschwitz, a Japanese curator determined to share her story, and Hana’s brother in Canada. It’s a tragedy, a mystery, and a tale of perseverance and hope. It combines history with a modern day detective story, and challenges young readers around issues of racism, resistance, activism and tolerance.
The Author
Karen Levine, a native of Ottawa, Canada, lives in Toronto where she has worked in public radio for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation since 1979. She has twice received the prestigious Peabody Award for her radio documentaries: one for “Children of the Holocaust,” recognized for its historical importance and emotional impact, and another for “A Murder in the Neighbourhood,” about the aftermath of the killing of a young woman by her estranged husband.
Ms. Levine adapted her radio documentary of Hana’s story into a children’s book in 2002. Hana’s Suitcase is now published in over forty countries around the world. It has won many awards, including every children’s choice award in Canada, the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year, the National Jewish Book Award in the U.S., and the unicef Award at the Rome Children’s Festival.
The Dinner and Program
A 6 p.m. pasta dinner and 7 p.m. program will be held at the Jackson Center on April 28. Winners of the essay contest will be acknowledged. Dinner reservations at $8.00 per person are required and can be made by calling Carol Drake at 716.483.6646. Program is open to the public free of charge. Speaker to be announced.
Author Presentation
On April 29, Ms. Levine will speak to students during two separate sessions, and share with them a slide presentation detailing how Hana’s Suitcase evolved and the impact it has had. Ms. Levine will talk about the amazing things that have happened since the book was published.
— Program Schedule for Grades 5 – 8 —
9:45 – 11:00 a.m. Reg Lenna Civic Center, 116 East Third Street, Jamestown
12:45 – 2:00 p.m. Robert H. Jackson Center 305 East Fourth Street, Jamestown