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WAN-IFRA gives newspapers serial stories so they can help families celebrate reading
THINKING AHEAD TO 2010: We're already looking for an idea for a serialized story to launch on International Literacy Day 2010. If you have an idea or know an author who might like to donate a story, do write us.
We launched our new serial story, José - Fly Reporter, on International Literacy Day (8 September 2009) that newspapers anywhere could use for free, and newspapers in 31 countries with a total daily paid circulation of more than 4.3 million took us up on the offer.
José - Fly Reporter usee the adventures of a community of adorable (really!) insects to gently teach some basics about newspaper journalism, including José's ladybug colleague Jake at right.
The story was written by Cathy Sewell, NIE manager for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who co-wrote the "Frannie Learns a Lesson" series that WAN-IFRA offered last year. Newspapers in 26 countries totaling more 3.9 million circulation ran that tale. The accompanying art for this year's story was created by Blaise Sewell of Curriculum Closet Productions.
The eight-part story, with activities, was available in English and Spanish. Newspapers could translate the story into any other language, so now it exists in Portuguese and Icelandic as well. In addition, story users could join a user group on our World Young Reader Network. Newspapers could begin the story any time before the end of 2009.
To get a download of the story summary, click here HERE.
If you have any questions, contact Aralynn McMane at aralynn.mcmane@wan-ifra.org
As an extra bonus, the author, Cathy Sewell, gave a workshop on how to promote serial stories at the 8th World Young Reader Conference (27-30 September 2009 in Prague) and started a discussion group for that purpose on our World Young Reader Network.
As it had done for all WAN-IFRA's serial stories, the Paris-based "Sardine Features" again donated photos and a related story for the 2010 effort. Photos were images from the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly, and the package of stories told several tales about real insects. Founded in 1998, Sardine Features specializes in English-language general interest, travel, wildlife, food and lifestyle articles for readers of all ages accompanied by fully captioned photographs.Contact: Patricia Valicenti at _331 43 36 52 64 or via email HERE. Click HERE to get more information about the donated materials.
  
In 2008, newspapers in 23 countries representing a circulation of more than 3 million ran the serial story that WAN offered newspapers as an engaging 8-part undersea adventure for children. Thanks to the help of several partners "Frannie Learns a Lesson" provided a way to and teaching about such common school challenges as new teachers, tests and bullies. UNESCO awards Literacy Prizes, including award to women's rural newspaper
UNESCO awarded its International Literacy Prizes for 2009 with laureates including an Indian newspaper produced by women in a rural community. Details about the prizes HERE UNESCO made "The Power of Literacy" this year's theme for International Literacy Day, and actions will include a lecture at UNSECO headquarters by Dr. Lalage Bown, who spent more than 30 years working in adult Education at universities in Zambia and Nigeria. For more information about WAN's other young readership efforts, please click HERE
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International Literacy Day
International Literacy Day was established in 1965 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and is celebrated around the world each year on September 8. But there is still a huge problem. According to Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, illiteracy represents a "genuine threat for human development" with one in five adults over age 15 unable to read not only a newspaper but even a street sign or the names on a voting ballot.
Click HERE for details about the 2009 observance, which will focus on "The Power of Literacy"
Special cartoons celebrated Literacy Day

Cartoonists worldwide have donated panels and strips that newspapers could use for free to celebrate the importance of reading on International Literacy Day (8 September). Click on the image to see an video about what they did.
Animated film stars can help you support literacy
 The Newspaper Association of America has launched the latest of its literacy public service advertisements with a link to a current movie. Any newspaper can use the ads for free after registering. The new advertisement that newspapers anywhere can publish features the little girl Coraline, who visits a parallel universe. Under the headline, "Discover a new world," the text reads: "What if you could travel from one corner of the globe to another, without leaving your chair ..." Other advertisements, which are in English, feature such popular characters as Horton the elephant, Wall-E, Shrek, and the stars of "Cars" and Ratatouille".  Since 2003, Norske Skog, the Norway-based global newsprint producer, has supported the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers' efforts to develop young readership.
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