HUMANITIES ENDOWMENT LAUNCHES WE THE PEOPLE BOOKSHELF ON "BECOMING AMERICAN" WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 8, 2005)--The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) today announced the third We the People Bookshelf, a new set of classic books for young readers (K-12) on the theme of "becoming American." NEH Chairman Bruce Cole made the announcement to a group of local schoolchildren and prospective U.S. citizens prior to a naturalization ceremony at the O'Byrne Gallery, DAR Memorial Continental Hall. The Bookshelf is part of the Endowment's We the People initiative, which supports projects that strengthen the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture. "The We the People Bookshelf reveals the many and varied influences that have shaped our nation's history and culture," said Cole. "These classics also provide another powerful lesson: that there are traits and values shared by all those who, by birth or choice, become American." Cole also announced that a generous gift from the McCormick Tribune Foundation will double the size of this year's We the People Bookshelf program. Through its partnership with the American Library Association (ALA), the Endowment will offer complete sets of the We the People Bookshelf to thousands of school and public libraries across the country. These libraries will explore the theme of "becoming American" through public programs for young readers in their communities. The following titles appear on the new We the People Bookshelf:
During today's event, Cole talked about the importance of reading classic books and learning more about our history with young public school students who participate in "Everybody Wins! DC," a local program that pairs public elementary school students with adult reading mentors.
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