Written by Laura McConnell
They say that change is the only constant, and nowhere is that more obvious than with growth. Children change from one day to the next, and no amount of negotiation can halt that. And so it is in all of life. Growth is truly an ongoing process in everything we do. Nothing remains the same for long. Kids Need to Read is no exception to this rule.
There are some big changes happening right now at KNTR, and those changes were caused by something wonderful: growth. Kids Need to Read started out as a small charity founded by author PJ Haarsma and actor Nathan Fillion, but it has grown into something so much more through the passion of its volunteers and supporters, as well as the continued support of Haarsma and Fillion. We have already seen a streamlined mission statement and a shortening of our legal name debut this year, but the biggest change of all is that Denise Gary, our founding chairman [and the person most pivotal in organizing the charity into a tax exempt, nonprofit foundation], has stepped down from her post to concentrate on her duties as KNTR’s Executive Director.
In her place, Kids Need to Read has appointed one of our board members, Dr. James Blasingame, to the post of Chairman of the Board. James is highly qualified to hold this position. He is an associate professor of English at Arizona State University, where he teaches methods courses in the teaching of writing and young adult literature and supervises student teachers. He is president of the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the National Council of Teachers of English, and former co-editor The ALAN Review. He is also a former president of the Arizona English Teachers Association, and serves on the Arizona Department of Education English Language Arts Standards Committee. Dr. Blasingame is the author of numerous books and publications about young adult literature, including Books That Don’t Bore ‘Em: Young Adult Books that Speak to This Generation (Scholastic, 2007), and Gary Paulsen: Teen Reads/ Student Companions to Young Adult Literature (Greenwood Press, 2007). He also creates the Books for Adolescents pages of the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, the teen literacy publication of the International Reading Association. His guest blog appears regularly on The Answer Sheet for the Washington Post. James received the Arizona State University 2008 Professor of the Year Award, the 2007 Arizona State University Professor of the Year Special Recognition Award, and was named the 2007 Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Distinguished Teacher of the Humanities. He is a recipient of the Arbuthnot Award from the International Reading Association, and the Lifetime Distinguished Service Award from the Arizona English Teachers’ Association.
With those credentials, it’s easy to see why James is a perfect fit for Kids Need to Read! Denise is very excited to see such a committed educator step into her shoes as KNTR chairman. She had this to say about Dr. Blasingame’s assumption of her post:
I am so proud to be able to turn over chairmanship of the Kids Need to Read Board of Directors to someone of James’ caliber. We are carefully choosing new board members who will benefit our organization in specific areas of expertise. James’ stature will help us achieve the board of our dreams.
Kids Need to Read extends a warm welcome to Dr. Blasingame! We are truly blessed to have such an experienced educator on our side, and we can’t wait to see what other growth is waiting for us in 2010!
