Early-childhood book club

The National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education has selected “Whatever It Takes” for its quarterly book club. I’ll be taking part in a “web conference” to discuss the book online on March 24 at noon Eastern time.

Book Club Roundup

In Carolina book-club news: According to the Charlotte Observer, the Mecklenburg Citizens for Public Education is inviting Charlotte residents to take part in a book-club discussion of “Whatever It Takes” this month. And in Beaufort, South Carolina, the Friends of the Beaufort County Library have chosen the book for tomorrow’s lunch-time discussion at the Sea Island Presbyterian Church.

City Thinks in Springfield

“Whatever It Takes” is the “program focus” for the 2009 City Thinks program, in Springfield, Mass., presented by the Springfield Public Forum and the Springfield City Library. According to an article in the Springfield Republican,

It’s akin to being part of a giant book club with lots of fun activities attached.

The assignment? Read New York Times Magazine editor Paul Tough’s book, “Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America,” in conjunction with Canada’s Springfield Public Forum appearance on Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Springfield Symphony Hall.

Tough will also make an appearance here on Oct. 15 as part of “The City Thinks 2009: Education, Poverty and Hope for the City.“

His free lecture will begin at 7 p.m. in the Griswold Theater of American International College in Springfield; a reception will precede the event at 6:15.

The lecture is part of the forum’s collaboration with the Springfield City Library and other area institutions to engage a wider public through book discussion groups and a series of related events including an art and essay contest on “urban education and poverty“ for students in grades six through 12.

Albert Schweitzer Fellows

The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship has chosen Whatever It Takes as the first book in its Recommended Reading online book club. Here’s an excerpt from the announcement:

Are you thinking that the Harlem Children’s Zone sounds like a Schweitzer project on a grand scale? So are we — and that’s why we’ve made Whatever It Takes ASF’s very first Recommended Reading choice.

Each month on this blog, we’ll highlight books in line with ASF’s mission — eliminating health disparities by developing “leaders in service” who are skilled in and committed to meeting the health needs of the underserved, and whose example influences and inspires others.  We’ll facilitate a discussion of those books and how they relate to the work you’re doing as Schweitzer Fellows, Fellows for Life, or other service-oriented individuals on the blog and on our Facebook page.

According to the website, the fellowship is

a national nonprofit that translates idealism into action, supporting 230+ Fellows from the nation’s top health and human service schools as they develop and implement service projects with a direct — and lasting — impact on the health of underserved communities.

The online discussion begins on October 22.

Inside Schools

Insideschools.org, “an independent, not-for-profit website devoted to informing parents, teachers, and students about New York City public schools,” has started an online book club. The first book under discussion is Whatever It Takes.

Paul Tough, who writes about education for the New York Times Magazine, tackles hefty social science quandaries – like what causes poverty and how it can be alleviated — within the narrative of Geoffrey Canada’s dramatic, ongoing struggle to change the lives of Harlem’s children. … After five years of reporting, Tough describes Canada’s venture – the Harlem Children’s Zone – through the stories of the people who work for and are served by the project, which includes two charter schools. Tough also explains the research behind anti-poverty efforts, relating it to the sometimes nail-biting, sometimes heartbreaking, yet surprisingly hopeful story of Canada’s work.