91´«Ã½

CHICAGO — The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½), announced the winners of its 20 Summer Reading Program Grants. The grants give each winning library $1,000 to offer inventive summer reading programs. The grants are funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

The twenty winners are:

• Donna Block, Niles (Ill.) Public Library
• Kelli Brazier, Athens-Limestone (Ala.) Public Library
• Michelle Carnes, Midlothian (Ill.) Public Library
• Mary Gilbert, Middlebury (Ind.) Community Public Library
• Sharon Grover, Hedberg Public Library, Janesville, Wis.
• Morgan Higgins, North Shelby Library, Birmingham, Ala.
• Kelly Jensen, Aram Public Library, Delavan, Wis.
• Juanita Kamalipor, Esperanza Acosto Moreno Regional Library, El Paso, Texas
• Erica Kosin, Rowan Public Library, Salisbury, N.C.
• Tim Loge, Chandler (Ariz.) Public Library
• Lisa Martinez, Dorris Van Doren Regional Branch, El Paso, Texas
• Patricia Milheiser, Appleton (Wis.) Public Library/Madison Middle School, Appleton, Wis.
• Bethany Miller, Northwest High School Library, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Amy Myrick, Oneonta (Ala.) Public Library
• Rosalee Pituch, Rebecca M. Arthurs Memorial Library, Brookville, Pa.
• Erin Steinsultz, Benton (Ill.) Public Library District
• Lindsey Tomsu, La Vista (Neb.) Public Library
• Darby Wallace, Jackson County Library, Newport, Arkansas
• Catherine Ward-Crixell, New Braunfels (Texas) Public Library
• Monica Wood, Longview (Texas) Public Library

“I wish we could fund all of the YALSA members who applied — there were so many innovative summer reading programs outlined that it was difficult to choose only 20 from the many applications,” said Charli Osborne, chair of the 2011 Summer Reading Grant Taskforce. “The task force rose to the occasion, and I believe they did an excellent job choosing our grant winners. Congratulations to these 20 members for their outstanding plans and our thanks to the Dollar General Literacy Foundation for making them happen.”

About Dollar General

Dollar General is a leading discount retailer with more than 9,000 neighborhood stores in 35 states. Dollar General stores provide convenience and value to customers by offering consumable basic items such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids and cleaning supplies, as well as basic apparel, house wares and seasonal items at everyday low prices. The company has a longstanding tradition of supporting literacy and education. Since its inception in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $50 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 2.8 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency. To learn more about Dollar General, visit .

About YALSA

For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos and audiobooks for teens. For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, go to , or contact the YALSA office by phone, (800) 545-2433, ext. 4390, or e-mail, yalsa@ala.org.