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Foundling Family Book Review – Issue #22
By Celia McGee

 

Farewell Floppy

By Benjamin Chaud (Chronicle Books)

Ages 4-6

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The deal with growing up is plotting, planning and satisfactorily finessing how to say goodbye in the course of moving on from childish things. It never seems to quite work out according to the rationalization in question, especially when it involves a lifelong friend. The snub-nosed little boy in Benjamin Chaud’s Farewell Floppy, here translated from the original French, is determined to make a clean break (however much ambivalence he unwittingly expresses) from his pet rabbit, Floppy, named for his unusual ears. These are now one mark against him in the conformist eyes of developing childhood—“They don’t stand up straight like other rabbits’.” It’s also about who the boy has started to become. Case in point: such critical remarks would never have passed the lips of the “baby” who loved his bunny. Floppy isn’t suited or suitable to soccer, wrestling, or playing cowboys and Indians, condemned therefore to a parting of the ways, however gentle and liberating it’s supposed to be for both sides.

 

Into the woods is the uncertain path the erstwhile chums, where a sprouting portion of the undergrowth appears to be a guilty conscience, especially since Floppy doesn’t seem to embrace the new surroundings chosen for him.  As an undertaking that leads farther into the dark forest than either has ventured before, the hike mirrors the fear that can still overcome a budding big boy. Chaud ingeniously transforms the red thread by which Floppy is finally left tied to a tree into a little breadcrumb action, forging a path not only to a new friend—a girl who knows that floppy ears denote a genuine and unusual “Lop bunny”–but to the possibility of an amended, amicable relationship between present, future and past. This resolution takes shape in the line Chaud uses to draw a certain main character’s mouth—stubbornly, angrily, and superciliously straight with frustration until the last page, where it bends upward on either end into something else.

 

To purchase click here. 

 

Willy Maykit In Space

By Greg Trine, illustrated by James Burks (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers)

Ages 7-10 

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Lower-grade field trips are part adventure, part boredom, and part plain old ditching school for a bit. The same goes for Willy Maykit, in Greg Trine’s full-tilt, hilarious yet tenderly perceptive book. Except that not every fourth-grader’s father is a globe-trekking explorer whose fame and family are sorely tried when, as never before, on a foray into the Amazon jungle, he fails to return home—which is no boon to Willy’s father obsession.  As another twist, Willy’s class field trip happens to be heading outside the solar system for a day of learning firsthand about another world, Planet Ed. Despite James Burks’s illustrations looking more retro than futuristic and Trine’s perfectly contemporary and kindly evocation of childhood’s multiple sensibilities, it’s fantastically off to Planet Ed that Willy et al. go, aboard the outer-space commuting Starlite 3000. It’s not all zooming carefree into the wide blue yonder, though. Willy’s heart switches to pit-a-pat mode at the presence of his crush, the extremely pretty and computer-savvy Cindy Das (she’s among the unreservedly multi-cultural array of characters nicely taken for granted).  Nor does the humor-chip-lacking android pilot, Max, grasp his knock-knock jokes.

 

On the other hand, when has it not been a positive trait to follow Mr. Maykit’s mantra, “there is always something new around the bend?” Could be: when over-zealous curiosity separates Willy from the rest, and the Starlite 3000 takes off in an emergency without him.  Also stranded are Cindy Das, having gone in search of him, his stowaway pet seagull, Phelps, and, from another planet entirely (and due to similar circumstances) Norp, a green Thorstockan their same age.

 

Almost every planet, too, must have a native population. Inconveniently, those bred on Ed are huge, smelly, apparently kid-eating monsters, nothing like the creatures that Willy and Cindy (and countless others) have long imagined as lurking in the closet or under the bed. At the same time, Trine adroitly and surreptitiously imparts educational pointers about how to outsmart and outpace what’s scary, get a good deed returned by a mortal foe, and discover that alien only is as alien does. 

 

To purchase click here

 

The Wollstonecraft Craft Detective Agency, No. 1: The Case of the Missing Moonstone

By Jordan Stratford, illustrated by Kelly Murphy (Random House Children’s Books)

Ages 8-12

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Stories are made up, but it’s also fun to play around with bona fide history. In his debut installment of a promising series, Jordan Stratford gives it his all, and history accommodates his whimsicality.

 

To judge by the cover of this book, showing two young girls ascending over 1826 London in a hot air balloon invented by one and slowly accepted by the other, it’s not entirely remiss to feel a hint in reverse of Mary Poppins’s descent into the same city (somewhat later, mind you) out of pure fantasy and by open umbrella. But in spirit The Case of the Missing Moonstone more closely resembles Around the World In Eighty Days. Yet it barely leaves the posh Marleybone (unless you count an intrepid venture inside Newgate Prison) where 11-year-old Lady Ada Byron lives in isolated splendor, and where 14-year-old Mary Godwin arrives for the purpose of sharing a tutor they mercilessly nickname Peebs. In her time there, Mary provides assumingly corrective companionship to the budding inventor, bibliophile, and eccentric genius whose father was, in fact, Lord Byron.

 

Facts—some of the most interesting, important and prescient of the 18th  and 19th centuries—abound in Stratford’s novel. After all, Mary’s mother was the feminist intellectual Mary Wollstonecraft, author of The Vindication of the Rights of Women, and the great Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley was not only Lord Byron’s close friend but would be Mary Godwin’s husband when she wrote Frankenstein.  It’s what Stratford does with those facts and the historical figures attached to them that produces his story’s magic, along with some imagined characters to bring extra drama and dastardly criminal elements to a tale of two young girls facing down wicked plots and pernicious deeds under the banner of their newly formed investigation operation.  Because he also invests these two very different beings with complex personalities, he is all the more able to take his time-scrambling notions and run with them.  All will be glad to follow.

 

To purchase click here.

 

All the Bright Places

By Jennifer Niven (Knopf Books for Younger Readers)

Ages 14 and up

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They don’t meet cute: it’s on the bell tower, six stories above their Indiana high school, where he is again contemplating suicide, and she, there for the first time, is despairingly marking the first anniversary of her sister’s death. In high school’s ruthless pecking order, Theodore Finch and Violet Markey could not be further apart. Though new, she’s from beach-breezy California and “cheerleader popular.” Since eighth grade, and some unspoken chapter in his progressively troubled history, he’s been teased, tortured and excluded as “Theodore the Freak.” Naturally, the anxious crowd gathered below, and a sentimental local media, mix up who saved whom. His preferred name, to his few friends and throughout Jennifer Niven’s uncompromising, seriously romantic, generous, devastating and also stingingly funny novel, is Finch.As in Atticus?  Or as in a wounded bird nevertheless able to reach altitudes of stunning intelligence and true love, grace and joy? Or both?  

 

Niven implies such questions in a story that deserves to be read for its commitment to unveiling some of the psyche’s hardest afflictions, no matter how bravely and idiosyncratically it chooses to fight back, and for its memorable, no-holds-barred portrait of family, community, and the singular conditions of adolescence. The clinical diagnosis of Finch’s mood swings and death wish reveals itself gradually. Blunders are made. Yet Niven’s fresh, engaging, polished writing contains a subtlety free of jargon. In service to a goofy geography assignment, Finch and Violet hightail it to loony tourist attractions in the nearby heartland. Roller-coaster rides stand out, for a reason.

 

Their unlikely friendship and the potentially life-saving passion it fuels, is a fragile wonder and zany delight. They correspond secretly on Facebook by quoting Virginia Woolf—mutually astonished, giddily grateful, and ominously apropos. When Finch’s sense of self goes dark, Violet–realizing that, in history as in life, “it’s not what you take, it’s what you leave behind”–comes closest to an understanding. 

 

To purchase click here. 

 

 

You, members of The Foundling community, have stood up and supported our kids, teens and adults this year in an unprecedented way. Thank you for helping to ensure that each of them knows success in their education and beyond. 

 

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If you missed any of our featured individuals, or just want to re-watch your favorite, check out our blog or click below!

 

Jayana – A happy 4th grader at Haven Academy, who wants to be a surgeon when she grows up.

 

Tatyana – Jayana’s sister, also in 4th grade at Haven Academy, Tatyana plans to be a social worker so she can help people.

 

Jamel –  Already a leader at 16, Jamel has a bright future ahead of him. 

 

Keydra – A 19-year-old high school student in the Bronx looking to make herself a career in clinical psychology.  

 

Jennifer – A Foundling tutor and mentor, making a difference in the lives of her students, like Emely.

 

Emely – A college freshman taking care to find the path meant for her…with some help from her Foundling tutor Jennifer.

 

How to Write a Winning Grant Proposal 

 

Our talented Grants Manager, Ava Rosenblatt, shares her tips.

 

As many non-profit professionals know, getting funding for your ideas and projects isn’t easy. Oftentimes, even when you do find a funder with interests and priorities that are well-aligned with your own, the process for creating and submitting a grant application can be a daunting task. Here are some key guidelines for writing a proposal that is clear, compelling, and fundable:

 

Get to know your potential funder. Before you apply for a grant, first make sure you know everything you can find out about the grantmaker you are applying to. The Foundation Center is a great resource for this, but you can also do a Google search to see if they have a website with information on their priorities and the application process (jackpot!). Guidestar.org is also a good resource – a foundation’s form 990 will give you a good sense of what types of organizations they have funded in the past and the typical size of their grants.

 

Stick to the grantmaker’s guidelines. If a funder gives clear guidelines for how they want the proposal to be structured, formatted, and sent, make sure to stick to those guidelines rigidly. The worst thing would be to pour hours and hours into drafting a compelling proposal, only to have it rejected because you missed their deadline or didn’t read the part of the guidelines where they said they wanted three copies signed in blue ink (it happens!).

 

Speak to your mutual interests. In addition to following the funder’s guidelines, you need to respond to the issues that are important to them. If the funder you are applying to says that their mission is to close the achievement gap, and you are seeking funding for a tutoring program for children in low-income communities, your proposal must illustrate how those things are connected. Even if you think the connection is obvious, the funder will appreciate your understanding of their priorities and your program’s connection to the wider social landscape.

 

Make it easy to digest. While some funders with narrow interest areas may be familiar with industry jargon, most appreciate clarity and structure in the proposals they review. Use section headings to separate your key topics, and use bullet points to make lists clear and digestible. Some topics you should address include:

 

  • Organizational Background: Particularly if this is your first time reaching out to a potential funder, it is important to give some background information about who is applying, what your mission is, and what your have accomplished so far.

 

  • Need Statement: This section addresses the “why” of your program – what problem does your program address.

 

  • Goals & Objectives: What does your program aim to accomplish? Goals should be overarching, and objectives should be clear, specific, and measurable. Many funders will require that you report on your progress toward these goals/objectives if you are awarded a grant.

 

  • Activities: A general description of the day-to-day activities of the program, including who participates, how participants are recruited, what services are provided, how often, and for how long. A project timeline is sometimes helpful in this section.

 

  • Evaluation: How do you know if you are meeting your goals/objectives? Describe the measures you use to track your progress and determine if you are successful.

 

Proofread, proofread, proofread! You wouldn’t want to send your resume to a potential employer with a typo in it, and grant proposals are no different. Be sure to check your proposal carefully for grammar, spelling, and content, as well as whether you have stuck to all of their guidelines – you don’t want to be the guy whose proposal was rejected because they didn’t use the correct font that the foundation specified.

 

Remember, if you’re seeking funding for a new or continuing project, chances are you’re looking to solve some big issues in our community. Don’t be afraid to take pride in your accomplishments, and let your passion for progress and results shine through! Good luck!

 

 

You can find Ava on her blog, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Today is your last chance to make a donation in 2014!

 

Meet Keydra. A 19-year-old high school student in the Bronx, Keydra struggled academically but with the help of Lauren, her Foundling tutor, Keydra improved her grades, earned good scores on her Regents Exams and enrolled in an SAT class at Fordham University. Keydra says that Lauren has been really helpful in all areas of her life.

 

The Foundling’s tutoring program has given Keydra the motivation to further her education. She is considering several colleges and has high hopes for her future. In fact, Keydra wants to become a psychiatrist because “she loves kids and helping people.”

We hope you’ve enjoyed meeting Jamel, Tatyana, Jayana, Emely, Jennifer and Keydra through our appeal this year. you can see all of their videos here – /tag/annual-appeal-2014/

If you’re as impressed as we are by the courageous individuals featured, now is the time to make a gift to The Foundling’s Annual Appeal.

Remember, TODAY IS YOUR LAST CHANCE to make a contribution and receive a 2014 charitable tax deduction. All donations made today will be matched dollar for dollar up to $150,000 by a Foundling board member AND matched again by a Foundling junior board member up to $5,000.

 

Happy New Year!

 We have a triple match in place for the rest of 2014!! If you make a donation now through the 31st, it is eligible for our board member match AND a second match from a Foundling junior board member. That means if you give $150, The Foundling receives a $450 towards our many educational initiatives – now that is a good investment!

 

One of the many youths who would benefit from your gift is Emely. Emely is bubbly 20 year old Brooklynite who is enrolled in the Foundling’s tutoring program. She is currently a freshman, planning to major in liberal arts at BMCC; but like most first-year college students, she’s “trying out different areas of study.” Unlike many of her peers though, Emely is the first in her family to continue her education beyond high school.

 

Last week, you met Emely’s Educational Specialist, Jennifer. Emely says that Jennifer has been there for her through high school when she wanted to transfer to a different school that better suited her learning style, made sure she got tutoring and passed her Regents’ exams, helped her with the college application process, and now as she is helping her accomplish her higher education goals. Most importantly, the two have maintained a close relationship that Emely counts on, she says she “feels like I (she) can tell Jennifer anything.”

 

Emely is very grateful that she has Jennifer and The Foundling behind her, every step of the way. The advice she would give a struggling student? “Don’t give up, tomorrow will always be a better day”

 

Help ensure that tomorrow is a better day for young people pursuing their education with a donation to The New York Foundling in 2014You have just three days left to make an impact!

Emely and Jennifer

Jennifer’s face lights up when she talks about her job as an educational advocate at The New York Foundling – “I love everything about my job. I think what’s most important is that it doesn’t feel like a job.”  Jennifer readily admits that she was not a good student growing up – but a great high school teacher set her on the road to success and inspired her to dedicate her career to helping others.

 

Today, Jennifer is a certified guidance counselor who is deeply committed to the success of the students she works with.  She seeks to be more than just a tutor – but to also serve as an advocate, mentor and friend to the youth she works with. The advice Jennifer gives to foster youth struggling with school is to “never give up.”

 

Help Jennifer and all our other awesome Foundling staff show more teens the importance of persevering in their education with a gift to The Foundling this holiday season

Happy #GivingTuesday! This special day is set aside in the midst of the shopping, spending and treating ourselves to give back and support the causes that matter to us. Won’t you consider supporting The Foundling today? If you need another reason to give, read on.

 

Jayana is 10 years old, and like her sister Tatyana whom you met two weeks ago, she’s a 4th grader at Haven Academy. Jayana is outgoing and friendly and will happily tell anyone who asks how much she loves her school. She says it’s “different from other schools,” and she appreciates how safe she feels at Haven. Her life hasn’t always been safe and easy, but The Foundling and the teachers at Haven have been there for her and her siblings and seen the family to stability.

 

Her favorite subjects are math and reading, and reportedly, she’s excelling at them both. It’s a very good thing she likes school because Jayana intends to be a surgeon when she grows up. Like her sister Tatyana who wants to be a social worker, Jayana says she wants to do this “so she can help people.”

Her favorite teachers, Ms. Jackson and Ms. Baffour, have plenty of reasons to be proud of Jayana. She works hard in school and at singing, is compassionate and kind to her classmates and friends and is very involved with the anti-bullying campaign at her school.

 

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The New York Foundling was honored to be included in Cranksgiving again this year! Cranksgiving is a food drive on two wheels. Part bike ride, part food drive, part scavenger hunt, it has been held annually in New York City since 1999.

 

On Saturday, November 22, we opened the doors of our beautiful new lobby to hundreds of generous bike-riding participants who donated jars of baby food to our Crisis Nursery!

 

We also got a special visit from our friends at NBC including The TODAY Show’s Lester Holt, Tamron Hall, Erica Hill and Today in New York’s Michael Gargiulo.  Click here to see us on The TODAY Show!

 

 

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Though shy, Tatyana is a bright and funny 9 year old girl in 4th grade at Mott Haven Academy. You wouldn’t know it, but she has been through a lot in her short life.

 

Her favorite subjects are reading, writing, recess and movement. Ms. Greenwald and Ms. Jackson are her favorite teachers because they are “so nice and help me learn.”

 

Tatyana knows what thankfulness means. In our conversation with her while filming this clip, she let us know that she’s thankful for many things, great and small. She is thankful for The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, the chance to grow up with her 5 siblings (biological and adopted) and her teachers for taking her on field trips to the pizza shop and teaching her multiplication (because it’s important to know).

 

Tatyana has a very mature sense that her time at Haven Academy has been special and that she has people looking out for her. She’s so appreciative of those who’ve been there for her, that she told us, “I wanna be a social worker, so I can help people, the way Ms. Judy (her social worker) helped me.” 

 

Support The Foundling’s work with inspiring young people like Tatyana with a gift to our Annual Appeal. 

 

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