Selection - FNLIJ

4
Foreword
Elizabeth D’Angelo Serra
gener al sec re ta ry
We must celebrate one more edition of
the Bologna Book Fair dedicated to
children and young people’s books. It continues
to attract publishers, experts and authors from
all over the world, showing the vitality of this
sector in spite of the global financial crisis that
has brought instability to the economies all
over the world and the explosion in the use of
electronic media among the youth.
In Brazil, the economic measures taken
by the government, giving continuation to a
policy started in the 90s, managed to maintain
the financial stability of the country while
minimizing the impacts of the global crisis in
the domestic market.
According to the Brazilian publishers, 2009
was a very good year for the publishing industry.
It also reflects the efforts that the civil
society and governments, in Brazil, are doing
in order to assure education to all children and
young people in the country. By the end of the
year, we had another victory: a new law set the
compulsory school from age 4 to 17, rather
than from age 7 to 14. The compulsory school
raised from 8 years to 14 years. Parents have a
duty to make sure that their child receives education
during the compulsory school age years.
The demand for books in Brazil increased due
to the economical stability, which increased the
investments on education as well as the larger
number of students in schools. The demand for
computers, which also require more reading,
has also increased. Thus, the importance of the
written culture was strengthened.
Fundação Nacional do Livro Infantil e Juvenil,
Brazilian section of the International Board
on Books for Young People/IBBY, since 1968,
develops its reading promotion action through
quality books. One must have access to quality
books and live surrounded by books and stories
since childhood and must continue to read
good books over his/her own life, in order to be
a good reader and a critical and creative reader.
Despite the improvement of the living
conditions of the population and the social
achievements in Brazil, there is still a long way
to ensure Children’s Rights to all Brazilian
children and youth. This is the basic condition
for quality education and as such a Universal
Right that must be defended with emphasis.
FNLIJ’s book selection is based on one of
IBBY’s pillars: quality books. Since its early
years FNLIJ gives annual awards to the best
books in 18 categories. Started in 1974, the
Prêmio FNLIJ (FNLIJ Award) has helped, since
then, establishing a national benchmark on the
quality of the books to be offered to children.
The idea of quality books has permeated the
Brazilian government book purchases. We can
say that nowadays most public schools have
good quality book collections available to
students.
The Brazilian book production is internationally
recognized. Two Brazilian writers: Lygia
Bojunga, in 1982 and Ana Maria Machado, in
2000, received IBBY Hans Christian Andersen
Award. In 2008, Bartolomeu Campos de
Queirós, also received an international recognition
with the award Premio Ibericoamericano
de Literatura Infantil y Juvenil Ediciones SM.
Besides them, other authors such as Marilda
Castanho, Marina Colasanti, Nelson Cruz,
Angela Lago, Roger Mello, Ruth Rocha and
Ziraldo, also have their books translated into
different languages.
FNLIJ also develops a pioneer work investing
in courses and seminars on training literature
reading for teachers and librarians. Many
professionals and institutions interested and
concerned over the reading issue multiplied
these courses throughout the country.
Nowadays Salão FNLIJ do Livro para Crianças
e Jovens (FNLIJ Children’s Book Fair) puts
together this set of principles in a single event.