Once again, the National Book Foundation is sponsoring its Innovations in Reading Award, directed at individuals and institutions that support a lifelong commitment to reading and literacy. They are asking you to nominate that individual or institution, and I hope you will. Many of you are teachers, and all of you are readers: who is better qualified to decide what person or place deserves this kind of recognition?

It's still cold cold cold here, and I am recovering from a dreadful headache which seems to have sapped all my intelligence. But I'd better hurry up and get something done because today is the boys' last day of school before vacation. Santa is bringing Dunkin Donuts to the high school. Sadly, as far as we know, he isn't doing anything for the sixth graders. Maybe they'll have an uprising.