Nearly 4,000 readers voted online at San Jose public libraries and on the Santa Clara County Office of Education's website to select one book for the community to read. The program—Silicon Valley Reads: One Book. One Community—encourages the public to read Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez during January 2003 and to participate in related events in February.

The Silicon Valley Reads advisory board selected three books for the public to choose from and vote on. Breaking Through won over two other finalists, The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan and Catfish and Mandala by Andrew X. Pham.

Breaking Through is available at area bookstores and public libraries. An electronic version will also be available through the program's website after the first of the year.

The San Jose Public Library Foundation and the Santa Clara County Office of Education initiated Silicon Valley Reads in October. Co-sponsors include Adobe Systems.

For more information on Silicon Valley Reads, visit www.siliconvalleyreads.org or www.sjpl.lib.ca.us.


Santa Clara County wins 'Challenge Award'

The Santa Clara County Children's Health Initiative (CHI) has received the California State Association of Counties Challenge Award, which recognizes CHI for providing comprehensive medical insurance to 45,000 uninsured children in the county. There were more than 100 submissions for the award.

The CHI ensures that all low-income children in the county, regardless of immigration status, have health insurance and access to health care services. The program was developed to fill in the gaps between federal and state-sponsored health insurance programs, which, despite high levels of participation in the county, still left an estimated 71,000 children without health care.

The county also simplified the screening process for the state, federal and local programs for families to apply. Prospective applicants may call, toll-free, 888.244.5222.