If you're a parent and...

If You’re a Parent and…You Participate in a Fundraiser

Tips on teaching kids empathy and kindness pop up everywhere. Recently, my daughter, our dog, and I participated in the Committee on Temporary Shelter’s (COTS) fundraising walk, a perfect opportunity to find out more about how “fundraising” connects with kindness and empathy in an eight-year-old mind. I did not involve her in the actual fundraising – I set … Continued

General / Book Recommendations

The Next Great Book: Holiday List

Our good friend Jane Knight at Bear Pond Books in Montpelier has done it again! Here is her list of recommended children’s and young adult books for this holiday season. Gift Ideas You’ve all asked for more Harry Potter “stuff” and this is the year for that! British artist Jim Kay has been commissioned to illustrate … Continued

General

Broaching through Books

By Caroline Jones This past Sunday, I was driving back from Maine and passing the time in traffic with the wonderful podcast “This American Life”. One of the episodes, “The Birds & The Bees”, explored the complexities of explaining all kinds of difficult issues to young children. W. Kamau Bell, a comedian and father, was … Continued

Vintage school portrait. Via Creative Commons

General / CLiF Spotlight

CLiF Spotlight: The “girl book” problem

I was caught off guard by a recent Twitter conversation started by Shannon Hale, author of the Newbery Honor book Princess Academy and many others.               The powers that be at this school decided that regardless of her qualifications as a presenter, Hale was for girls – and boys wouldn’t be interested. … Continued

General

If you’re a parent and… your child steals a piece of candy

My daughter chose Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s Farm from the school’s free book bin. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle takes to her farm children whose behavior overwhelms their parents and cures them of their bad habits with magic and hard work. When I first read the book, I thought not too highly of the parents, but in light of a having six year old … Continued

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General / Book Recommendations

March 14 Friday Links Library

Happy Friday! We’re digging out after Vulcan dumped two feet of fresh snow over Vermont. Which means all this weekend we’ll be doing our two favorite activities: reading and skiing. Here are some clips from the last two weeks. Meredith found a lot happening in Ohio to help third graders pass reading tests: When more … Continued

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CLiF Spotlight / Book Recommendations

The Big Book Order

Here’s a peek behind the scenes in the CLiF office. Julia is busy assembling a huge book order for CLiF’s fall programs through our partner First Book. It’s a thoughtful process. Lots of kids in New Hampshire and Vermont are interested in hunting, animals, and nature, so she’s including Tracking and Reading Sign by Len McDougall … Continued

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General / Book Recommendations

Get Out! Ideas for Bringing Books Outside This Summer

With the promise of summer weather on the horizon, I’ve started to contemplate fun ways to bring our reading outdoors on warm, sunny days. Luckily with the world of Pinterest and creative blogs, I found a wealth of ideas for summer literacy activities. Unfortunately, children that don’t read and write during the summer months experience … Continued

General / Book Recommendations

Opening Day Sunday!!!

People, it’s almost over!!! Winter is almost over! I did not learn this from the Weather Channel, the Farmer’s Almanac, Punxsutawney Phil or the calendar. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel because I know that Sunday is… OPENING DAY OF BASEBALL SEASON!!!! Nothing says summer like the roar of the … Continued

General / Book Recommendations

Idioms Take the Cake!

At our house no one is ever hungry, they are “staaarving!” No one is ever tired, they are “exhaaaausted!” That’s how we roll. To just say things straight would be “sooo incredibly booooring!” And we are not just prone to hyperbole either, we like all types of colorful language, especially idioms. Idioms like… Quit dilly-dallying … Continued

General / Book Recommendations

Bedtime Math?

Time magazine recently reported on “Why Math Is the Hot New Bedtime Reading.” WHAT? Everyone knows how we here at CLiF feel about books and reading. And I have a particular soft spot for the soothing, relaxing, entertaining bedtime read. I mean, I have been reading my kids into a sleepy stupor for as long … Continued

General / Book Recommendations

Lyrically Alluring Reads

A few months ago I tasked our readers with an important assignment: help me find books that I can read repeatedly without losing my sanity. For those of you who missed my first blog post, feel free to read it here. The gist of my request was that I now have a (just-about-in-only-one-week-where-did-the-time-go) two-year-old who has … Continued

Book Recommendations

Patricia Polacco for the Holidays

Are you familiar with Patricia Polacco? I hope you are.  I have been in love with her beautiful, funny, moving, and meaningful books for years.  My all time favorite is The Bee Tree in which a little girl, with the help of her grandfather and some bees, learns that the “adventure, knowledge, and wisdom of … Continued

General / Book Recommendations

Think Snow!

We all know the power books can have. They can persuade, instruct, entertain, stimulate, educate, amaze, etc., etc., etc. But can they make it snow? Probably not all by themselves, but maybe with our help. Just maybe. Remember the old “Think Snow” slogan?  Well, this is exactly the time of year to pull it out … Continued

CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.

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