General / Book Recommendations

What the CLiF Team is Reading This Summer

At CLiF, we love to read. That’s probably why we spend our time helping kids discover that love for themselves and embark on a lifelong journey of enjoying literature. Summer offers some much-needed time to dig into your To Be Read pile and relax with a good book (or 3. Or 4.). Here’s what the … Continued

Literacy Activities / CLiF Spotlight / Education

CLiF’s 2021 Community Literacy Conference

One of the ways CLiF shares ideas is through our annual Community Literacy Conference typically held the last Wednesday in March. This year, join us for a re-envisioned, free event with all the most popular features of our typical in-person conference: training from our presenters, peer-to-peer sharing, updates on CLiF’s research and work, and free books! This … Continued

Presenter Profiles

Sandra Neil Wallace, Non-fiction author

CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Sandra Neil Wallace of Keene, NH. Sandra’s books “focus on people who break barriers and change the world.” Watch a clip of Sandra’s presentation from CLiF’s Virtual Author’s Series here. Things to think about: Here are a few ways to get to know Sandra’s work better: CLiF … Continued

General

CLiF’s Virtual Storytelling Series

CLiF staff and presenters are saddened that COVID-19 means we can not visit schools, libraries, and out-of-school-time programs to complete our exciting grants. Instead, we offer your students the chance to interact live with our presenters from home. For five weeks starting May 5, each Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. EST, we will have an opportunity … Continued

Presenter Profiles

Q & A with Jason Chin

CLiF is lucky to have 64 amazing authors, illustrators, poets, graphic novelists, and storytellers who we send to schools, libraries, afterschool programs, childcare centers, refugee/immigrant programs, prisons, affordable housing developments, and other spaces where low-income kids and families spend time in New Hampshire and Vermont. These talented folks share their processes of creating books and … Continued

General

“Living Documents”: Drawing a 3-Panel Comic from Primary Sources

NH cartoonist Marek Bennett explores history in the stick-figure adventures of teacher-turned-soldier Freeman Colby:   My new graphic novel, The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby, Vol. 2, depicts the historic events of 1863 from the point of view of a young NH school teacher (Freeman Colby) who enlists in the Union Army. To create … Continued

General

What’s On Your Bookshelf This Summer? The CLiF Team’s Summer Reads

It should come as no surprise that the staff at CLiF – where our mission is to nurture a love of reading and writing among low-income, at-risk, and rural children in New Hampshire and Vermont – loves to read! Here’s what we’ve been reading this summer.  Stephanie & the Kucinskas Family’s Summer Reads   When … Continued

General

Oct. 10 Friday Links Library

Good morning! In children’s literacy news this week: Teachers, librarians, booksellers, take note: via Publishers Weekly‘s Shelftalker blog, Josie Leavitt has great ideas for how bookstores can host successful teacher nights. Josie (of the Flying Pig in Shelburne, dear to my heart) throws credit to Karen Rosenthal of RJ Julia Booksellers in Madison, CT (also dear … Continued

General / If you're a parent and...

If you’re a parent and… you dread the 28-part nonfiction series

Sarah Stewart Taylor, a CLiF presenter and author, interviewed CLiF’s founder and executive director Duncan McDougall for a recent parenting piece. Sarah summarizes the aspects of reading supported by our programs – relaxing and enjoying the moment, modeling by reading yourself, repeating books, and letting kids choose. I know this is true, and I feel like … Continued

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General / CLiF Spotlight

March 28 Friday Links Library

March. In like a lion, out like a… cold wet lion. Couple of goodies for your Friday Links Library this week: From WBUR’s On Point: host Tom Ashbrook on Goodnight Moon and the University of Wisconsin study we noted last week. The discussion asks “what we seek and share in young children’s books.” With guests … Continued

From Looking at Lincoln by Maira Kalman

Book Recommendations

The Next Great Book: 2014 Preview, Nonfiction

For many of us in the book world, January is a strange mix. We’re looking forward to new spring titles. And we’re pondering our favorite books from the previous year with delicious hand-wringing in anticipation of the American Library Association’s award ceremonies, announced at the end of this month. There are several bookstores, libraries, and … Continued

How You Can Help

Let’s Meet Common Core Standards with Great Nonfiction

Last week, the New York Times‘ Opinionator blog featured an essay called “What Should Children Read?” by English teacher and writer Sarah Mosle. In the essay, Mosle highlights the new emphasis on nonfiction in the Common Core State Standards, “a set of national benchmarks, adopted by nearly every state, for the skills public school students … Continued

CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.

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