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

If you’re a parent and… it’s July 4th!

Happy July 4th! This holiday inspires me to read books about American history: presidents, symbols, battles, trivia, monuments, houses – there are some great stories! Tomorrow we’ll wrap up a day of parades, candy, fireworks, barbecues, and swimming with two of my daughter’s favorite books: Looking At Lincoln and So You Want to Be President. She read one … Continued

General / CLiF Spotlight

CLiF Spotlight: Back to Camp!

On June 25 I donned shorts and flip-flops and traveled to Bethlehem, NH to visit Copper Cannon Camp (CCC) located on 128 acres adjacent to the White Mountain National Forest.

Kath and Sue with python at Cutler School

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CLiF Spotlight: Why We Love Reptiles

We love reptiles because kids love reptiles. And when third, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders know they’re going to meet some snakes, you can bet they’re excited to read about snakes.   Cutler School in West Swanzey, NH is a 2013-2014 CLiF Year of the Book school. Literacy teachers and Year of the Book coordinators … Continued

From a Lowell, VT child's Storykeepers family history research project: "I never got to meet my grandfather. But if I could, well, I'd love to."

General / CLiF Spotlight

CLiF Spotlight: Keeping Family Stories Alive

Probably most adults could not coherently discuss the differences between the 1840 and 1860 census how a daguerreotype differs from a tintype or the repercussions of the 1890 census being destroyed in a Department of Commerce fire. But the children of Island Pond and Lowell, Vermont can. Funded in part by CLiF Year of the … Continued

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General / CLiF Spotlight

March 21 Friday Links Library

Happy Spring! Kind of. Nobody’s putting their skis away around here. Lots of interesting tidbits in the news this week. Here’s the roundup: Last week, the New York Times printed op-eds by father and son authors Walter Dean Myers and Christopher Myers on why we all critically need to see children of color better represented in … Continued

FPO image for CLiF website

General / CLiF Spotlight

Feb. 14 Friday Links Library

Valentine’s Day/Nor’easter edition! Just got in from shoveling, so let’s start with a pick-me up: Those kids reading aloud to shelter cats that went viral this week. The Animal Rescue League of Berks County, PA started a Book Buddies program when their program coordinator noticed her son preferred reading to a feline audience. From their website: … Continued

Girl reading on horseback

Book Recommendations

A Bag of Books Hooks a Young Reader

Reading specialists Kathryn Mullen, M.Ed. and Sue Megas-Russell, M.Ed. are the onsite coordinators for 2013-2014’s CLiF Year of the Book at Cutler Elementary School in West Swanzey, NH. Over this school year Kathryn and Sue will take turns guest blogging for CLiF. Their posts will provide insight into the creativity, attention, and heart that goes … Continued

Girls reading new books after a CLiF event

General / CLiF Spotlight

Evidence That Pleasure Reading Matters

Last week Mediabistro’s Galleycat blog released a post with a headline that sent hearts fluttering through the CLiF office: ‘Pleasure Reading “Significantly” Increases School Performance‘ The post is in reference to a study by the Institute of Education at the University of London. From the study: “The IOE study, which is believed to be the … Continued

General / CLiF Spotlight

The Creators of The Expeditioners Visit Students in Newbury, VT

Flight goggles firmly on their heads, Vermont author and CLiF presenter SS Taylor and New York City illustrator Katherine Roy voyaged to the Newbury Elementary School in Newbury, VT last Friday to give three presentations to all the students from Grade 1 to Grade 6 about the multi-year process they navigated to create their new epic children’s book The Expeditioners.

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Books and Stock Car Racing, Together at Last

At the Highgate Apartments in Barre, VT the quiet of a recent Saturday morning ended abruptly as the unmistakable roar of a race car engine announced to all children within earshot it was time to meet Thunder Road driver Troy Kingsbury, check out his awesome car, and get some cool new books to read.

Book Recommendations

Newbury Reads! Book Trailers

Recently, the CLiF team visited Newbury Elementary School in Newbury, VT. NES is one of six elementary schools in Vermont and New Hampshire that have received CLiF’s Year of the Book grants. Year of the Book provides around $25,000 worth of fun literacy-based programs, support, and free new books for students to choose and keep … Continued

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Race to Read Excites Students at Johnson Elementary School

On Monday, January 28, a few dozen students were running around the playground at Johnson Elementary School when they heard the sound of a loud engine approaching. Heads turned as a green-and-white stock car barreled down the street towards the playground, only to stop right outside the fence. Children ran over to see who it … Continued

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Apply Now for CLiF’s Year of the Book

CLiF is now accepting applications for our Year of the Book grant for the 2013-2014 school year. Our one-year partnership with elementary schools encourages students to read and write more often for enjoyment in school and at home. CLiF provides select elementary schools in New Hampshire and Vermont with more than $25,000 worth of children’s … Continued

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Parent Power in Johnson, Vermont

CLiF knows that parents have a tremendous influence on the likelihood that their child will grow up a strong reader and writer. That’s why we strive to include parents whenever possible in our programs.

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CLiF’s Mini-Grants Enrich Classrooms

CLiF’s newest program, Year of the Book, provides more than $25,000 in literacy support, programs, and new books for six schools across New Hampshire and Vermont. One important part of Year of the Book is the mini-grants program. In each Year of the Book school, CLiF has offered $2,000 in funding for mini-grants for classroom … Continued

CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.

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