How will you spend April 19, 2018? Maybe you will celebrate National Bicycle Day (we wish we could!), National D.A.R.E Day, or National Garlic Day. At CLiF, we will celebrate a big day of bringing kids together with books, community, authors/illustrators/storytellers, and having fun in school, the library, or at another favorite out-of-school-time place.

So, what is happening on April 19, 2018?

1. Book Giveaway in Campton, NH as part of Year of the Book (morning)
2. Author/illustrator visit in Poultney, VT as part of Revive Your Literacy Programming (10-11am)
3. Family Open House in Bennington, VT as part of Revive Your Literacy Programming (3:30-5pm)
4. Ice Cream Social and Author Visit in Canaan, VT as part of Year of the Book (5-7pm)
5. Family Literacy Celebration and Storytelling in Seabrook, NH as part of Revive Your Literacy Programming (5:30-7:30pm)
6. Ice Cream Social, Author Visit, and Art Opening in Peterborough, NH as part of Revive Your Literacy Programming (6-8pm)

What a day! Kids will either be heading off on their vacation with good books and good memories of a special day or spending a vacation day entertained and inspired.

To start the day, Campton Elementary School students in Pre-K to sixth grade will pick their seventh and eighth new books of the year (Each student in a Year of the Book school picks ten new books over the course of the year). Many schools structure these giveaways to happen before school breaks, so all kids go away with new reading material, a reminder to visit the library, and something new and fun to do!

Next, Ashley Wollf will visit the Poultney Public Library, Poultney, VT, at 10am. The Poultney Public Library received a new Revive Your Literacy Programming grant this year. This $500 grant went to school, libraries, and out-of-school-time sites that had been CLiF grant recipients in the last five years. CLiF wants to help all of our partners to maintain their momentum around literacy, and this small grant allows them to design their own program and to use CLiF’s support to bring a presenter, fund a family event, and/or buy books for the site or for a giveaway.

Poultney wanted to bring an author because: “We have a new programming room, a new teen room, and a freshly remodeled children’s room. An author visit from a well known author would draw in lots of new people to see just what we have to offer here at the library…I would also use the event to promote the Super Reader cards to revitalize that program.” They started their Super Reader program with funds from their Rural Library grant last year.

Later in the day, after elementary school dismisses, the Sunrise Family Resource Center in Bennington, VT, will host a family open house. They have planned a few age-appropriate read-alouds aimed at their early childhood audience. The activities will be leveled for all ages. “The immediate suggestion was Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes since that is a favorite for the children in our program, it has a singing component that’s easy to learn and will engage all ages and has numerous possibilities for tie-in activities. Red, blue, brown, white paint can be offered for the very young to paint with. Shoe-shaped cutouts with choices of decorative elements can be offered for older children.” They will also invite Linda Donigan, Bennington Free Library Children’s Librarian, who will discuss the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten initiative in Bennington County. CLiF has supported their 1000 Books for two years through CLiF’s Community Building grant. Each family will pick one new book to take home to read too!

In the opposite corner in New Hampshire, Simon Brooks will tell stories at the Seabrook Adventure Zone’s Family Night. Through CLiF’s At-Risk Children grant, Simon has visited SAZ in the past, and everyone was excited to have him back. This event will be set up like dinner theater with Simon as the entertainment. After dinner and the presentation, the kids can visit literacy-related stations and pick a new book from the giveaway. Their past CLiF grants launched new relationships with public and school librarians and new programs. “We have had some incredible events and programs, including our new graphic novel and illustrations club, that are having very positive impacts with our team, partners, and students!”

Two Year of the Book schools will celebrate before vacation with their Ice Cream Socials. At the start of the Year of the Book, CLiF and the schools try to have parents and students sign a contract to read together at least twice a week for at least twenty minutes. If more than 80% of students and caregivers sign, then CLiF provides an author visit and an ice cream party.

Marv Klassen-Landis will visit Canaan, VT. Marv is on a tour of northern Vermont, first visiting Montgomery, VT for an At-Risk program on Wednesday, then Canaan on Thursday, then Salisbury on Friday for their Ice Cream Social!

In Peterborough, NH, Marty Kelley will share stories with families. Before Marty’s hilarity begins, the school community will also get to tour an exhibit of the third grade’s photo journalism projects. Another aspect of the Year of the Book is teacher grants. The third grade teachers wrote a grant to provide for a four-week photo journalism project lead by the Peterborough Camera Shop’s photographer, Mr. Gyakyi Bonsu-Anane. Each child will have a photograph and an accompanying writing piece on exhibit.

Sounds like a great Thursday in communities all over Vermont and New Hampshire!

Photo from the Oscar Foss Memorial Library’s Revive grant dinner theater event