CLiF Presenter author/illustrator Jason Chin shares during his presentations his process for creating and revising his picture books (you can watch this video on Jason’s presentation at JFK Elementary in Winooski, VT this summer). He shows kids the various drafts his work has gone through to become his non-fiction picture books. He tells them about … Continued
Do you remember that scene in Field of Dreams where Annie stands up to a parent trying to ban one of her favorite books? It’s a powerful moment when Annie defends free speech and the right to learn. Though that memorable scene was filmed nearly 30 years ago, banning books still happens throughout the U.S. today. … Continued
For the past 20 years, Duncan McDougall has successfully been raising funds (while telling stories to LOTS of kids) to support CLiF’s continued growth. We asked him to share his technique for fundraising and grant writing with our Year of the Book teachers at a past Community Literacy Conference. These tips are meant for beginner … Continued
I think the question I am asked most frequently by individuals, organizations and the media with respect to my children’s book series, Lady Lucy’s Quest, is this: Why would a former college president (and law professor) write children’s stories? Sometimes the question reveals genuine curiosity, a desire to understand why I write these children’s … Continued
Did you know today is National Read a Book Day? Consider this your permission to stop what you’re doing and READ A BOOK! That’s what we’re going to do, because here at CLiF, we love reading and we love sharing our love of reading (and writing!) with low-income, at-risk, and rural kids in New Hampshire … Continued
It’s been a busy summer at CLiF serving nearly 10,000 kids at 140+ Summer Readers events all over New Hampshire and Vermont! We’ve given away more than 18,000 books to kids in need and inspired them with CLiF’s passionate storytellers. At CLiF Summer Readers events, kids get to choose 2 new books for themselves from … Continued
I was lucky enough to be the Children’s Literacy Foundation 2018 summer intern. Unlike the typical intern you would see in pop culture, I don’t get the coffee. Instead I work behind-the-scenes doing program coordination, outreach, social media updates and administrative work. One of my favorite and most important jobs at CLiF is assisting in … Continued
Does your child love to write? How can you encourage her passion without turning writing into a chore? As I write this from a writers’ retreat in Lost River, WV, I’m reflecting on what’s helped my writing, from making up my own stories as a young child until now, as a Master’s candidate in Fiction … Continued
You know how important it is to make sure your kids keep learning during the summer months.
On Sunday, July 8, CLiF’s staff gave away hundreds of children’s books to kids at the Vermont Lake Monsters game in Burlington. CLiF tries to get out in the communities we serve to let folks know what we’re up to in their area and to put books in the hands of even more kids. Several … Continued
CLiF is taking on summer 2018 with our Summer Readers program. Summer Readers brings storytelling presentations and book giveaways to libraries, schools, camps, and more sites all across New Hampshire and Vermont. Watch this video to get a taste of CLiF’s Summer Readers program. This summer CLiF hopes to serve over 9,000 children and give … Continued
Americans are lonely. The rate of people feeling misunderstood and not heard is at an all-time high. In fact, a study that was conducted by Cigna in May 2018 showed that nearly half of the 20,000 Americans surveyed feel alone or left out. In order to break away from the pattern of loneliness, people … Continued
There are many learning games and activities that will not only help your child or teen to become more successful in school, but will also be fun to play.
As the school year comes to a close and life begins to slow down a bit for some, public libraries everywhere are gearing up for their busiest time of the year: the summer reading program.
Hello out there gang….. I’m excited to have you all join me one way or another. I’ve built my last 2 books with my own readers, yup, in “real time,” too. What I mean by that is teachers and students have been following me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter when I’m out in the field … Continued
April is National Poetry Month, a time to celebrate poetry in all its forms. Many schools and programs take advantage of this month to launch poetry units and special events. Towns such as Montpelier, VT celebrate with Poem City, a city-wide initiative that posts poetry all over public spaces and celebrates poets with readings and … Continued
Do we know what our children are extraordinary at, other than their academic curricula? That is where we, as parents, need to excel.
Successful writers understand the difference between strong and weak writing, and use that knowledge to create stronger drafts.
CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.