General / CLiF Spotlight / How You Can Help
Can You All Say “Hi!” to Peg?
“This is my friend Peg. Can you all say ‘Hi!’ to Peg?” Seventy five kids waved and called out “Hi Peg!”
What’s New
Summer Readers Underway!
48 different children’s summer programs across Vermont and New Hampshire. 3,300 kids. Two free books per child. That’s a lot of books. No wonder the CLiFmobile just needed its shocks replaced. Rec program at the Barre Municipal Pool in Barre, VT From June through August, CLiF’s Summer Readers program visits lunch programs, low-income summer camps, and … Continued
Books That REALLY Make You Appreciate Books
If you are reading this, you probably really love books. But what if they were forbidden? Would you love them even more? Would you fight for them? Would you keep the stories in your head and pass them on so they would never be lost? Imagine if there was just one book left in the … Continued
General / Book Recommendations
Thunder Cake!
The amount of thunder showers we are getting this summer seems a might bit excessive, wouldn’t you say? At our house, we have already sung, “rain, rain, go away,” until we are blue in the face. Ah well, I guess, when life gives you thunder storms the best thing to do is to make thunder … Continued
General / CLiF Spotlight / How You Can Help
Giving You the Floor: Bolstering Parental Involvement
Our excitement is ramping up for the newest Year of the Book town kickoffs, and we are thinking a lot about successes and lessons learned when looking back over our first year of offering this grant. We have been excited to hear about the burgeoning relationships between the school and the public library, the changed … Continued
Forgive Me Libraries, For I Have Been a Fool
I am ashamed to say that sometimes I take my public library for granted. Sometimes I act like having free access to all those resources, carefully filed and maintained for my use, is my God-given right. Ha! Sometimes I behave as if all those educational opportunities the local library offers my kids are nothing more … Continued
Poetry, Fairy Tales and Wokka Wokka at Bobbin Mill
“How – do you -wokka-wokka?” author Elizabeth Bluemle chanted rhythmically to the beat of a drum. Kids at the Bobbin Mill apartment complex danced, shimmied and shook maracas as she continued,” I wokka-wokka like flamingos in a flocka- croackie-yocka, leggy-longy, pinky hoppa-hoppa…” Elizabeth’s performance was the perfect antidote for the muggy, drizzly summer evening. The … Continued
General / CLiF Spotlight / How You Can Help
Sharing Our Stories and Finding Others to Share
About a week ago, a big box arrived at our office. With everything from Captain Underpants to an illustrated Secret Garden, it was overflowing with beautiful, brand-new children’s books. Thanks to a successful bookdrive by Bud and Bella’s Bookshop of Randolph, Vermont, we now have 50 books to add to our library! Today I spoke … Continued
Top Ten Reasons Reading Is Better Than Watching TV
1) If you fall asleep while reading you don’t miss anything. 2) It’s quiet. 3) You can do it ANYWHERE including places with no cell service, electricity, wifi, or satellite transmission. 4) It’s private, just you and the author linking minds and ideas. 5) It’s free with a library card, and sometimes … Continued
Last Day of School!
Nine months ago I sent my newly minted kindergartener off to school with a fresh set of markers, perfectly pointy crayons, a brand new clean lunchbox, and an excitement to be a part of something bigger, a community of kids with their own job and a place to do it. She was nervous and thrilled. And … Continued
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
A Life History in Book Titles
Did you ever wonder what story your book collection tells about you? We recently had a This is Your Life experience when our basement flooded and our 22 year old son’s stashed belongings exploded into our living space. His high school bedroom had been in our basement, so he had bookshelves of titles – plus … Continued
General / CLiF Spotlight / How You Can Help
Summertime Reading Contest
Got a “summer reader” in your life? How would he or she like a bundle of brand new books to read on the beach, at the playground, in a treehouse, or anywhere inviting this summer? Enter our Summertime Reading Contest on Facebook for a chance to win 15 brand new books and give other children … Continued
Helping Meet the Standards
The new Common Core Standards, have recently been adopted by 46 of the 50 states and will begin to be implemented in Vermont and New Hampshire in the coming school year. These standards, initiated by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, are internationally benchmarked and intended to raise the … Continued
Creating a Culture of Literacy
As CLiF develops longer-lasting and more in-depth initiatives such as our Year of the Book and Community Literacy programs, we are also helping towns and schools sustain their literacy efforts after their CLiF grant is over. To that end, on May 1 we held our first annual CLiF Community Literacy Conference in St. Johnsbury, VT. … Continued
A Picture (of a poem) is Worth a Thousand Verses
I could start by telling you about the beautiful view of Lake Champlain from our corner table. I could then tell you about the endless performances, exhibits, and activities for kids taking place all day. I could tell you about the throngs of children – of all ages – gathered around our table eagerly awaiting … Continued
What if…?
“What if our house was like a giant swimming pool and we could swim all day, even when we were eating? And we had a pet dolphin instead of a dog?” “Hmmm. That would be cool.” “Mom, what if our car could fly and we could fly right over all the other cars so we … Continued
Bellies, Babies, and Books. Oh My!
Amidst a sea of bustling children, adorable little ones in strollers and Ergo carriers, and mamas-to-be looking radiant and curious, Julia and I set up a table at the Good Beginnings First Annual Baby and Child Expo to talk with parents about reading to their children from the get-go. Good Beginnings of Central Vermont is … Continued