Each spring, the CLiF team gathers to select recipients for our $25,000 Year of the Book grant during the following academic year. The decision is never easy, but this year’s selection process was especially challenging, with many strong applications from across Vermont and New Hampshire. In the end, we chose to expand the program for the 2025–2026 academic year to include 14 schools–the most we’ve ever awarded since the grant began in 2011.
“We had a notably large pool of Year of the Book applications this year, all from schools expressing compelling needs,” said CLiF Executive Director Laura Rice. “Upon review, we were moved to expand our programming to include two additional schools for the 2025-2026 academic year. We are very grateful for the support of the wonderful donors whose generosity makes this possible.”
The 14 schools also receive a follow-up Momentum grant for the 2026-2027 school year to support additional books, events, and activities in order to sustain engagement and excitement around the grant.
Currently, CLiF is serving seven schools in New Hampshire, and five schools in Vermont through the 2024-2024 Year of the Book program. The program is awarded to elementary and middle schools serving pre-K through grade 6 that have demonstrated a commitment to literacy and creative ideas for celebrating reading and writing. Schools have a significant percentage of students below proficiency on reading and writing assessments, as well as students from under-resourced backgrounds.
This landmark grant program is designed to encourage reading and writing, integrate literacy into other areas of the curriculum, increase family engagement in literacy, and make high-quality books accessible to all students. The program offers author and storyteller visits, inspiring literacy activities, fun family events, new books for both the school and local public library, new books for classrooms, and 10 new books for each student to choose and keep.
“CLiF’s Year of the Book Grant program has a proven track record of creating a culture of literacy within a school community,” said CLiF Program Manager Cassie Willner. “The excitement that comes from new ideas, new books, and new connections makes this an invigorating grant for schools. Our ultimate goal here at CLiF and through this grant is to inspire kids to love reading and writing.”
Here are our 2025-2026 CLiF Year of the Book schools:
New Hampshire:
- Berlin Elementary School, Berlin, NH
- Boscawen Elementary School, Boscawen, NH
- Edward Fenn Elementary School, Gorham, NH
- Mill Brook School, Concord, NH
- Richards Elementary School, Newport, NH
- Webster Elementary School, Manchester, NH
Vermont:
- Alburgh Community Education Center, Alburgh, VT
- Bristol Elementary School, Bristol, VT
- JFK Elementary School, Winooski, VT
- Johnson Elementary School, Johnson, VT
- Newbury Elementary School, Newbury, VT
- Oak Grove Elementary School, Brattleboro, VT
- Poultney Elementary School, Poultney, VT
- Rockingham Central Elementary School, Bellows Falls, VT
