Looking for some holiday book gifts for your class, program, or out-of-school-time group? Read more about CLiF’s holiday book giveaway contest!
The book giveaway is a key component of all CLiF programs. Research proves that if kids can chose their own book, then they will be more likely to read it. CLiF has some titles earmarked for giveaways that we think might be enjoyed more if used as a part of a classroom project or as a fun gift, and we want to get them into the hands of kids!
The competition is simple; the participating teacher or program leader should follow this link to fill out a simple form. You or your students answer the following prompt: Why do you think that your classroom or program should receive a brand new set of books?
For younger kids, students should draw a picture and draft a list explaining why their classroom or program should receive new books.
For older kids, students should write a paragraph or a list explaining what makes your program or class special.
The form will prompt you to add these documents electronically to the form.
Entries will be accepted on a rolling basis until the books are all in the hands of kids!
Eligibility: Books must be used by programs or classrooms based in NH or VT.
Email Meredith Scott, Program Director, at meredith@clifonline.org with questions.
Available Books:
Title: Gossie – Gansi Bilingual English/Spanish Board Book
Author: Olivier Dunrea
Recommended grades: Preschool – 3
Summary: Gossie is a gosling. A small, yellow gosling who likes to wear bright red boots. Every day. Until the day her boots disappear . . .The lovable Gossie is now available in an English/Spanish bilingual board book edition, perfect for bilingual preschoolers or new language learners. English text appears in black, Spanish in blue.
Title: Junie B. Jones, First Grader Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So Does May.)
Author: Barbara Park
Recommended grades: 1-4
Pages: 128 pages
Lexile Measure: 400L
Summary: Another classic Junie B. Jones story! It’s holiday time, and Room One definitely knows how to celebrate, between making elf costumes, singing songs, and picking names for Secret Santa, there isn’t a dull moment. Everything is going great until Junie B. draws the class tattletale, May’s name for Secret Santa. While Junie B. is disappointed at first, she has a few ideas up her sleeve to get back at May.
Title: Junie B. Jones, First Grader Turkeys We Have Loved and Eaten (and other Thankful Stuff)
Author: Barbara Park
Recommended grades: 1-4
Pages: 134 pages
Lexile Measure: 400L
Summary: It’s Thanksgiving time and Room One is getting ready for their very own Thanksgiving feast! There’s even a contest to see which room can write the best thankful list. The winners will get a pumpkin pie! Only it turns out being thankful is harder than it looks. Will Room One win the disgusting pie? Can May and Junie B. find common ground? Or will this Thanksgiving feast turn into a Turkey Day Disaster?
Title: December Secrets
Author: Patricia Reilly Giff
Recommended grades: 1-4
Pages: 75 pages
Lexile Measure: 320L
Summary: Everyone in Ms. Rooney’s room has chosen a special person to be kind to. All the kids are happy with their secret friends, except Emily Arrow. The last one to pick, Emily is stuck with Jill Simon, the class crybaby. At the same time, Emily’s getting lots of super presents herself. When secrets are disclosed Emily learns what being a special friend really means.
Title: The Phantom Tollbooth: A Play in Two Acts
Author: Susan Nanus
Recommended grades: 5-8
Pages: 72 pages
Summary: Based on the classic book by Norton Juster the play captures the magic, wit, and heart of the novel and is perfect for classroom use.
Title: Milet Picture Dictionary English-Russian
Author: Sedat Turhan
Recommended grades: Preschool and up
Pages: 48 pages
Summary: A thoroughly original picture dictionary featuring beautiful, painterly artwork. Vibrant pictures encourage the reader’s creativity while they learn to identify objects and words.
Title: Milet Mini Picture Dictionary English-Russian Board Book
Author: Sedat Turhan
Recommended grades: Preschool and up
Pages: 48 pages
Summary: Perfect for pre-schoolers, this board book version of the popular Milet Picture Dictionary features similar vibrant artwork in a simpler format for younger children.
Title: Magic Tree House #13 Vacation Under the Volcano
Author: Mary Pope Osborne
Recommended grades: 1-4
Pages: 80
Lexile Measure: 410L
Summary: In their first adventure as Master Librarians, Jack and Annie go to the city of Pompeii to bring back an ancient story that is in danger of being lost forever. Little do they know they are saving the myth of Hercules! But before they can find it, the town’s volcano erupts in a mighty explosion. Just when things look hopeless, Jack and Annie get some unexpected help from a certain mythic hero – and the rest, as they say, is history.
Title: Magic Tree House #34 A Merlin Mission Season of the Sandstorms
Author: Mary Pope Osborn
Recommended grades: 2-5
Pages: 144
Lexile Measure: 850
Summary: In this story, Jack and Annie travel back in time 1,200 years to the Golden Age of Baghdad. While the siblings are unaware of what they have to do, Merlin has given then a book of rhymes to help them in their travels. While in Baghdad, they meet a Bedouin tribe, ride camels, learn about ancient writing, and brave dangerous sandstorms. This is another classic Magic Tree House story, filled with adventure, mystery, history, and magic!
Title: Ramona la Chinche (Ramona the Pest)
Author: Beverly Cleary
Recommended grades: 2-7
Pages: 192
Lexile Measure: 580L
Summary: In this dynamic tale (written entirely in Spanish), Ramona finds herself in a sea of trouble when she begins school, between her first crush and her inability to sit still in the classroom, her teacher, Miss Binney is always on her case. While Beezus, Ramona’s older sister finds her quite obnoxious, it’s hard not to fall in love with Ramona’s surprising and quirky character.
Title: The Time Warp Trio Viking it and Liking it
Author: Jon Scieszka
Recommended grades: 3-5
Pages: 73
Lexile Measure: 0530
Summary: Did you know that the word ‘Thursday’ originated from the term ‘Thor’s Day” – a tribute to the Viking god, Thor? And apparently if you repeat the word ‘Thursday’ many, many times over again, you will inevitably get sucked into a magic book that will bring you back 2,000 years to the era of the Vikings. That’s just what happened to Joe, Sam, and Fred, the time warp trio. Can they survive the wild ride with Leif Eriksson and his evil cousin or is the trio completely doomed?
Title: El Senor De Los Ladrones (The Thief Lord)
Author: Cornelia Funke
Recommended grades: 4-7
Pages: 344
Lexile Measure:
Summary: This book is written entirely in Spanish and tells the story of two orphaned brothers, Prosper, age 12 and Bo, age 5. The boys have run away to Venice to escape their aunt and uncle who wish to adopt Bo and send Prosper to boarding school far away. In Venice they find a “family” of orphaned children who are cared for by a young man that calls himself the Thief Lord. The boys take to life on the streets, stealing valuable antiques and selling them to a local shop to be sold for profit. However, everything changed one day when they steal an antique that supposedly has magical powers.
Title: The Ancient Egyptians
Author: Jane Shuter
Recommended grades: 2-4
Pages: 32
Lexile Measure:
Summary: Learn all about life in Ancient Egypt, from the social, economic, and political structure to Ancient Egyptian culture – this book provides children with factual information, colorful photographs, maps, and diagrams to bring this ancient civilization to life.
Title: Life at Ellis Island
Author: Sally Senzall Isaacs
Recommended grades: 2-4
Pages: 32
Lexile Measure: 730L
Summary: This book focuses on life at Ellis Island and covers daily life for both children and adults, who left their lives oversees and immigrated to the United States. This book also discusses arriving at Ellis Island and the process that people went through to become citizens, including passing medical examinations.
Title: Buffalo Hunt
Author: Russell Freedman
Recommended grades: 4-7
Pages: 53
Lexile Measure: 1000L
Summary: Author Russell Freedman describes the importance of the buffalo to the way of life of the Great Plains Indians – focusing on various hunting methods and uses for various parts of the animal. He then goes on to explain the devastation caused by white settlers’ “firearm slaughter” of the species that brought them to near extinction.
Title: I Am the Mummy Heb-Nefert
Author: Eve Bunting
Recommended grades: 1-3
Pages: 32
Lexile Measure:
Summary: Told from the perspective of Heb-Nefert, a mummy on display in a museum. Heb-Nefert recounts her youth, from linen robes and elaborate jewelry to servants and life with her royal husband, but that was long ago when she “was beautiful.”
Title: Tut’s Mummy Lost… and Found
Author: Judy Donnelly
Recommended grades: 2-4
Pages: 48
Lexile Measure: 370L
Summary: This story begins with the death of Tutankhamen, the book then moves forward to Howard Carter’s discovery of the tomb with information about life in ancient Egypt throughout the book.
Special thanks to Hannah Luce, CLiF’s summer intern and UVM senior studying education, for putting together the contest.
