General / Book Recommendations

Book Picks from Book People

At the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF), we’re big believers in encouraging kids to choose their own books, but we also recognize that a little guidance can be helpful. With that in mind, we asked some bookish pals to recommend some of their favorite books for readers aged 8 to 12. Here’s what they said.

General

A Series of Unlucky Protagonists

After much research, our CLiF team of experts has determined that one of the best methods of distracting oneself from irrational fears is by reading to or with a child. In honor of Friday the 13th, a day historically linked with unluckiness, we’ve rounded up a selection of books with protagonists prone to misfortune and misadventure. 

General / Book Recommendations

What the CLiF Team is Reading This Summer

At CLiF, we love to read. That’s probably why we spend our time helping kids discover that love for themselves and embark on a lifelong journey of enjoying literature. Summer offers some much-needed time to dig into your To Be Read pile and relax with a good book (or 3. Or 4.). Here’s what the … Continued

General / Presenter Profiles

New Books By CLiF Presenters

One of the special things about CLiF is that we work with 66 of the best children’s, middle grade, and young adult authors in Vermont and New Hampshire. In normal years, we send them to schools, libraries, homeless shelters, prisons, camps, and more spaces where kids and families spend time in NH and VT. They … Continued

Book Recommendations

The Best Books We Read in 2020

It should come as no surprise that the CLiF team loves to read. After all, we spend our days sharing that love with low-income, at-risk, and rural kids in the region. Here were our favorite books we read in 2020: Duncan I’m a big fan of the Master and Commander series by Patrick O’Brien.  When he heard … Continued

General / Book Recommendations

The Best New Diverse Books for Kids & Teens

While 2020 seems to be intensely engaged in an active round of “Up Your Game,” there is some relatively good news coming out of the book publishing industry (Cue the bullhorns! Good news!). Namely, gatekeepers at publishing houses and those who are writing book reviews are starting to step aside and give voice to those … Continued

General / Book Recommendations

What Books Are Flying Off the CLiF Shelves?

At any given time, the CLiF library is filled with thousands of beautiful new books waiting to find eager young readers. We give away high-quality books for every reader’s level and interests. We do our best to offer a wide variety of diverse titles, both classics and new books and series. Here are some of … Continued

General / Book Recommendations

What Are You Reading This Summer?

It should come as no surprise that the CLiF staff loves to read! After all, our mission is to share that love with all kids in New Hampshire and Vermont. And there’s no better time to read than summer, especially as so many social events and programs are either cancelled or online, giving us more … Continued

Research

Recent Research for Teachers, Librarians, Parents

Could a silver lining of the current news cycle be that adults are being offered an opportunity to talk to kids about so many difficult topics? According to the Askable Adult Campaign, kids need more adults to whom they can ask honest questions. Adults also need to cultivate their own curiosity, so they can build … Continued

CLiF Spotlight

Literacy Programs Kids (And Parents) Will Love!

As schools, libraries, afterschool programs, and preschools ramp up for fall, we wanted to share some low-cost literacy program ideas that CLiF partners generated last year. Many of our grants now include an additional program component. The ideas listed here came from these CLiF opportunities: Last winter, CLiF added a $500 Revive grant to any … Continued

Book Recommendations

Celebrating Remarkable Women

This summer we’ve been basking in the glory of so many female heroes, in politics and in sports especially. I didn’t get to watch much of the summer Olympics, but I sure did read about many of the extraordinary feats of athleticism and personal, political and historic victory. Many of the young female athletes from … Continued

General / Book Recommendations

The Next Great Book: Summer Reading 2016

by Jane Knight – Bear Pond Books As I write this, there are four middle school kids hanging out in our play space in the Children’s Room at Bear Pond– ‘The Chicken Coop’—they are reading picture books to one another, laughing and reminiscing about their ‘childhood favorites’. I love that for these kids, there is … Continued

CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.

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