CLiF presenter Simon Brooks is an award-winning British storyteller living in New Hampshire. He combines his passion for children’s literature and folklore to create fun programs, workshops, and keynotes for both children and adults. Visit him online at SimonBrooksStoryteller.com. As a CLiF presenter, I try to read as many of the books CLiF offers kids as … Continued
General / If you're a parent and...
Despite the current weather situation here in Vermont, this weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. Ah, summer. That magical time when your child’s schedule is wide open, just like the doors to your cabinets and fridge. (You never have any good snacks, by the way.) It’s arguably the most popular season, yet its arrival … Continued
General / Writing / Literacy Activities
Drum roll, please: At long last, we’re thrilled to reveal the results of the 2025 Two-Sentence Story Contest! This year’s contest challenged young writers to “tell us a ‘Love’ story” about something, somewhere, or someone they love. As always, the only rules were that the stories be original, and no more than two sentences long. … Continued
Earlier this month, we gathered for one of our favorite annual traditions: the CLiF Community Literacy Conference. Now in its second year back in person after the pandemic-era shift to virtual events, this special day reminded us just how energizing and rewarding it is to connect face-to-face with our fellow literacy advocates. We were honored … Continued
This week, April 6–12, marks National Library Week, an annual celebration recognizing the vital role libraries play in our communities. The theme this year, “Drawn to the Library,” reflects the many ways libraries continue to bring people together—through books, programs, internet access, community events, and welcoming public space. But even as we celebrate, many libraries … Continued
CLiF team / General / Year of the Book
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 … Continued
Family literacy / General / Year of the Book
Some of CLiF’s most impactful programming occurs at our Family Literacy events, where parents and caregivers get to join in the fun alongside their children. Designed to promote positivity around reading and writing, these interactive gatherings typically include a storytelling session with a professional CLiF presenter, a community meal, and a book giveaway, where families … Continued
An important component of CLiF’s flagship Year of the Book program is the Momentum grant, a follow-up year of support designed to help schools sustain enthusiasm around reading and writing once their Year of the Book programming concludes. Momentum provides $1,000 toward activities such as family literacy events, author visits, new books, and other opportunities … Continued
CLiF is excited to announce that eight projects across Vermont and New Hampshire have been selected to receive a Literacy Enrichment Grant for Spring 2025. The Literacy Enrichment Grant is a grant program that offers up to $1,000 in funding for project-oriented or experiential learning opportunities that bring literacy to life. The goals of this … Continued
Despite being one of our smaller grant programs, CLiF’s Spark grant plays an important role in helping our organization maintain and revive connections throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. Available to partners who have received a CLiF grant in the past, Spark provides $500 in funding with the goal of building enthusiasm around literacy activities.
CLiF’s 2025 Two-Sentence Story Contest is now open to young writers in Vermont and New Hampshire, ages 12 and under. This year’s theme is “Love.” Prizes will be awarded to top submissions.
When I was a child, everything about the holidays felt glittery and magical. This was undoubtedly due in large part to the tireless efforts of my mother, who was possibly a Claus in some former life. Each year in the weeks leading up to Christmas, she energetically directed us kids through various festive rituals: baking … Continued
We want to offer special recognition to our bookstore friends that have committed to hosting book drives for CLiF over the holiday season. Each of these stores is a community mainstay, and we are very grateful for our shared commitment to inspiring young readers. Just one more reason to shop small, local and literary this season–and every season!
Here’s a peek behind the scenes at how CLiF selects, orders, organizes, and distributes the many thousands of books we give away to under-resourced children in Vermont and New Hampshire each year.
Nobody inspires kids more than their fellow kids. That’s why we invited some bright young literacy ambassadors to share their perspectives on why reading rocks. Learn what they had to say in our new video, “With CLiF, I Can.“ Our thanks to Raised by Wolves Media for helping us bring this project to fruition! We’d … Continued
Throughout CLiF’s many years of inspiring a love of literacy among Vermont and New Hampshire children, the power and value of books has been central to our mission. Almost every CLiF event includes a book giveaway with a wide range of diverse books on offer, as well as an in-person presentation by an author or … Continued
Straddling the international border line, and the two towns of Derby Line, VT and Stanstead, Quebec, is the Haskell Free Library & Opera House. This unique and charming public library serves both U.S. and Canadian citizens, and was awarded a CLiF grant for the first time in 2024.
Sometimes I do school and community programs. Some of my books feature newcomer kids. But mostly it was because I was friends with Sara Lesley Warner (@saralesleyarnold – Sara’s pen name). Sara’s a kidlit writer and media specialist at Henry Wilson School, Manchester, NH. So it was Sara who invited me to present with her on the … Continued
CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.