CLiF in the News During COVID-19
We’ve been busier than ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit! Check out what we’ve been up to in the press:
What’s New
CLiF’s Book Club for Grown-Ups: Poet Rajnii Eddins
CLiF’s virtual Book Club for Grown-ups series continues! In Book Club, CLiF’s award-winning presenters share their work and answer your questions. You can find the full October discussion with author Sarah Stewart Taylor of The Mountains Wild here (skip the first 10 mins, which is just chatting and set-up). In November, we’ll be talking poetry … Continued
General / Presenter Profiles / Education
Sarah Dillard, Author/Illustrator
CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Sarah Dillard of Fayston, VT. Sarah writes and illustrates picture books, graphic novels for new readers and early chapter books. See a clip of Sarah’s presentation from CLiF’s Virtual Author’s series here. Things to think about: Here are a few ways to get to know Sarah’s work … 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 / Presenter Profiles / CLiF Spotlight / Education
Jason Chin, Author/Illustrator
CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Jason Chin of South Burlington, VT. Jason writes and illustrates books about science and nature. He does two things in his books: he tells a story, and he teaches about science and nature. Learn more about how he does it! Watch a clip of Jason’s presentation from … Continued
How to Engage and Encourage Your Child During The New Distance Learning School Year
Image Source: Unsplash Now that fall is officially upon us, children have started the school year, but thanks to COVID-19, it looks a little different. Schools across the country have taken different approaches when it comes to re-opening. Some states have allowed their schools to re-open in person while others are doing solely virtual learning … Continued
General / Presenter Profiles / CLiF Spotlight
CLiF’s Fall Storytelling Series
CLiF’s Wednesday afternoon storytelling series is back! Join CLiF and one of our professional presenters Wednesdays at 1 p.m. EST from October 14 to November 18; register here. Watch the spring and summer presentations here. CLiF started these weekly sessions to: offer kids and parents a chance to take a break and share a story, … Continued
Research / Literacy Activities / Education
Making Literacy Fun in Our “New Normal”
Welcome to school year 2020-2021! CLiF continues to serve as a resource to deliver program ideas, grants, and research to help teachers, librarians, parents, early educators, and out-of-school-time providers succeed in these challenging and confusing times. We NEED your ideas for how to do that – your ideas will be used to offer new grants … Continued
General / If you're a parent and...
If You’re a Parent and…You Appreciate the Library More Than Ever
One thing we might share these days is, in general, a greater appreciation for homes and communities. While some might call for change (I want to paint my front door), the COVID era, and the overlapping social justice movements, has perhaps surfaced in many a love of certain local institutions, traditions, and groups. Maybe this … Continued
Keep Kids Engaged Using These Fun, At-home Literacy Activities
While the world’s gone digital, there are all kinds of videos of celebrities reading children’s books, at-home learning resources, and ten zillion articles on how to manage remote learning. We know; it’s overwhelming! Whether you’re trying to keep your remote learners focused at home or you’re a librarian or teacher brainstorming fun, interesting ways to … Continued
CLiF’s Book Club for Grown-ups: The Mountains Wild
Since April, we’ve been offering a weekly virtual storytelling series for kids, featuring CLiF’s amazing storytellers, authors, and illustrators. Now, we’ll be offering a virtual book club for grown-ups, too! Many of the 68 Vermont and New Hampshire authors/storytellers we work with also write for adults. This will be an opportunity to dig into the … Continued
Read Widely: Diversifying the Books Our Kids Read
Many of the books available to children and teens don’t reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of today’s world. According to a 2018 study, 50% of characters in children’s books were white, only 10% were Black, 5% were Latinx, and only 1% were Native American. 27% featured main characters that were animals, significantly more than … Continued
Get to Work: How to Improve Your Writing
Whether you’re an aspiring author or a prolific journal-er, you can always improve your writing. The most important thing, I tell my students at New Degree Press/Creator Institute, is developing good habits and a regular practice. Schedule writing time into your routine. Not everyone can find time to write every day, though that’s a great … 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
CLiF Spotlight / How You Can Help / Education
What Literacy Support Do You Need for 2020-2021?
An update to this post: Now that school is underway, CLiF is looking to rethink its Community Building Grant. We NEED your ideas! We will use them to formulate the components of this year’s Community Building grant. How CLiF can support teachers, parents, librarians, and administrators to succeed with literacy curriculum in a different and … Continued
Sandra Neil Wallace, Non-fiction author
CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Sandra Neil Wallace of Keene, NH. Sandra’s books “focus on people who break barriers and change the world.” Watch a clip of Sandra’s presentation from CLiF’s Virtual Author’s Series here. Things to think about: Here are a few ways to get to know Sandra’s work better: CLiF … 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
Marty Kelley, Author/Illustrator/Humorist
CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Marty Kelley of New Boston, NH. Marty’s books and presentations bring together his sense of humor and his degrees in art, animation, and elementary education. Things to think about: How do you describe Marty’s art and/or his style? Marty writes and illustrates his own books and illustrates … Continued