NH cartoonist Marek Bennett explores history in the stick-figure adventures of teacher-turned-soldier Freeman Colby: My new graphic novel, The Civil War Diary of Freeman Colby, Vol. 2, depicts the historic events of 1863 from the point of view of a young NH school teacher (Freeman Colby) who enlists in the Union Army. To create … Continued
The question is not really what is writing, but what is good writing.
CLiF’s 64 talented and accomplished presenters are a big part of what makes CLiF special. We send these amazing VT and NH authors, illustrators, poets, graphic novelists, and storytellers to places where low-income, at-risk, and rural kids spend time in VT and NH. They share their creative processes and generate kids’ excitement for reading and … Continued
*This is a guest post.* Research shows that interacting with animals can help promote healthy emotional development in children and adolescents, reduce stress and anxiety, and help develop strong emotional bonds. Nicky Ellis of Horses & Foals shares how riding horses can help kids improve focus and problem-solving abilities while providing good physical exercise. While … Continued
It’s Valentine’s Day – a day to celebrate what you love – and one of the things the CLiF team loves most is books! These beloved favorites will definitely outlast the chocolate we’re munching on today. Duncan A book that my family loves is Lost in Barrens by renowned Canadian writer Farley Mowat. The YA … Continued
As a storyteller, I read a lot of folk and fairy tales. In the quest to find great stories to tell I do not seek out literary tales (copyright issues) and I also try to find at least two, hopefully three or more, versions of the same story. One reason for this is that someone … Continued
One of the things that makes CLiF programs unique is our amazing line-up of 64 authors, illustrators, poets, and storytellers who visit low-income, at-risk, and rural kids in schools, libraries, after school programs, childcare centers, immigrant/refugee programs, shelters and affordable housing developments, summer camps, and other places where kids spend time. Our inspiring presenters tell … Continued
Literacy specialists want parents to prepare their children for school by sharing a love for writing, the attitude that writing is important, and the expectation that all children can become successful writers. How to do this?
When I was accepted into the Bennington Writing Seminars now a little over two years ago, the Associate Director told me the program would change my life. I didn’t believe her. It seemed to me that that term, “life-changing,” gets thrown around a bit too much. But now, two years later and having just graduated … Continued
General / If you're a parent and...
As the first full week back at school (maybe not even a full week thanks to weather) finishes up, I am still trying to clean up from the holidays, to adjust to the winter schedule, and to think about the year ahead. A tall order for most parents (for everyone really!) when we still need … Continued
Book Recommendations / Education
Recently, I just completed my fourth and final year on the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)’s Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction selection committee. While the award itself has been around for almost thirty years, it’s a “quiet” award that members of the CLiF community may not yet know about. The Orbis Pictus was … Continued
2018 has been a tumultuous year of alarming headlines and disasters of all kinds. Though perhaps less widely covered, it has also been a year of kindness, generosity, building connections, and discovering joys like reading and writing. We’d like to share some of our favorite moments from 2018. In 2018, the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF)… Celebrated … Continued
For me, there is nothing better than giving the perfect gift, something you know the person will love whether it is useful, hilarious, beautiful, luxurious, or reassuring [For the record, my best gift in recent memory was an underwater metal detector for my sister.]. This does not always make gift-giving easy though; I can easily … Continued
I devoured adventure stories when I was a kid, tales from the ends of the earth.
One of the things that makes CLiF so special is the 64 talented authors, illustrators, poets, graphic novelists, and storytellers we work with who inspire a love of reading and writing in the low-income, at-risk, and rural kids we serve all over Vermont and New Hampshire. These inspiring VT and NH storytellers get kids excited … Continued
General / Book Recommendations
If there was ever a time to celebrate the strength and creativity of girls on the printed page, this would be it. It’s been a banner year for published stories of women and girls of ALL stripes — as seen in for example, Turning Pages: My Life Story by Sonia Sotomayor and Game Changers: The … Continued
This week, we’re feeling grateful for everyone who helps us spread the joy of literacy to low-income, at-risk, and rural kids across New Hampshire and Vermont. As a matter of fact, we feel grateful for your help all year long! We couldn’t do what we do without you, our supporters, partners, and advocates. We’re thankful … Continued
Recently I went to a reading by my brother at the Vermont College of Fine Arts and tagged along to dinner with him and the other presenting authors. We got into a discussion of what it means to be cool – everyone had a slightly different definition but, in general, it was agreed that someone cool … Continued
CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.