This week I returned to the CLiF office after an inspiring, invigorating, and exhausting ten-day residency at the Bennington Writing Seminars. This was the first of five residencies I will participate in during a two-year pursuit of a Master’s degree in Fiction from Bennington College. BWS is a low-residency MFA program that combines intensive on-campus … Continued
I received a letter – a handwritten card with the inside and back filled with news. It is a bit sad that this is such a remarkable event. We received lots of holiday cards, but they were either picture cards or typed and copied updates. I wish we all had more time for this personal and … Continued
You are your child’s first teacher, and your challenge is to help your child become a successful reader.
It’s probably no surprise that the CLiF Staff loves to read. After all, our mission is to share our love of reading and writing with low-income, at-risk, and rural kids in Vermont and New Hampshire. So of course, we read a lot. We read with our kids; we read by ourselves; and sometimes, we read … Continued
While children all over the world have been sending Santa their wish lists, two young CLiF donors had another idea. They decided to put Santa to work for a cause they cared about. The Patchett-Walsh grandchildren chose to raise money for the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF) by making the beautiful Santas you see above and selling them … Continued
There is a four-year-old girl who comes to the library every week with her mother and older sister.
On a recent trip to Boston, my husband asked me, “Do you think going to the aquarium as an adult would be as fun as I remember it? Or is going to ruin it?” The undeniable answer: No matter how old you are, aquariums are still cool. And I’m pretty sure we weren’t the only … Continued
Image Source: Transition Town Totnes Storytelling is a great opportunity to widen a child’s imagination. In this article, we share with you 7 unique activities to make the experience a lot more fun. Children develop their imagination at a very young age, and through activities like storytelling, you can help your child develop his/her … Continued
I am writing this from my lovely little bubble of Bear Pond Books. I think we can all agree it’s been a busy, distracting fall. I know that my book reading time has taken a precipitous fall because of it. Time to dip back into the well of imagination, inspiration and contemplation. For our kids, reading … Continued
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 … Continued
I don’t want to talk about politics. You don’t want to talk about politics. But let’s talk about how we talk to kids about politics. Because they’re paying attention, and if we don’t help them frame what they’re hearing in context, they’ll fill in their own blanks. Just because they won’t be eligible to vote … Continued
My brother James Scott, author of The Kept and creator of TK Podcast, wrote the most lovely piece about our mom as part of the Dedicate Your No-Trump Vote. From the Dedicate Your No-Trump Vote website: “Acclaimed novelist, Julianna Baggott, wrote a simple Facebook post, dedicating her No Trump Vote…Within days, it had been shared over 1100 times… The … Continued
Last week at Russell Elementary School in Rumney, NH, professional storyteller Simon Brooks captivated kindergarteners through eighth graders with a hilarious Halloween tale about a trick-or-treater and the cursed black bubblegum (that’s him telling stories at RES above). Students of all ages squealed and giggled and were completely enraptured in Simon’s scary voices and pantomiming … Continued
Yesterday I sent a nine-year-old boy home from the library with three juggling balls and four balloon animals.
My 8-year-old has discovered graphic novels. This format makes me feel old – I know my mom read comic books as a kid, but I could not understand the appeal of the graphic novel. I remember a conversation with a school librarian who said she needed to take a class to learn to read them. … Continued
My first grade teacher, Mrs. A., told me I could be a writer. For a voracious young reader, this revelation was life-changing. I’d loved to read and make up my own stories from a very young age, and while my parents encouraged it, no one had ever read one of my stories and told me … Continued
Did you know it’s Banned Books Week (September 25 – October 1, 2016)? According to bannedbooksweek.org, “The Banned Books Week Coalition is a national alliance of diverse organizations joined by a commitment to increase awareness of the annual celebration of the freedom to read. The Coalition seeks to engage various communities and inspire participation in Banned Books … Continued
Looking for a fun project for your students that will result in a new set of classroom books? Read more about CLiF’s first 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 … Continued
CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.