I came home from my term abroad with rolls and rolls of undeveloped film. The excitement of seeing the real photos months later inspired me to document my adventures in scrapbooks. I very rarely looked at the books again…until my daughter’s increasing reading habit prompted the albums’ resurgence (for better or worse). Two books triggered her interest in my … Continued
What do skiing, books, and microcontrollers all have in common? The CLiF Community Literacy Conference, of course! In all honesty, the skiing was only a background as attendees sat slopeside in the conference room at The Mountain Club on Loon. While the spring skiers glided past the window, teachers, principals, librarians, and other eager past, … Continued
Well, maybe not a “slugger.” More like a clunker. His pitching is anything but fast, his tiny hands can barely close his glove, let alone catch with it, and he usually forgets to run the bases when his bat finally makes contact with the ball. No matter. It’s baseball season, and my son is itching … Continued
Everyone at CLiF was saddened to learn that longtime CLiF Advisor Mary Jane (MJ) Manahan passed away earlier this month at 61.
General / Book Recommendations / If you're a parent and...
In February, my family took my six-year-old to a Friend-a-Versary at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. For the younger set, this is a dream come true – a day of face painting, tattoos, open spaces with kids running everywhere, a visit with Elephant and Piggie and free E&P books (donated by CLiF partners … Continued
General / If you're a parent and...
I’ll be honest – I burst into tears. At first I didn’t believe it. Emmett’s friend (who is nine) had been sitting with him looking at a book when she alerted me: Emmett can read. I said, “What?! Really? Are you sure?” “Watch,” was her response. She pointed to the word car, and Emmett said, … Continued
Everyone has a story worth telling.
In preparation for an upcoming CLiF presenter gathering, I stocked up on their books for vacation reading. My six year old and I particularly loved The Tapir Scientist by Sy Montgomery. My daughter truly loves animal facts (thank you Wild Kratts), and this in-depth look at the animals and the research process lit a spark. She … Continued
I was caught off guard by a recent Twitter conversation started by Shannon Hale, author of the Newbery Honor book Princess Academy and many others. The powers that be at this school decided that regardless of her qualifications as a presenter, Hale was for girls – and boys wouldn’t be interested. … Continued
General / If you're a parent and...
When the temperature sneaks above 20 and the sun pokes out of the winter grey, I seize the opportunity to take my son skiing. He’s gone a handful of times, and each trip out to the slopes is a clean slate. I never know if our day will end within minutes with chilled fingers and tears or … Continued
My daughter chose Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s Farm from the school’s free book bin. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle takes to her farm children whose behavior overwhelms their parents and cures them of their bad habits with magic and hard work. When I first read the book, I thought not too highly of the parents, but in light of a having six year old … Continued
General / Book Recommendations
What I love most about this year’s books is how original and accessible they are for young readers, how they are powerful without being intimidating.
Define “the best.” Here are three possible answers: Indie bookstores, the people who support them, and the people who run them. This year, the generous patrons of five bookstores donated 789 books to the low-income, at-risk, and rural kids CLiF serves. The first wave of these books arrived in mid-December, brightening the holidays for many kids. Just like every … Continued
What better way to spend a cold winter Saturday afternoon than reading? This Saturday, January 24 is the first National Readathon Day. A project of the National Book Foundation, GoodReads, Mashable, and Penguin Random House, National Readathon Day aims to raise awareness about the millions of Americans who struggle with low literacy skills. From noon to 4 … Continued
General / Book Recommendations / If you're a parent and...
My six-year-old daughter loves Sesame Street. I dread the day she feels too mature for the silly muppets with their quirky personalities, multicultural community, easy jokes, and advanced vocabularies. Watching it with her brings back many innocent childhood memories, and I love sharing that with her. Over the years, she has received countless Sesame Street books. We … Continued
“You thought this was funny?” she asked me. “I didn’t laugh at all. I hardly ever laugh at books.”
Wishing you a 2015 filled with reading, writing, and joy! Original artwork by Grace Ahmed.
I love this season. I love that so many cultures have holidays this time of year, when it’s cold and the nights are darkest and we’re most in need of shared light and warmth. It’s hard to pick a favorite CLiF event, but our holiday family events for Year of the Book communities are right up … Continued
CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.