Good morning! Here are some stories we liked this week: This thoughtful op-ed in Minnesota’s Star-Tribune. Literacy tutor Kris Potter muses on the power of learning to read with real books: “The tangible benefits of reading (real) books to kids” “Love cracks the code, creates curiosity, sustains attention and eventually lays knowledge at their feet … Continued
General / Book Recommendations
If you live with a toddler, you’ve probably seen the blog Reasons my Son is Crying. You may have even submitted to it. I know. A typical conversation in my house goes something like this: Him: “Mama, please I can have a samich?” Me: “Sure. Do you want strawberry or raspberry jam?” Him: (Whining) “I not … Continued
Valentine’s Day/Nor’easter edition! Just got in from shoveling, so let’s start with a pick-me up: Those kids reading aloud to shelter cats that went viral this week. The Animal Rescue League of Berks County, PA started a Book Buddies program when their program coordinator noticed her son preferred reading to a feline audience. From their website: … Continued
I was one of those kids who secretly stayed up past her bedtime and read books under her blanket with a flashlight. Nearly twenty years later, not much has changed.
Winter is in full swing here in northern Vermont. When life hands you snow, make a snowcone. Isn’t that what they say? Here are some links we liked this week: Cartoonist and CLiF presenter Marek Bennett has just returned from Nicaragua, where he documented the coffee harvest with help from some local kids. It’s worth … Continued
If you’re a parent and your child is perpetually on the move, I can relate. My methodical, industrious two year old has snapped into a new state of existence defined by loud, energetic gross motor skills. Our afternoons, once spent quietly lining up Matchbox cars, are now full of jumping, running, soccer, roaring, and all-around … Continued
The big news in children’s literature this week was the American Library Association Youth Media Awards (ALAYMA, or #alayma). Featured on the red carpet this year: a superhero squirrel, a locomotive, the Gaither sisters, and many more great books. We’re particularly proud of CLiF presenter Tanya Lee Stone, who netted a YALSA honor for Courage … Continued
Every year CLiF works with thousands of low-income, at-risk, and rural children from birth to age 12. And every year, without fail, our most challenging clients are the oldest boys.
I once read about a woman who banned her kids from reading picture books because she believed her kids were beyond them and should be reading chapter books exclusively. I have also heard, and I am sure you have too, about parents who forbid books like Captain Underpants, books that are slightly vulgar in a … Continued
Trying something new here in the CLiF office. We’re tuned in to literacy news from near and far, and there are great stories every day out there about reading, writing, and books. So in the spirit of sharing resources, every week (mostly) we’ll post a mini library of links to stories we like. If you … Continued
General / Book Recommendations
If you missed yesterday’s post on 2014 nonfiction books Jane’s excited about… click here. Moving on to fiction, it won’t take serious convincing to get any child to read Mo Willems’ latest Pigeon picture book, The Pigeon Needs a Bath. (“No. I do not.” says Pigeon.) However, it sounds like Pigeon is going … Continued
For many of us in the book world, January is a strange mix. We’re looking forward to new spring titles. And we’re pondering our favorite books from the previous year with delicious hand-wringing in anticipation of the American Library Association’s award ceremonies, announced at the end of this month. There are several bookstores, libraries, and … Continued
General / CLiF Spotlight / How You Can Help
Above: Joan Eldred, Hiata DeFeo, and Duncan celebrate Bridgeside Books’ Giving Tree book drive: the Waterbury bookstore collected 320 books to benefit CLiF. We don’t have all the books counted yet, but I can’t wait to tell you. This holiday season, book drives brought in more than 800 books to give kids served through … Continued
This original drawing is a collaboration between illustrator Grace Ahmed and her eight-year-old son. When you read, you can fly with any company you choose. Happy New Year from CLiF!
Kids’ minds are so amazing. Their appetites for new information and ideas are so voracious that they sometimes remind me of Cookie Monster gobbling cookies. It’s a beautiful thing to behold and being reminded of it makes me so proud to be a contributor to CLiF’s blog. A few mornings a week I help out … Continued
CLiF serves many thousands of children each year across New Hampshire and Vermont – a service area of 19,000 square miles.
Here’s a holiday tradition all of us at CLiF wholeheartedly endorse. A Book On Every Bed is a program developed by the advice columnist Amy Dickinson together with Ithaca, NY’s Family Reading Partnership (whose executive director, Brigid Hubberman, was the keynote speaker at CLiF’s 2013 Community Literacy conference). The idea — and the concept can be adjusted for … Continued
CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.