Our Elections and Our Children
Election season. An exhausting ride where we are all bombarded with campaign ads, controversial discussions, heated debates, and a barrage of political humdrum.
What’s New
Halloween Aftermath
Halloween Eve 9:00 p.m. I can’t imagine how this is possible. My sugar-hyped children have fallen asleep. Thank God. I look around the house. Some dishes from dinner are still on the counter; we barely gobbled it down before heading out to Trick or Treat. The table is covered in neatly sorted piles of peanut … Continued
General / Book Recommendations
All Hallows READ
If you’re anything like me, you’ll be spending this Halloween curled up with a scary book as you wait to chase hooligans off the supposedly-haunted bridge across from your property. But even if you’re not like me, you should still consider spending this cloudy, drizzly, decidedly creepy time of year reading an appropriately eerie book … Continued
A Classic Book to Calm the Chicken Herder (a.k.a. Mom)
Do you see these beautiful children? Oh, they are a handful! I love them so much, but at the end of a long day of chicken herding, I am worn out! Like chickens, they all seem to be going in different directions at the same time. And just when you think you have got everybody … Continued
A Born Reader – With Mom’s Help
I was quite a skilled eavesdropper by the time I was 13. You see, growing up in my house meant that each night before bed a story was told to each child in his or her own bedroom. It was a special time alone for each child with my mother at the helm of a … Continued
Roald Dahl in the Fall
Sure, there are those beautiful fall days with high, clear blue skies that set off the colors of the trees and just make your heart sing. Roald Dahl would be wasted on those days. And anyway, if we have any of those days left, PUT YOUR BOOKS DOWN AND GO OUTSIDE! When I mention Roald Dahl … Continued
I Used to Read the Sunday Times, Now I Read Strawberry Shortcake Sticker Books
A long time ago, when we were first married, my husband and I used to love to hang around on a Sunday morning reading the New York Times. In my memory of those days, it was cold and raining outside, or 20 below, and we had no place in particular to be. I made an extra … Continued
How Legos and Barbies Can Help Kids Become Readers
If you would like your child to be a great reader, should you give him or her… A book A Barbie A Lego set A trip to the zoo All of the above Well, let’s see. What are the tools of a really good reader? A good reader can decode the symbols on a page … Continued
I Never Thought I’d Know So Much About Trucks
They say that reading aloud to your child is a great way to start conversations about topics that you might have otherwise avoided, been too uncomfortable to discuss, or that would have never come up otherwise.
It can bring you closer to your child by giving you the opportunity to learn their opinions and see their perspectives on different subjects. As a parent of two boys, I can vouch for the validity of this statement.
Millions to read Ladybug Girl on October 4th!
As part of its mission to assure that all children begin school prepared, Jumpstart is sponsoringRead for the Record, an annual celebration of adults and children reading together.
In October 2011, more than two million people participated by reading aloud the classic tale,Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney.
This year, on Thursday, October 4th even more people across the nation will join in the celebration by reading Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad.
CLiF’s Year of the Book Has Begun!
Over the past few weeks, CLiF Executive Director Duncan McDougall has packed the CLiFmobile with books and driven to Brownington, Newbury, and Johnson, Vermont, as well as Pittsfield and Berlin, New Hampshire. CLiF has partnered with each town’s elementary school on our newest program, CLiF’s Year of the Book. (We’re also working with Pittsburg, NH. Their kick-off event will be on October 11.)
Summer Readers up 24% in 2012
It’s hard to believe that it’s autumn already! Over the course of the summer, CLiF presenters visited more than 2,600 children in Vermont and New Hampshire as part of our Summer Readers program. That’s a 24 percent increase over last summer!
A Spooky Giveaway from CLiF!
The leaves are changing, the air is crisper and Halloween is just around the corner! After discovering an excess of Halloween books in our inventory, we thought it might be fun to celebrate by giving away some copies to our enthusiastic CLiF fans.
Inspire Me! Children’s Books That Only Get Better
Anyone with young kids knows the drill – it’s time for bed, you settle yourself comfortably into the rocking chair, prepped and ready for some quality snuggling and an exciting bedtime story. But when you send the little tike off to choose that evening’s book, you find he returns with the story you read the night before…and the night before that…and the night before that…
Amish Camp?
CLiF spends a lot of time thinking about what a child will need to be successful. We are dedicated to getting books into the homes of children who don’t have them and to promoting the ability to read, write and understand printed material. We know the power of a literate mind and we want that for all children.
Ahoy Readers! Mark Your Calendars for September 19th!
I have been hearing about it for months. Just a few days ago, I almost scalded myself while cooking when my husband Tom exclaimed, “IT’S ALMOST HERE!!!”
“What?!” I responded with more than a hint of annoyance. I assumed it was something dire based on his hurried inflection. I held my breath and waited for an admission of an upcoming bill or forgotten birthday.
“Talk Like a Pirate Day!” Tom replied, looking up from his calendar with a Cheshire Cat grin.
The Adventures of Raina in Rainworld
The Adventures of Raina in Rainworld is a collection of fabulous and creative stories starring Raina, the champion of all children who would be outdone by their older siblings.
Raina is glamourous, athletic, tough, adventurous and independent. She can do anything that an older sibling can do and then some. She can read, cook, climb, ride a bike, fly, and toggle between her world and ours in the blink of an eye.
Book Recommendations / How You Can Help
No Words Necessary
Time with a toddler can be an exhausting string of activity. When you’re not decoding the cause for the latest tantrum, you’re plucking your child from the arm of the couch before he belly flops onto the cushions.
This past Friday I was watching my own crazed toddler, Emmett, in addition to two other children his age. Needless to say, my morning involved a mug of coffee gone cold and a maze of picking up toys, mopping up milk, and repeatedly reminding them to be gentle. By naptime, I was ready to snooze myself and couldn’t wait for a small window of quietness. Before I lulled them to sleep, however, I bravely tried to tackle story time.