Image Source: Unsplash Now that fall is officially upon us, children have started the school year, but thanks to COVID-19, it looks a little different. Schools across the country have taken different approaches when it comes to re-opening. Some states have allowed their schools to re-open in person while others are doing solely virtual learning … Continued
General / Presenter Profiles / CLiF Spotlight
CLiF’s Wednesday afternoon storytelling series is back! Join CLiF and one of our professional presenters Wednesdays at 1 p.m. EST from October 14 to November 18; register here. Watch the spring and summer presentations here. CLiF started these weekly sessions to: offer kids and parents a chance to take a break and share a story, … Continued
Research / Literacy Activities / Education
Welcome to school year 2020-2021! CLiF continues to serve as a resource to deliver program ideas, grants, and research to help teachers, librarians, parents, early educators, and out-of-school-time providers succeed in these challenging and confusing times. We NEED your ideas for how to do that – your ideas will be used to offer new grants … Continued
General / If you're a parent and...
One thing we might share these days is, in general, a greater appreciation for homes and communities. While some might call for change (I want to paint my front door), the COVID era, and the overlapping social justice movements, has perhaps surfaced in many a love of certain local institutions, traditions, and groups. Maybe this … Continued
While the world’s gone digital, there are all kinds of videos of celebrities reading children’s books, at-home learning resources, and ten zillion articles on how to manage remote learning. We know; it’s overwhelming! Whether you’re trying to keep your remote learners focused at home or you’re a librarian or teacher brainstorming fun, interesting ways to … Continued
Since April, we’ve been offering a weekly virtual storytelling series for kids, featuring CLiF’s amazing storytellers, authors, and illustrators. Now, we’ll be offering a virtual book club for grown-ups, too! Many of the 68 Vermont and New Hampshire authors/storytellers we work with also write for adults. This will be an opportunity to dig into the … Continued
Many of the books available to children and teens don’t reflect the diverse backgrounds and experiences of today’s world. According to a 2018 study, 50% of characters in children’s books were white, only 10% were Black, 5% were Latinx, and only 1% were Native American. 27% featured main characters that were animals, significantly more than … Continued
Whether you’re an aspiring author or a prolific journal-er, you can always improve your writing. The most important thing, I tell my students at New Degree Press/Creator Institute, is developing good habits and a regular practice. Schedule writing time into your routine. Not everyone can find time to write every day, though that’s a great … Continued
General / Book Recommendations
At any given time, the CLiF library is filled with thousands of beautiful new books waiting to find eager young readers. We give away high-quality books for every reader’s level and interests. We do our best to offer a wide variety of diverse titles, both classics and new books and series. Here are some of … Continued
CLiF Spotlight / How You Can Help / Education
An update to this post: Now that school is underway, CLiF is looking to rethink its Community Building Grant. We NEED your ideas! We will use them to formulate the components of this year’s Community Building grant. How CLiF can support teachers, parents, librarians, and administrators to succeed with literacy curriculum in a different and … Continued
CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Sandra Neil Wallace of Keene, NH. Sandra’s books “focus on people who break barriers and change the world.” Watch a clip of Sandra’s presentation from CLiF’s Virtual Author’s Series here. Things to think about: Here are a few ways to get to know Sandra’s work better: CLiF … Continued
General / Book Recommendations
It should come as no surprise that the CLiF staff loves to read! After all, our mission is to share that love with all kids in New Hampshire and Vermont. And there’s no better time to read than summer, especially as so many social events and programs are either cancelled or online, giving us more … Continued
CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Marty Kelley of New Boston, NH. Marty’s books and presentations bring together his sense of humor and his degrees in art, animation, and elementary education. Things to think about: How do you describe Marty’s art and/or his style? Marty writes and illustrates his own books and illustrates … Continued
Writing can be a miraculous activity that thrills both authors and readers from all over the world. Almost everyone starts writing at one point in life because somehow it just feels natural to express your thoughts and feelings in the textual form. But not everyone is capable of writing uniquely. It takes a genuine master … Continued
CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Marv Klassen-Landis of Windsor, VT. Marv uses stories, writing, and theater to help kids and adults learn more about themselves. Marv is a co-founder of the Children’s Voices Theater. Watch a clip of Marv’s presentation from CLiF’s Virtual Author’s Series here. CLiF created the outline below … Continued
CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Jan Reynolds of Stowe, VT. Jan travels the world, living with people of different cultures, and uses her photographs to illustrates books about people, their culture and traditions. CLiF created the outline below to help students of all ages think about her books. Jan grew up in … Continued
The CLiF team is thrilled to welcome our new Data/Office Manager, Kat Lane! While it may be an unusual time to start a new endeavor, Kat is up to the challenge and is already learning the ropes to help keep CLiF running smoothly. She’ll maintain our donor database and finances and perform administrative tasks to … Continued
CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Eric Pinder of Berlin, NH. Eric writes books and teaches writing in Vermont and New Hampshire. CLiF created the outline below to help students of all ages think about his books. Eric’s lifelong interest in science and nature led him to live on top of Mount Washington, … Continued
CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.