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Is it Friday already? Wow, what a week! Today at Jen Robinson's Book Page, Jen is wrapping up the week with a look at how we take the next step. She and her guests are offering answers and ideas to some of the toughest questions we have as adults ... mostly parents, but not always. We have a few questions left ourselves, so here goes ...

• Is there a book from your childhood that you didn't like "back then," but that you've since re-read and liked? What was it about the book that you didn't like before?
• Do you have a favorite chapter book for reading with kids of different ages  (e.g., 4, 9, 13)?
• What book(s) has your child recommended to you that you loved?

Just a reminder for new visitors. Here's how it works ...
1. Select the question or questions that resonate with you.
2. Find an old post or write a new one that answers the question. [Be sure to grab the Share a Story button from the sidebar to include in your new post!]
3. Come back here and link your post either via the inLinxz box or as a comment.

We'll be adding links for this question through tomorrow (Saturday). If you haven't had a chance to link up through the inlinkz box, don't fret ... the comments will remain open for 30 days, so if something strikes you next week, we'd love to hear from you then.

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The Reading is Fundamental (RIF) staff has selected the final nominees for the RIF Multicultural Books Giveaway. There were lots of posts on days 3 and 4 of Writing about Reading, but several were by finalists from the first round. The last two finalists for the RIF giveaway are ...

•  Jen Robinson who wrote about her favorite reading spot at Jen Robinson's Book Page; and
•  Elisabeth Marie, who answered all three writing prompts at YS Princess.
•  

Jen and xx join Tess Alfonsin (Reading Countess), Eric Van Raepenbusch (Happy Birthday Author), and Tif (Tif Talks Books) on the ballot. The top two vote-getters will win a 50-book set of Multicultural Books donated by Reading is Fundamental.

Voting is now open and will stay open until 12:00 noon (EST). We encourage you to read each of the five nominated posts and select the ONE that you think captures the essence of a reading life.

As soon as I have the name and some information about the school/public library Jen and xx pick, I will add that to the poll. [It is a wee bit early on the West Coast!]

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Two weeks ago, I mentioned that  Sleeping Bear Press donated three (3!) copies each of its Bear family bedtime stories: Say Daddy! and Goodnight Baby Bear. Well, imagine my surprise when those books were followed up with five (5!) copies each of R is for Rhyme: A Poetry Alphabet and S is for Story: A Writer's Alphabet.

We are celebrating Reading for the Next Generation at Jen Robinson's Book Page today, so it only seems fitting to have bedtime, rhyming and story books as our last giveaway. Three winners will receive a full set of the four picture books, which offer fiction and nonfiction content! The set is for you and your family to enjoy.

• Say Daddy by Michael Shoulders (Ill. Teri Weidner)
• Goodnight Baby Bear by Michael Shoulders (Ill. Teri Weidner)
• R is for Rhyme: A Poetry Alphabet by Judy Young (Ill Victor Huhasz)
• S is for Story: A Writer's Alphabet by Esther Hershenhorn (Ill. Zachary Pullen)

Two other winners will receive a set of the R is for Rhyme and S is for Story to be donated to their local library.

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Something old, something new, something borrowed ... Yesterday it was "something true." to finish our rhyme. Today? Well, it's something valued.Okay, it isn't a perfect alliteration, but I tried!

Although reading is a timeless skill, what we read - and how we read - change. Some of the books we loved as kids would seem hokey now. Some have references that wouldn't make sense to kids - phone booths? telephone dials? what are they? What hooked us - maybe a classic Nancy Drewor Anne of Green Gables or Heidi or Journey to the Center of the Earth - wouldn't work for many of our 21st Century kids. There was no realistic fiction back in the day - no edginess, no taboo subjects, and the good guys usually won. It's different now - not better, not worse - different.

Donalyn Miller (aka the Book Whisperer) and her group of rabid readers are going to help us embrace the differences and bring them together. They're talking all kinds of books, sometimes pairing books we loved with modern classics. Whether you're trying to get a pre-reader excited about books or trying to keep a pre-teen reading, they've got lots of ideas.

Here's today's lineup.

• Donalyn Miller has “Something Old, Something New: Pairing Classic and New Favorites” at The Book Whisperer blog
• Danielle Smith has “When I Was Young: The Books That Got Them Started” at There’s a Book
• Tess Alfonsin shares some “Childhood Favorites” at Reading Countess blog
• For some “Dystopian Science Fiction” ideas, see what Kate Sutherland suggests at Kate’s Book blog
• “Read Alouds in the Secondary Classroom” at RAW INcK Blog (still waiting on the URL)
• Professor Nana has “The New Classics: New Books for Tweens on Classic Themes” at The Goddess of YA blog
• Hilde Garcia is sharing some “First Lines from Children’s Books”at The Pen and Ink Blog

Do you have some suggestions of books that bring favorite/classic stories to a modern audience.? We'd love to hear them. Reading is a way to connect with your kids ... share the stories, swap books, laugh, cry ... make these the classics YOUR kids remember!

As has been our practice, we will update the direct links to the individual posts as they go live. You can also follow the discussions on Twitter. We're using the #SAS2010 hashtag.

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Just that fact, ma'am ... Sarah Mulhern has us thinking all about Nonfiction today at The Reading Zone. As you'll see from Sarah and her guests, this isn't your parents' nonfiction. Nonfiction books are one of the best ways to hook kids on reading.

* Do you have an image (photo, chart, illustration) from a nonfiction book that has stayed with you, even though you don't remember many of the details about what you read?
* What kind of reading material has inspired your dormant reader to become an avid reader and book seeker?
* Where is your favorite place to read? Do you share  your secret spot with your child?

Here are the steps ...
1. Select the question or questions that resonate with you.

2. Find an old post or write a new one that answers the question. [Be sure to grab the Share a Story button from the sidebar to include in your new post!]

3. Come back here and link your post either via the inLinkz box or as a comment.

The inlinkz box will remain open all week, so come back anytime to add your post.

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Sorry, I couldn't resist. Before you decide nonfiction = boring, you might want to take a stroll around the village today. Nonfiction - particularly nonfiction picture books - may be the perfect lure for reluctant readers.

At the Reading Zone, today's host Sara Mulhern has two posts. In addition to introducing Day 3 of Share a Story, she has a great piece about pairing nonfiction with fiction in the classroom, complete with reviews of a few science/nature books for use in middle school, she links you to great ideas by other nonfiction lovers.

• Anastasia Suen talks about sharing nonfiction with new readers at 5 Great Books;
• Dawn Little, who is talking about Real World Reading with Preschoolers ... at the Literacy Toolbox;
• Monica Edinger is offering information about educating alice;
• Jessica talks about Hooking Reluctant Middle Grade Readers (You Choose and Wicked History Series) at 26 Letters;
• Melissa is talking about finding books with childhood memories a little later in life with After Little House, what? at Kidlit History;
• Natasha Maw is talking about nonfiction for early readers and their parents at Maw Books blog;
• Amy Mascott is talking about Everyday Nonfiction Newspaper Reading at Teach Mama; and
• At Imagination Soup, xxx asks Are You a Fiction or a Nonfiction Reader?

As has been our practice, we will update the direct links to the individual posts as they go live. You can also follow the discussions on Twitter. We're using the #SAS2010 hashtag.

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It may still be Day 1 here in the Western Hemisphere, but it's already Day 2 in Australia, where Susan Stephenson (the Book Chook) lives, so ...

Welcome to Day 2 of Share a Story ~ Shape a Future. If you're just joining us, then double welcome! We're glad you've found us and can't wait to hear your stories and ideas. (image credit: It Takes a Village logo created by Susan Stephenson at ToonDoo.com)

When we started brainstorming about the idea of a literacy blog tour way back in the Aughts (08 to be exact), we knew early on that we wanted to create a venue that showed how reading is relevant to a child's development, but also to offer literacy ideas in ways that were accessible to everyone.

Well, today's host, Susan Stephenson of The Book Chook, has taken that idea to a whole new level (and another continent)! She and her guests are talking about everything from "low-tech" storytelling and singing to letting kids create stop-motion videos. So let's get started ...

We hear stories before we read them, so it only seems natural that Susan opens the day with a pair of interviews with storytellers. Join her for her chats with Francie Dillon and Helen Evans at the Book Chook. Then *hear* some more stories ...

• At Saints and Spinners, Farida Dowler shares ideas for Stories in the Bathtub.
• At Dulemba.com, illustrator Elizabeth Dulemba talks about the future of reading in an article called Beyond the Printed Page.
• Last November, Rebecca Taylor talked about sharing family stories and Family Stories Month at Lost in Books.
• Franki Sibberson talks about digital storytelling in a pair of posts at A Year of Reading. First up, her February post Discovering the Possibilities of Stopmotion in Grades 2-5. She also talks about making Tricky Videos with Klutz.
• Dawn Morris helps us understand that literacy is more than just reading and writing. Head over to Moms Inspire Learning for the Circles of Literacy
• At Chatel Village, Kim Chatel shares more about Storytelling in a Multimedia World.

Sometimes we have to be a little creative when it comes to getting kids interested in activities related to reading. If you're looking for ways to sneak in some literacy ...

• Join Joyce Grant at Getting Kids Reading to get ideas on ways to Get Active Kids Reading.
• Pull out all stops. Amy Mascott shares some of her tips for getting a little sneaky at Teach Mama.
• Think pictures. Rebecca Taylor talks about Combining Art with Liter
  1 Comments on Share a Story 2010 Day 2: Literacy My Way, Literacy Your Way, last added: 3/9/2010
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  Tif said, on 3/9/2010 9:50:00 PM
  

  Wow!!! I finally finished going through all of these great links and that is all I can say!! There is so much good stuff here that I have no idea where to even start!! Thank you!!
  
  Once again, here is a post with my thoughts . . . http://www.tiftalksbooks.com/2010/03/share-story-shape-future-day-2-literacy.html

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Good morning, I'm glad you've stopped by. Writing about Reading is a new, daily activity for Share a Story ~ Shape a Future.  As you'll see over the week, our questions are broader than just "reading," but this title is pretty catchy, so I'm going to stick with it. [image credit: Share a Story Logo created by author/illustrator Elizabeth Dulemba.]

We hope you'll grab your favorite beverage, mull over the questions, and pick one to write about. You're always welcome to write about the topic of the day, but we thought we would add some other questions in hopes that by offering more things to talk about,  we can expand the discussions and inspire more people to share their reading experiences and ideas. 

So here we go ... our first three writing prompts for Share a Story 2010.

• What is the book from your childhood you can't wait to share with a child and why?  
• Who is the person who influenced you most as a reader?  
• Do you have any special reading-time rituals for reading aloud with kids?

Just to recap: Our goal with the questions is to reach new places for sharing our reading and literacy experiences and ideas, and we'd love to include your voice, too. Here's how it works ...

1. Select the question(s) that resonates with you.
2. Find an old post or write a new one that answers the question. [Be sure to grab a Share a Story button from the sidebar to include in your new post!]
3. Come back here and link your post either via the inLinkz box or as a comment.
4. (optional) Tweet about your post and include the #SAS2010 hashtag.

If you are interested in the RIF Multicultural Books Collection giveaway, you'll want to read this post on how that giveaway is connected to Writing about Reading activities.

We'll be adding links for the questions all week, so there's no rush to have an answer the same day a question is posted ... unless you are entering a book giveaway contest.

InLinkz updates for Monday, 8 March 2010:

• Jen Robinson adds her thoughts for all three questions at Jen Robinson's Book Page. 
• Eric Van Raepenbusch talks about reading at his house at the Happy Birthday Author blog.
•  Kirsten Cutler tells us why her dad influenced her the most as a reader at the 4IQREAD blog.
•  Roberta Gibson tells us about her favorite book and why it has probably resonated with her more than her son (so far) at Wrapped in Foil.  
• Tess Alfonsin shares her personal journey to reading success in My Cornerstone Book at
  4 Comments on Writing about Reading: Questions for Day 1, last added: 3/11/2010
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  ReadingCountess said, on 3/8/2010 7:14:00 PM
  

  Thank you, Mrs. Wolford!

  Cathy Puett Miller said, on 3/9/2010 2:23:00 PM
  

  Terry,
  
  Better late than never. I wanted to start reading and following yesterday but did today instead. Great content! I'll be sharing!

  Tif said, on 3/9/2010 10:30:00 PM
  

  I believe that in order to be eligible for the giveaway, we are to enter our school or library that we would like to see the books donated to. I just want to put it out there that I am uncertain at this time! I think it will depend on the answer to the question that I posted in the announcement post! :)

  Elisabeth Marie said, on 3/11/2010 12:35:00 PM
  

  Please let me know if I've done this wrong!

  Add a Comment

Yeah! It's here! Share a Story-Shape a Future 2010 has started. We selected the theme It Takes a Village to Raise a Reader because learning to read is an immersive process ... everyone in a child's life plays a role, either formally or informally. One of our goals with this year's event is to share ideas about all of the ways we can create readers and, by extension, celebrate the efforts that each of us dedicate to the children in our lives.

With today's theme, The Many Faces of Reading, Terry will takes us on a guided tour around the proverbial "village."  She's hosting at Scrub-a-Dub-Tub (Reading Tub blog) and we'll share stories with and from people in our communities who dedicate themselves to promoting reading.

• Lee Wind starts us off with Dads! He shares the 3 Secrets of Reading with Your Daughter.If you've got the worry ... Lee's got the answer.
• Greg Pincus
• Melissa Taylor offers a win-win-win with parent-child book clubs at Imagination Soup. Don't tell anyone, but this is the best book club you'll ever join.  From Melissa: "PS, Oprah, I've got one on ya. You forgot the kids."
• Terry thought Just One More Book had something on this topic, but Andrea Ross says it was probably her article The Family that Reads Together ... What's In It for Me? She wrote this as a guest blogger for the Children's Book Review.  Here's a link to the podcast version of The Family that Reads Together.

• Sarah Mulhern will talk about the teacher-student relationship at The Reading Zone.
• The Book Whisperer (aka Donalyn Miller) is going to talk about teaching ethics, responsibility, and the difference between "teaching books" v. teaching to read.
• Terry Doherty shares her experience as a reading tutor at Scrub-a-Dub-Tub.

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As part of Share a Story ~ Shape a Future, Reading is Fundamental is donating two full sets of its Multicultural book collection for our It Takes a Village giveaways! There are 50 books in each set. Wow! Thank you! muchas gracias, merci beaucoup, danka shen ... there aren't enough ways to say thank you!

You can read the complete list of titles here (pdf), or you can watch the slideshow here.  We'll also keep a widget with the slideshow over on the right-hand side during the event.

RIF for Share a Story

Our theme for Share a Story 2010 is "It takes a village," and we wanted our giveaways toc benefit as many communities and readers as possible. Given the budget crunches schools and libraries are facing, it seems only logical that they be the beneficiaries of these collections. The Giveaway is tied to our Writing on Reading initiative, and here is how it will work.

1. Select one of the Writing on Reading questions.
2. Put together your thoughts and post them on your blog.
3. Come back to the daily Writing on Reading post and add your link to Inlinkz box AND add a comment with the name of the school or public library you would like to see receive the books.

Each day, RIF staff will be reading your posts and will select their favorite posts.They will pick three from Monday and Tuesday and three from Wednesday and Thursday. We'll announce the first three here on Wednesday and the next three Friday morning.

On Friday morning  (12 March 2010)I will have a ballot with the six finalists and open the voting. We will use a Survey Monkey poll to collect votes of the "fan favorite" of the six. The voting will remain open until 12:00 noon, (EST) on Saturday, 13 March 2010. The two bloggers/writers with the most votes will be the winners. The winners will be announced on Monday, 15 March 2010 on the Share a Story blog.

Here  is the fine print:

1. There is only one entry per person. RIF staff will select only one post per blogger. If you are a finalist from the Monday/Tuesday posts, additional posts on Wednesday/Thursday will not be considered for the contest.
2. Guest or ghost posts will not be eligible; neither will be additional posts published by the same author on more than one blog.
3. Communities in the United States are eligible. There is no international shipping.

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Aren't these just the coolest? My thanks to Susan Stephenson for creating buttons we can use to celebrate - and promote - Share a Story ~ Shape a Future 2010.

As we've mentioned a time or two, this year's theme is "It Takes a Village to Raise a Reader," and with that in mind, the Chook created two buttons that you can use by themselves, or in conjunction with the timeless logo Elizabeth Dulemba created last year.

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It is time once again to thank one of the generous donors for Share a Story 2010 ... The Itty Bitty Bookworm, creator Tara Rison, and her team.

When Tara opened her preschool several years ago, she wanted to create a story-based curriculum. When she couldn't find one, she created her own. The results of her passion are two programs, one for toddlers and one for preschoolers, both built around children's books.

The magic of The Itty-Bitty Bookworm is in the simple, organized, teach-it-yourself curriculum. It’s a literature-based program on CD that does all the planning for you, so you can focus on what's important ~ your children

Tara is very graciously donating one full-year subscription for each of her programs for Share a Story 2010.

• Bailey Curriculum ~ for children 18 months -36 months. Here is a sample (pdf) of what the Bailey program includes. 
• Bo Curriculum ~ for children 3 to 5 years old. Here is a sample (pdf) from the Bo Curriculum. 

When we open the giveaway during Share a Story week, we will accept nominations for recipients. Eligible winners include government funded or subsidized preschools serving economically disadvantaged children; public schools (e.g., Bright Stars, Head Start); or a family services organization that has a literacy outreach. This is a community event, so we will create a ballot for people to vote as nominations are received. More details about the nominations will follow.

You do not have to work at the school or have a child at the school, but you do need to give us the details about the school. Tara's goal, like ours, is to improve access to books for readers in need.

Important Note: These licenses are for one teacher, one classroom. Any reproduction of the material is a copyright violation.

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