JacketFlap connects you to the work of more than 200,000 authors, illustrators, publishers and other creators of books for Children and Young Adults. The site is updated daily with information about every book, author, illustrator, and publisher in the children's / young adult book industry. Members include published authors and illustrators, librarians, agents, editors, publicists, booksellers, publishers and fans. Join now (it's free).
Login or Register for free to create your own customized page of blog posts from your favorite blogs. You can also add blogs by clicking the "Add to MyJacketFlap" links next to the blog name in each post.
Blog Posts by Tag
In the past 30 days
Blog Posts by Date
Click days in this calendar to see posts by day or month
Sitting in a waiting room today in Arkansas, I pulled a file up on my laptop with a photo of Clifford. The woman sitting next to me caught my attention, saying how much her grandson just loves Clifford. She then asked if I’d seen the new video on the internet with Clifford, the flying pigs and LeVar Burton. My jaw dropped.
Just one day after the launch of Book People Unite and RIF’s new PSA is already a viral sensation.
You can imagine how busy we’ve been at RIF getting this campaign off the ground — and there’s more excitement to come. But I wanted to post quickly to all my readers. To those of you who have pledged, thank you. To those of you who haven’t yet, join us in igniting a movement to get books into the hands of kids who need them most. Book People Unite.
0 Comments on Book People Are Everywhere as of 1/1/1900
Ever wondered what kind of work RIF volunteers are doing every day? Check out this Flickr photo gallery, showcasing winners from a recent photo contest we held for our RIF programs.
Winners received small cash prizes to help with their work getting books to kids in need. They also received a set of RIF’s 2011-12 Multicultural Book Collection which features high-quality books for children grades K-4. Since 2007, RIF has distributed the collection to RIF programs across the country as part of its Multicultural Literacy Campaign, a multi-year initiative to promote and support early childhood literacy in African American, Hispanic, and American Indian communities.
I am delighted to host the Monday, April 2, 2012 Nonfiction Monday Roundup. Please add your name and book title along with the URL of your entry in the comment section, I will be compiling the comments into the body of this page as time permits on Monday.
Thank you for participating by contributing to the collective information of all regarding nonfiction titles for children and youth and/or for stopping by to read today’s collection.
Today marks a crossroads for RIF. Our 34-year long federal grant – totaling $24.8 million last year and 80 percent of our budget — officially comes to a close tomorrow.
To maximize our ability to get books to kids who need them most, we’ve had to say goodbye to some of the most dedicated staff members I’ve had the privilege to work alongside. And a true sign of their devotion to our mission is the way in which they have departed, making clear their continued commitment to the cause of literacy.
We salute them. And we are proud to continue to have them by our side as lifelong supporters as we write the next chapter for RIF.
In fact, it’s not simply a crossroads for RIF, it’s a crossroads for the country. And literacy is at its heart.
America’s competitiveness in the global economy is dependent on nurturing the young minds of our future generation.
The loss of our federal support comes at a time when the number of children living in poverty has hit a record high. And for every 300 children living in poverty in America, there is only one book.
Study after study proves that it’s not how much money is in their parents’ bank account that matters most. When it comes to success for our children, what matters most is how many books they have the opportunity to read.
The solution is simple. And your role is more critical than ever.
We are emboldened by our more than 400,000 RIF volunteers who placed 15 million books into the hands of 4 million children last year. We know there is a foundation of deeply committed individuals, foundations, and corporations who will stand by our sides. Now, more than ever, is the time for RIF to innovate and spark a movement for reading in America.
In the coming weeks, we will spark that movement through the launch of a new awareness campaign. We will depend on you to help rally your friends and family who believe in the life-changing power of books to unite with us.
Today, we give a special salute to the dedicated RIF staff members who will be continuing this journey in a new role. Thank you. And thank you, readers of America, for your commitment to what’s to come.
I hope you have already seen the mid-month Roundup posted by Terry Doherty at The Family Bookshelf with support from Jen Robinson’s Book Page and myself. Terry has put together a great potpourri of tools listed; there are directions to accessing various book lists, new sites on apps, a multicultural book guide and more. I was delighted to learn more about www.Scoop.it where Terry is curating the Family Literacy topic and our good Roundup friend Susan of The Book Chook is curating the Supporting Children’s Literacy topic. Check out Scoop.it if you have not already done so!
A few other items to round out this week:
Have you met Kevin Henkes‘ newest mouse, Penny? Cynthia Leitich Smith has some excellent videos at CYNSATIONS showing Henkes at work and introducing Miss Penny. Go over and meet the mouse!
While it was a February post it is still an important one: from ScienceDaily an article “Puzzle Play Helps Boost Learning Math-Related Skills.” Of additional note in this University of Chicago study is a reference to the fact the ability for mentally making the transformation of shapes is a key predictor of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) course-taking in older children. Thanks to Imagination Soup for pointing out this article.
And speaking of puzzles, I always think of Melissa and Doug when I think puzzles. Unfortunately I came upon this post of Teach Mama too late for the special program noted, but I enjoyed seeing a picture of Melissa and learning a bit more about her! I really liked this question regarding Melissa and Doug in the opening of the blog post: Is their pantry full of wooden food and their playroom full of magnetic dolls and puzzles, and do they ride around on Trunkis all day long? To prepare for the event I misssed with Melissa, Teach Mama gave readers some great tips for participating in a twitter party/gathering by whatever name…it’s an experience that can be more than overwhelming at first – fun and informative, yes, but indeed wild the first time or two!
A hearty congrats to Christopher Cerf, multiple Grammy and Emmy winner, for being named today as an Eric Carle honoree.
Cerf, a RIF board member, co-created and co-produced PBS’s much lauded Between the Lions – promoting reading to children and their families. He’s receiving the Carle “Bridge” Honor, given to individuals who have found inspired ways to bring the art of the picture book to larger audiences through work in other fields.
Cerf is also the genius behind many of Sesame Street’s most memorable songs. We leave you today with a clip from one of our favs.
0 Comments on MUSE FLASH: RIF’s Cerf Receives Carle Honor as of 1/1/1900
RIF’s Jack Remondi (second from left) stands next to author Jeff Kinney with friends from ReadBoston and Mayor Menino (second from front right).
Last week, our friends at ReadBoston hosted an event for Reading Is Fundamental–featuring “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” author Jeff Kinney and Boston’s Mayor Tom Menino. Mayor Menino read a selection from Kinney’s best-selling book to students. RIF’s Chairman of the Board Jack Remondi also joined the festivities. Check out The Boston Globe piece highlighting the event, including Kinney’s adventure in finding an appropriate selection for someone of mayoral status.
0 Comments on MUSE Flash: Boston Mayor, ‘Wimpy Kid’ Team Up for RIF as of 1/1/1900
Today you are 100 years old Girl Scouts USA! To all Girl Scouts, whatever your ages, RIF says “Happy Birthday and congratulations to you for belonging to this grand organization!”
Among the most special memories I have of childhood are those created in Brownies and then after “flying up” to Girl Scouts. What are some of those memories? Camp, uniforms, friends, my mother as the leader, badges, camp, special trips, serving as my daughter’s troop leader, camp…can you tell I was particularly fond of camp? Indeed I was! The photo shows l to r: me, my mother the Scout Leader who had been a Scout herself, my sister Martha. I was a brand new Scout having completed my “Brownie” years, and I was eager to fill that badge sash!
Recently I saw my first copy of HERE COME THE GIRL SCOUTS: The Amazing All-True Story of Juliette ‘Daisy’ Gordon Low and Her Great Adventure by Shana Corey and illustrated by Hadley Hooper. This book published January 1, 2012 by Scholastic Press and reviewed Sunday, March 11, 2012 in The New York Timesis a wonderful addition to Scouting literature for the early elementary aged reader. Publishers Weekly said it best for me when praising both the narrative and the artwork by saying it ”portrays the Scouts and their history in a fresh, unstuffy manner.” The cover said exactly that – unstuffy – to me on first viewing. Juliette Gordon Low always came off a bit prim and proper when portrayed to us during my Scouting years. But clearly when you look at the record, she was far from it…perhaps to the dismay of some matrons of her time (which makes me smile). Committed to diversity and ”good deeds” as well as camping and other activities considered fully out of place by many in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia, Juliette held her head high and moved Girl Scouting forward – perhaps a bit ahead of its time!
Today’s 2.3 million active Scouts carry on Juliette’s proud tradition; and the 50 million Girl Scout Alumnae are evidence of the power of Girl Scouting: Two-thirds of our nation’s most accomplished women in public service, business, science, education, the arts, and community life were Girl Scouts.
Hadley Hooper’s work is frequently featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. Visit her tumblr site for excellent examples of the Girl Scout book illustration.
Sco
0 Comments on Happy Birthday, Girl Scouts! as of 1/1/1900
I am delighted to host the Monday, March 12, 2012 Nonfiction Monday Roundup. Please add your name and book title along with the URL of your entry in the comment section, I will be compiling the comments into the body of this page as time permits on Monday.
Thank you for participating by contributing to the collective information of all regarding nonfiction titles for children and youth and/or for stopping by to read today’s collection.
Happy Reading!
Carol
0 Comments on NONFICTION MONDAY ROUNDUP: Step right up! as of 3/11/2012 5:28:00 PM
Some smiles were found this weekend in addition to our family’s celebration of my dad’s 90th birthday and some smiles are lingering from events of the past week…
Learning of the pure awe and wonder the students in Argentina RIF classes were experiencing as they came to absorb the fact those people on the screen were truly in America!
A Book Riot post full of interesting literacy-related things including these fun finger nails accomplished with the use of regular newspaper; some “wow!” sculpture from books, another version of the book purse and more!
And thinking about book sculpture, there was sculpture from books in the above Book Riot post; and it was lovely. However, I only thought I had seen exceptionally intricate sculpture with paper. The pieces created from books by Brian Dettmer are genuinely beyond my imagination; see additional sculpture beyond the sample above at Karan Arora’s site Posterous as well as Dettmer‘s site.
While the story is sad, yes it’s yet another one of a RIF program closing due to the loss of the federal grant, this community of Canon City, Colorado is going to do all they can to continue its strong advocacy for children’s literacy as they have for years…and the yellow reading dress institutionalized by Gerri Colette won’t come to DC to the Smithsonian as requested, it’s staying in a local museum! Read about the dress…perhaps a needed RIF tradition addition?
Enjoy the remaining hours of the weekend , Happy Reading!
Carol
Sometimes at the end of the week I unwind in part by checking out links I happened upon in recent searches on varying topics and the links take me to smiles or perhaps it is photos of favorite things but all lead to miles of smiles.
0 Comments on Miles of Smiles as of 3/11/2012 2:33:00 PM
Seven and eight-year-old kids in Buenos Aires got their first taste of Skype, enjoyed a bilingual read-aloud and got treated to a skit starring a monkey this week.
The activities were part of a World Read Aloud Day celebration between RIF National and Fundación Leer (RIF Argentina). Through online and in-person activities, World Read Aloud promotes the power of worldwide literacy through online and in-person activities.
This year, I joined the Argentinian students for a Skype session during their English lesson on Wednesday, reading the English version of New Day, New Friends to them and answering their questions.
The students were wowed by the “magic” of interacting with someone so far away. And I had the always-welcome chance to add to my small Spanish vocabulary.
Today, more RIF staff members got in on the action by re-enacting the book in a skit they shared with the students. Check out the video for ideas about how to involve your own kids in read-aloud activities.
Quick. Find a kid, crack open a book and start reading. It’s World Read Aloud Day.
Last year, there were more than 200,000 participants registered from more than 60 countries – and every state in the U.S.
In honor of the special event, we’ve got two great choices of read-aloud material. Both are part of our Multicultural Book Collection.
Either book would make first-rate read-aloud selections on this special day.
A Boy Called Slow – by Joseph Bruchac – tells the story of how a great hero earned his name. Sitting Bull, the Lakota Sioux leader, was once a slow and deliberate boy. He grew into a brave and determined warrior. Best for the 1st to 4th grade range, this book is a great way to encourage discussion about the customs of the American Indian tribes living in North and South Dakota. Ask children to talk about on how their own family customs may be similar or different. Find these and other ideas in our free activity sets for the book.
For children in kindergarten through 3rd grade, The Birthday Swap – by Loretta Lopez – also offers a wonderful tale for talking about family traditions. In this story, a young girl is looking for the perfect gift for her older sister – and ends up with her own surprise in the end. You can use this story to engage kids in a conversation on everything from birthday rituals to understanding words in English and Spanish. Be sure to download free activities for the book.
Interested in learning more about these exceptional authors? Check out RIF’s recent panel discussion, where they both spoke about their experiences with multiculturalism.
And don’t forget to register for World Read Aloud Day – help show the world the right to read and write belongs to all people.
0 Comments on Two Banner Books for Reading Aloud as of 1/1/1900
Welcome to Day 2 of Share a Story-Shape a Future, an opportunity to share ideas, encourage each other, and spread the word about children’s literacy. The 2012 theme is The Culture of Reading;today we are exploring “Reading as a passport to other worlds and cultures.”
Several years ago Reading Is Fundamental initiated our Multicultural Literacy Campaign, a multi-year effort designed in part to encourage children to explore and learn about their own culture and the culture of others, the “mirrors and windows with sliding glass doors” concept as articulated by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop. One component of our effort is a yearly compilation of multicultural book sets through the generous sponsorship of Macy’s; these sets are distributed to more than 500 sites annually with the book lists and activities posted online for all to use.
Recently RIF held the launch for this year’s collection in a program at the Library of Congress Young Readers Center with a panel made up of authors and illustrators whose books are featured in the collection — Christopher Myers, Loretta Lopez and “>Dr. Joseph Bruchac
– and Dr. Violet Harris, a literacy expert and chair of RIF’s Literature Advisory Board. Throughout the coming year RIF will be featuring on Wednesdays here at Rasco from RIF many of the 45 books in this year’s collection and linking to the activities prepared for the featured book; we hope you’ll drop by weekly for a visit!
Dr. Larrick's essay is included in this 1995 publication edited by Osayimwense Osa.
In her presentation, Dr. Harris set the context for the audience regarding the need for multicultural literature for all children, literature representing as many cultures as possible by discussing the work of Dr. Nancy Larrick, the second president (56-57) of the International Reading Association. Larrick is said to have noted the impetus for her oft-quoted study in the early 1960′s was when a five year old black girl asked her why all the children were white in the books she read. Her question came more than 20 years after Charlemae Rollins and others had begun
0 Comments on Share a Story-Shape a Future: The Book as Passport as of 1/1/1900
In the Share a Story-Shape a Future introductory entry today, I indicated this posting would be a list of blogs I hope you will find useful in your efforts to become more familiar with a wide array of multicultural books and customs. The list is not comprehensive, but it is a list I can indeed recommend to you given my familiarity with these blogs. Let’s get acquainted!
READING IN COLOR
MissA is a teen who happens to be in her senior year of high school. One of the genuine pleasures in my blogging life has been the opportunity to become acquainted with MissA. It is my suggestion to learn more about this blog you read her statement “About Reading in Color” on the page I have linked with the blog title. Next you should travel to the Reading, POC & Me tab; I recommend the blog post Latinos Don’t Fall in Love, Asians Don’t Tell Jokeswhich articulates the purpose statement read earlier. The reviews are great, and I learn about titles I otherwise might never hear of in my day to day work. Those of us regularly reading MissA are anxiously awaiting her next steps; big things are in front of her!
BookDragon BookDragon is a book review blog produced by theSmithsonian Asian Pacific American Program (APAP). I like the way the introductory material notes the blog is inhabited by Terry Hong; indeed that is the level of attention given this blog! A brief video will orient you to the APAP program. In addition to the excellent book reviews, I encourage you to become familiar with the new 10×10 project underway. You will be glad you have learned of this blog for your “online education.”
MITALI’S FIRE ESCAPE Mitali Perkins is someone in the blog world who helps all of us to maintain a strong sense of the importance of children and youth having access to a wide array of literature genuinely representative of all cultures and viewpoints. The Fire Escape is billed as “a safe place between cultures to chat about books” and Mitali indeed maintains it as such. I commend to you a post that means a lot to me and gives depth to our topic today: Why Our Children Must Read Far and Wide – take the 6.5 minutes or less this video runs to hear Mitali speak to the topic!
This is one of the “cleanest, freshest” covers I have seen in years. And I am not even sure what I am saying by “cleanest, freshest” but that is how it “feels.” It is fascinating this author is a former cover designer herself as she writes about in a column I stumbled upon which was my introduction to the book. No, she did not design her own cover for this book which is her debut novel (and a four-starred novel!). Palacio discusses that cover design process in a column published March 3 at Notes of Life where we learn Tad Carpenter designed the cover…and oh, yes, Palacio likes the cover a lot herself!
WONDER, you’re next up for me!
Happy Reading,
Carol
Cover Story is a feature almost every Monday on Rasco From RIF where I share with you the “face” of a book that has caught my eye or that readers have submitted. I have not always read the book before featuring it on Cover Story, and I normally do not discuss the contents of the book on the Cover Story posting. I hope you will share your favorite “cover story” possibility with me now and then.
The Golden Kite Awards and Honors are given each year to the most outstanding children’s books published during the previous year, and written or illustrated by members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) with judging by panels of members of SCBWI. Awards were announced on March 1…and I was sure excited to see the winners, some of my favorites published in 2011! I have written previously about the haunting and ongoing effects Ruta Sepetys’ Between Shades of Gray has on me; it was named the Fiction winner. I was fortunate to be a CYBILS finalist judge on the panel naming Candace Fleming’s Amelia Lost as the winner in a non-fiction category, and it was named the Nonfiction Golden Kite winner.Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner which won for Picture Book Text was also an early favorite of mine; and the winner in Picture Book Illustration, Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet is another one about which I have written more than once! Congratulations to these winners!
Kate Messner presenting to TED2012: Full Spectrum. Photo by James Duncan Davidson.
Speaking of Kate Messner, she is a participant at TED2012: Full Spectrum this week with her talk on imagination and world building given during Friday’s Session 11, called “The Classroom.” If you have not had the chance to keep up with her posts on the experience you will want to go read them; I can see an upper elementary class learning a
From BOOK RIOT also came two posts bringing auto-smiles, both by Wallace Yovetich: Bookish weddings with a shot from the Kansas City Public Library that is such a fun backdrop – BIG books! How to Spot a Reader with my favorite being “3.) They have magical cards that get them books for free.”
Photo from Studio 1212
Oh, I was NOT smiling during my childhood when I had to push this Electrolux around as my “chore” but the 1954 version makes me smile now to see it as a table…however, the price is such I will simply enjoy the photo! The piano bar I found this week is also neat carrying out its name literally as well as a hidden bookcase incorporated.
And then I found book benches this week. Some promoting poetry in Turkey and others designed for kids (big kids like us, too!) at Big Cozy Books (you may have to scroll down a bit upon arrival on the page)
A floorplan using book furniture from Big Cozy Books
What fun!
Have a great weekend, Happy Reading!
Carol
Sometimes at the end of the week I unwind in part by checking out links I happened upon in recent searches on varying topics and the links take me to smiles or perhaps it is photos of favorite things but all lead to miles of smiles.
First of all, let me honor the great Doctor on his birthday by saying I love Dr. Seuss.
When I was six, I flipped over the handlebars of my blue Huffy and landed in the hospital with a concussion. My guilt-ridden mom would have done anything for me that night. And, thus, she endured reading me Fox in Socks… and again … and again. All. Night. Long.
Shift ahead more than a few years. I’m a dad now, with my own little Cindy Lou Who. As the dad of my own little Cindy Lou Who, I have a new perspective on the books. And so I offer you up:
A Dad’s Top 7 Dr. Seuss Lessons …
1. Cindy Lou Who gets out of bed for a cup of cold water.The classic Grinch heroine gets out of bed for water. She’s not more than 2. If you have a 2-year-old, you know this – do NOT give your child an excuse to get out of bed. Especially an excuse that involves drinking moments before 10 hours of no potty breaks. And so, when you read this part, read it quickly and without passion. Very, very soon the Grinch will stuff the tree up the chimbley. FOCUS ON THE CHIMBLEY.
2. I do NOT wish to go. Have you read Cat in the Hat lately? I was a huge fan as a kid. Even liked the sequel. But as a dad, when there’s some strange feline who shows up at the front door when their mother is out for the day (yeah, this could be another point but it was a different era and all) if their little fish friend (aka conscience) says go, then that cat better go. No more games. No Big Red Wood Box. Just go.
The author’s Cindy Lou Who, Riley, gets out of bed for cold water. And milk. And juice.
3. Horton had OCD. Horton is a really nice elephant. Reeeeallly nice. He picked through millions of thistles. Millllllions. Just saying.
4. That Once-ler has a foul mouth. In a span of two or three pages, the dirty old Once-ler man calls him stupid and tells him to shut up (but says please, not kidding). So, yeah, I have changed that to “silly” and “be quiet.”My daughter is 3. Maybe when she turns 4, I’ll stop censoring Seuss. Maybe.
5. The Foot Book.If ever you’re on a car trip and can’t read your daughter an actual story, let this book be your lesson. Make something up. He wrote an entire book about feet. And kids love it. Opposites+calluses=fascination.
6. Green food isn’t all bad. OK, so I’m still waiting for this book to really kick in with my daughter, but Green Eggs and Ham *may* have been influential in her tasting and liking broccoli. Well, just the dark green part of the floret. She won’t actually eat beyond the small buds. And she won’t really taste many foods yet without a lot of grumbling. So, maybe we should read this more?
7. Oh the Thinks You Can Think. But don’t overthink. This is probably one of his most underrated books. But it’s worth a read. And it prepares you for when your child starts making up their own stories with names like “Mafpurl” and animals like “Rawfrzns.” So give it a try. You can think up a GUFF going by.
In other words, I get it. I’m a dad now, and I have read my daughter Fox in Socks over, and over, and over again. And I loved it. These books, aside from the new angle parenthood has given me, have endured. Happy birthday, Dr. Seuss. We’re having cupcakes tonight in your honor.
The author, Jay Brown, is RIF’s new Director of Inte
0 Comments on A Dad’s Top 7 Dr. Seuss Lessons as of 1/1/1900
Folks stopping by Barnes & Noble at The Grove yesterday were in store for a sweet treat. Actress Kate Beckinsale was on hand reading to children to kick of National Reading Month with “The Nestlé Share the Joy of Reading Program” and Reading Is Fundamental.
“As a mom and a big reader, I am excited to be participating in ‘The Nestlé Share the Joy of Reading Program’ to benefit Reading Is Fundamental,” said Kate Beckinsale. “Reading has had an enormous, positive impact on my life and I encourage people to support organizations such as RIF that work to ignite a child’s hunger for knowledge and inspire imagination. I can’t think of a better time than National Reading Month to encourage everyone to read.”
Throughout the year, our friends at Nestlé donate up to $250,000 to RIF through the program. You can help us achieve our goal by looking on specially marked bags of Nestlé candy and entering the code online. For every code, RIF gets $.10. Read more about the partnership and check out video and photos from the event. And don’t forget to enter those codes!
0 Comments on MUSE FLASH: Kate Beckinsale, Nestlé Team Up for RIF as of 1/1/1900
Welcome to the February Children’s Literacy and Reading News Roundup brought to you by Jen Robinson’s Book Page, Family Bookshelf and Rasco from RIF. It has been a big month for literacy in addition to the awards and events covered earlier in the mid-month Roundup.
LITERACY & READING-RELATED EVENTS
A couple of events that are happening within hours/days of this roundup hitting the airwaves:
READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY
The red and white hats are ready, the Dr. Seuss books stacked neatly, the special cupcakes and/or green eggs and ham are on the shopping lists. And look at this latest news flash about Friday, March 2: In honor of Read Across America Day, Sylvan Dell Publishing will be offering all seventy of their children’s picture book titles as free eBooks for you to read on their website this Friday, March 2nd. Click on the Read Across America icon in the upper right-hand corner of the website. For questions or concerns, call Sylvan Dell Publishing directly at (877) 243-3457 or email [email protected]. We’re all going to be eager to learn post March 2 what you did to observe this special day!
YES, it is time! Monday, March 5 marks the start of SHARE A STORY * SHAPE A FUTURE! Be sure to visit the site and learn about the schedule, the contest and what it is ALL about…exciting things in store for all!
With deep sadness we read this week of the death of Jan Berenstain. 50 years ago Jan and her late husband, Stan, gave us their first book, The Big Honey Hunt, and from that book forward, many of us have often turned to the Bear family with whom our children love to share fun and mischief, to relate strange and scary “new” things like the arrival of a new sibling, going to school, visiting the dentist and more. My own children who are seven years apart both loved The Berenstain Bears Go to School, and each wore out a copy of that title. I will always envision the bears headed up the hill to school with parents waving when I hear of the Berenstain bears. Reading Is Fundamental is honored the Berenstain family has designated RIF to accept memorials to Jan Berenstain. You may access the memorial site at www.rif.org/berenstain.
Carol Hampton Rasco
0 Comments on MUSE FLASH: In Memory of Jan Berenstain as of 1/1/1900
We were honored to have First Spouses of Governors from across the country join RIF last Friday for a special read-aloud event here in Washington, D.C.
Held at the Butler campus of the Dorothy I. Height Community Academy Public Charter Schools (CAPCS), the event was held in honor of Black History Month.
Interested in staging your own read-aloud of the book? Click the book cover to check out our free, downloadable activities for educators, parents and volunteers.
The First Spouses highlighted the inspirational power of books through the reading of Nobody Owns the Sky By Reeve Lindbergh – daughter of famed aviator Charles – the book tells the story of Bessie Coleman, a remarkable pilot who was the first licensed African-American female aviator.
The book is also one of the 45 books in RIF’s Multicultural Book Collection – a set of which we donated to the school.
First Spouses visited with second through fifth grade classes at the school, where students enjoyed this inspiring story told in rhyme and boldly illustrated. The book sparked wonderful discussions amongst the students about the themes of persistence, dreams and future goals.
First Lady Sally Ganem of Nebraska reading "Nobody Owns the Sky" by Reeve Lindbergh with children.
I peeked into each classroom, seeing students who couldn’t tear their eyes from their special visitor. I caught a glimpse of the First Lady of American Samoa playing a traditional song on the ukulele. I watched students perform a math-themed chant for their guest. And I saw arms reaching into the air as children asked questions about the states from where their visitors had traveled.
We were honored to be joined by these state leaders in the fight for children’s literacy. As part of the event, the First Spouses each donated a book to the school library representing their home state. Their library was growing with wonderful titles that share the history and fun facts of each state through the First Spouses National Book Collection.
The support of these first spouses is coming at such a critical time in the conversation around childhood literacy. The more voices we can add to this fight, the better off we’ll be as parents, as educators, as employers and – ultimately – as a nation.
Happy Reading!
Carol
0 Comments on From Sea to Shining Sea as of 1/1/1900
Tuesday of last week I shared information about book-jackets and followed up on Thursday with a survey on your quick, basic thoughts about those paper coverings of many names. What did you say?
Question 1:
In general, I view book-jackets primarily as
Percent
helpful in preservation and a visual reminder of the contents.
43%
art.
29%
useless.
13%
Other Option
8%
helpful in preserving the book.
8%
(Other option in summary: something that gets in the way while reading but looks good on the shelf, inconvenience when storing and handling, visual for the book, cover that helps a book look pretty, a cupboard filler since my students take them off and store them in the cabinet, help me save my place <bookmark>, an invitation to open a book, at best it is the sign of a very talented writer/author/artist, helpful in preservation-visual reminder of contents-art-great for bulletin board displays.)
Question 2: When I receive / purchase a book for myself, here’s how I treat the book-jacket:
Percent
Care for it as part of the book.
57%
Other Option
17%
Study it and try to maintain it in good condition.
14%
Don’t really think about it.
10%
Throw it away immediately.
2%
(Other option in summary: take it off while reading and <hope to find it afterwards><place back on book when finished>, get annoyed it keeps falling off, save and frame if I like the book, laminate it, treat them better than the book, use as a bookmark)
Question 3: My favorite all time book-jacket is (and you may not have one, that’s fine!)
44% of respondents left a title(s) and/or comments. Comments in summary:
Book-jackets that are &l
0 Comments on I asked, you told me…and I thank you! as of 1/1/1900
Today has been a windy, windy one but a day with fascinating cloud configurations. And I stopped by a house where I did not know the people, but I rang the doorbell asking to see their garden that is in full bloom. Jonquils and daffodils give me such optimism!
Several people posted this blog entry by an author on Facebook today. Wow, can you imagine being an author reading your book to your own child and having this experience? Indeed very special.
Read about Jacqueline Rush Lee and her sculptures with books. All pictures are copyrighted so I urge you to ‘trust’ me and go have a look! My favorite is Flora: From the Summer Reading Series 2009.
Interested in mathematical book sculptures for your home? Paul Octavious has some great patterns to which you might aspire! (image from Paul Octavious page linked)
Finally, via Book Patrol comes a posting from DESIGNBOOM regarding the specs for the repurposed phone booth library in New York City…with a string of comments wholly entertaining themselves!
Happy Reading!
Carol
Sometimes at the end of the week I unwind in part by checking out links I happened upon in recent searches on varying topics and the links take me to smiles or perhaps it is photos of favorite things but all lead to miles of smiles.
On Tuesday I wrote about book-jackets. Today I invite you to take a survey about what seem to some as pesky “in the way” paper coverings but to others of us are wonderful artistic representations of the book. Three simple questions, join me! (Please be sure to scroll down after third question to hit “Finish Survey.”)
<a href=”http://cahampton.polldaddy.com/s/about-those-book-jackets”>Book-Jacket Survey, absolutely NOT political poll!</a>
Thanks and Happy Reading!
Carol
0 Comments on SURVEY TIME! About those book-jackets! as of 1/1/1900
0 Comments on Bit of a different twist on mid-month: Literacy and Reading Tools Roundup as of 1/1/1900
Guest Author: Jay Brown
With deep sadness we read this week of the 
