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At first glance, it seems almost too simple, offering children the opportunity to choose the books they want to read and own. But since 1966, choosing books has been the key feature of RIF programs where children often select multiple books per year. Does it make a difference?
In late September of 2010 results were released from a RIF-commissioned, rigorous meta-analysis conducted by Learning Points, an affiliate of the American Institutes for Research. Those results showed that giving children access to print materials is associated with positive behavioral, educational, and psychological outcomes. I invite you to study the results more fully as these results then move us to the importance of picture books in the early years of the children targeted by RIF. Detailed information about the study and its results can be found on the RIF website: www.rif.org.
How exciting it has been to learn more this year about PiBoIdMo by following carefully the informative guest posts each day as well as looking back over past year’s PiBoIdMo materials. Reading Is Fundamental deals more with picture books than any other genre, and this is all the more reason I appreciate this opportunity to visit with those of you participating in PiBoIdMo this year. I sincerely hope this opens a dialogue between you and RIF as I know you have ideas and information that could be of benefit to RIF.
Our coordinators in the field who might be teachers, reading specialists, PTA parents, Kiwanis Club members—volunteers of all stripes and professions—tell us repeatedly they seek more of three types of picture books: nonfiction that is “eye and mind catching”, bilingual books, and multicultural books. And at RIF, we do not necessarily see these three as mutually exclusive.
One example I have found of a book that certainly combines the nonfiction and multicultural features is HOW MANY SEEDS IN A PUMPKIN? by Margaret McNamara. I have shared this book numerous times in classrooms across the country and almost without fail, each time I read it some student or even multiple students will talk about the magic in the book. They have no idea they are learning math and science. At the same time the illustrations are clearly multicultural in portraying the world around the students – but would most people label it at first glance a ‘multicultural book’? No. It is a natural portrayal of the real world of mirrors and windows we stress in our Multicultural Literacy Campaign.
As part of our commitment to motivate young readers, RIF has increased efforts through our Multicultural Literacy Campaign to reach more African American, Hispanic, and American Indian children at risk of academic failure. We are deeply concerned about the growing number of quality reports and research studies showing the large gaps in literacy accomplishments too often found between these children and their peers. We know one aspect of promoting improvement is to provide more culturally diverse books so that children nationwide can discover the value of their own heritage while learning about the importance of others. You can learn more about our Multicultural Literacy Campaign at http://www.rif.org/us/about/literac
10 Comments on PiBoIdMo Day 19: One Book, One Choice, One Child at a Time, last added: 11/20/2010
I appreciate your sharing information on the RIF program. Your point about allowing children to choose their reading materials makes a lot of sense.
Thank you, also, for the links to local programs–I was happy to be able to find several in my area, and I intend to follow up to see how I can help contribute.
Best of luck in your future writing ventures!
Stephanie Shaw said, on 11/19/2010 11:59:00 AM
Carol,
Thank you for all you do to put books into the hands of children. I have seen the smiles on children’s faces when they select a book of their very own. Nothing compares with the combination of awe and pride they show as they turn each page. Again, many thanks!
M. G. King said, on 11/19/2010 12:28:00 PM
What you do is so important! I’ve read that just having print matter in the home is one of the most important indicators of educational success. I can’t imagine a home without books, but for millions of kids, their families have not made reading a priority. So thank you — and yes, I hope you have a chance to develop your own magical stories!
Marcy Pusey said, on 11/19/2010 12:40:00 PM
I really appreciate your information too! SO confirming that the need is truly there. My husband is an elementary school teacher and in a predominately African-American school. (He himself is African-Colombian-American!). I know he would, as a teacher, also appreciate your observations, the research, and how much it confirms what he is seeing. Praise God, though, that we can be a part of bringing literacy to the under-served by finally writing the books that LOOK and SOUND familiar to them!
Dana said, on 11/19/2010 2:23:00 PM
It’s funny but when I was a 5 or 6 year old kid (this is going back a ways) I used to hear “Reading is Fundamental” on the public service announcements on TV for RIF. And I payed attention. And it stuck.
RIF is such an important organization. Thanks to you, Carol and everyone involved for keeping it going.
And thanks for sharing your thoughts on what kids want in books. I’ll definitely keep it in mind. Good luck with your writing!
Catherine Johnson said, on 11/19/2010 3:09:00 PM
My 5 yr old chooses his own books at the school library and some of them well I wonder what he’s thinking, but the point is he picked it so it is special to him. Whoever discovered that concept has a great point, the children have taken their reading into their own hands literally.
Thanks for bringing RIF to our attention, it sounds like a tremendous organisation.
Heather Kephart said, on 11/19/2010 3:53:00 PM
You are doing some very important work, Carol, and I appreciate you taking the time to participate in PiBoIdMo and share RIF with us. How wonderful it would be if all children could be allowed to choose some of their own books. You can bet I will be reading up on the program. Take care.
Loni Edwards said, on 11/19/2010 6:36:00 PM
Thank you Carol for your wonderful post. One of my fondest memories of grade school was going in to the gym and picking out my RIF book. As a child of a large family with a very limited income, it was so wonderful to actually be able to own a book that I picked out. I remember just looking in wonder at all of the beautiful books on the tables with shiy new covers. Your organization is wonderful and has brought joy to so many children, especially those in tough situations.
Best wishes, Loni
laurasalas said, on 11/20/2010 5:16:00 AM
I loved RIF day when I was a kid, and the other day, my high school daughter was setting aside some books to donate, and Rules, by Cynthia Lord, was at the top of the pile. I opened it up, because I couldn’t recall buying that particular one for her (what a worthwhile book TO buy, though), and I saw it was her RIF book from a few years back. And now it will hopefully go to another kid who can have his or her life enriched by it.
Yay for RIF, and thanks for your post, Carol!
Lynne Marie said, on 11/20/2010 5:23:00 AM
I remember the work of the RIF program when it came about when I was a child and I am thrilled that it continues to do it’s important work, Carol <3 It is a treat to see you here at PiBoIdMo. Thanks for sharing and inspiring from sea to shining sea!
Today we bring you our weekly sampler of the cool youth media and marketing gigs. If your company has an open position in the youth media or marketing space, we encourage you to join the Ypulse LinkedIn group, if you haven't yet, and post there... Read the rest of this post
As far as I’m concerned, every good blog post should begin with fiction starring Gregory Peck. What we have here is one of the luscious finds boasted by Greg Hatcher over at the site Comic Book Resources. I’m a big fan of Hatcher because when he does round ups like this one he always takes care to mention a lot of collectible children’s literature. In this post alone you’ll see what the going price is for a good old hardcover Oz or Narnia title, as well as his discovery of Millions of Cats. I remember that when I conducted by Top 100 Picture Books Poll that Millions of Cats was the surprise Top Ten winner. Folks continually forget to give it its due.
Collecting Children’s Books has the usual plethora of wonderfulness up and running for your consideration. First Peter discovers and prints out the complete shortlists of Newbery contenders between the years of 1973-75 (something I wish they still did) and then in a different post considers the state of recent children’s books and whether any of them have been made into Broadway musicals. None that I can think of, since A Year With Frog and Toad isn’t exactly contemporary. Coraline did sort of make it to Broadway a year or so ago (or was that considered off-Broadway?), but that’s the only one I can think of.
Hey hey! While we were all sleeping the candidates nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award were announced. You can see the full list of candidates from countries all over the country here. If I had the time and ability I would familiarize myself with all those names that are unknown to me. On the American side of things, however, here are the USA representatives: Ashley Bryan, Eric Carle, Julius Lester, Grace Lin, Walter Dean Myers, Anne Pellowski, Jerry Pinkney, Reading is Fundamental, and Allen Say. Good luck, guys (and well played Grace for being the youngest). Here’s hoping some of you make it to the final consideration. After all, the Lindgren is the largest monetary award a children’s writer or illustrator can win.
It was a good week for finalists of all sorts, actually. The National Book Award finalists were released last week and included Paolo Bacigalupi’s Ship Breaker, Kathryn Erskine’s Mockingbird, Laura McNeal’s Dark Water, Walter Dean Myers’ Lockdown, and Rita Williams-Garcia’s One Crazy Summer. How interesting it is to me that non-fiction didn’t make even a sin
7 Comments on Fusenews: Encyclopedia Peck, last added: 10/19/2010
Zoe @ Playing by the book said, on 10/17/2010 11:15:00 PM
Thanks so much for linking to my UK kidlit tour! Yes, the musical Matilda looks wonderful. The songs have been written by Tim Minchin, a very funny and usually quite acerbic comic so I can’t wait to hear how they’ve turned out.
Brooke Shirts said, on 10/18/2010 9:20:00 AM
Ah, but there IS a rather comprehensive list of children’s book awards — the Database of Award Winning Children’s Literature (www.dawcl.com) which is kept stunningly up to date by librarian Lisa Bartle. According to the site, “DAWCL has over 8,300 records from 91 awards across six English-speaking countries (United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England, and Ireland). ” Although I will admit that neither the Jo Osborne Award or the Zena Sutherland Award appears in the database, this is still one ding-dang useful resource. (Who knew that the Society of School Librarians International gave out an award?)
Elizabeth Bird said, on 10/18/2010 4:53:00 PM
Brooke, this link may have seriously improved my quality of life. Thank you! I had absolutely no idea. To the internets!
Brilliant! The mark of the first stuffed penguin. Love the hat. Thanks, Sergio!
Amy Sears said, on 10/19/2010 3:37:00 PM
Off Broadway seems to be the home of Children’s Books into musicals today “Freckleface Strawberry-The Musical” is playing at the New World Stages of course my favorite musical based on a children’s book has got to be The Secret Garden which actually was on Broadway back in the early 90’s.
Scholastic recently released the results of a survey of children and parents on current reading trends. 86% of kids feel a sense of accomplishment after reading a book themselves. And while only 50% of kids consider reading enjoyable or important, 75% know they should read more.
The study also found that kids are drawn to electronic reading options. This information supports the growth of ebooks in children's literature. But the study also concluded that other technology options--like texting and online fun--can use up reading time opportunities for students.
For wonderful ideas on helping your child become a reader, visit the READING IS FUNDAMENTAL website. And for some additional ideas, check out my website as well.
Happy reading!
0 Comments on Scholastic Reading Survey as of 1/1/1900
Today we bring you our weekly sampler of the cool youth media and marketing gigs. If your company has an open position in the youth media or marketing space, we encourage you to join the Ypulse LinkedIn group, if you haven't yet, and post there for... Read the rest of this post
Don’t forget to head to the 10th annual National Book Festival, this Saturday, September 25th in Washington D.C.’s National Mall. From children’s authors to poets, over 70 authors and thousands of book lovers will attend this event in celebration of the joy of reading. For more details about the festival, including a complete list of attending authors, visit http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/.
TIME Magazine’s What Makes a School Great
Waiting for Superman, a new documentary by the Academy Award winning, David Guggenheim, focuses on the future of the American education system, and what you can do to help ensure every child receives a great education. Check out TIME Magazine’s most recent article “What Makes a School Great,” to learn more about this documentary and its impact.
Meet Your Match Through Your Favorite Book!
While most dating sites connect people through compatible personality traits and shared interests, allikewise.com, an online dating site, has taken a different approach: connecting people through their book tastes! Check it out at http://alikewise.com/.
More Books, Better Readers, Brighter Futures
Children’s Access to Print Materials and Education-Related Outcomes, a recent study commissioned by Reading is Fundamental (RIF) and conducted by Learning Point Associates, found that increased access to print materials drastically improves student’s reading performance and, encourages elementary school students to read more. To learn more visit: http://www.rif.org/meta.
The truth behind the Kindle craze
This article takes a hard look at the benefits to reading print books while making the case that the Kindle and other technology will never replace traditional books. Tell us what your opinion is by leaving a comment below!
Scholastic Summer Challenge Reading World Record heats up
Scholastic, Reading is Fundamental and the National Summer Learning Association have teamed up to bring kids a great incentive to read this summer. Kids from all over are attempting to break the current Scholastic World Record of minutes spent reading.
Children’s Book Movies
With the recent release of “Ramona and Beezus” as well as several other movies based on children’s books this year, many are taking a closer look at what attracts audiences. Take a look at this article which analyzes the appeal of these movies to all generations.
Youngster proves that it’s never too early to start writing
Seven-year-old I’deyah Ricketts wrote her first children’s book Where are the Animals when she was only four years old. Currently she spends time encouraging early literacy in her hometown area of Chicago. Ricketts has proven to be an inspiration to both young and old alike.
Finding solutions to the literacy gender gap
In schools, boys have traditionally lagged behind their female counterparts. Attempts to close this gender gap through traditional means have shown little progress. However, it is oftentimes not the act of reading that is objectionable to boys but rather the subject matter.
Isn't this just a great image? I get so excited just thinking about all the enjoyment these books will bring to the kids at Morton Ranch Elementary.
As you may remember, Tess Alfonsin (better known as the Reading Countess) won a set of the RIF Multicultural books for Morton Ranch Elementary in Katy, Texas. She very kindly sent us a picture of the display. Here is why she chose Morton Ranch over her own school ...
This school struggles to put books in the hands of their readers. It is a Title 1 school, and as such, money for books is at the low end of priorities for many families whose children attend the school. The dedicated staff and instructional leaders are inspirations to not only me, but to their student population. The school's phrase is: "a school worthy of your children."
Very cool! Congratulations Morton Ranch ... and thank you again Carol Rasco and Reading is Fundamental!
3 Comments on Thanks Again to Reading is Fundamental!, last added: 6/10/2010
This is just incredible! Thanks Tess for passing along this great picture! It's hard to imagine that a school would find books on the low end of the required items, but it happens all the time. I'm so glad RIF was able to help these kids out. Just awesome!
Thank you, Tess the Reading Countess and Terry for sharing this photo and this information...makes me feel really good about what we are all doing to see those books in a place that needs and wants them! Bravo!
A couple of years ago, Reading is Fundamental launched its Multicultural Literacy Campaign to promote reading in African American, Hispanic, and American Indian communities by providing children in those communities with books that reflect their lives.
To do that, RIF created its Literature Advisory Board and invited a group of people to help them select books that accurately reflect African American, Hispanic, and American Indian peoples. The group includes outstanding scholars in the field of children's literature. In addition to working online via email, we periodically get together to talk about the Multicultural Literacy Campaign. It is always a pleasure to visit with fellow scholars in children's literature.
In my last post, I noted I was in Washington D.C. for meetings at RIF. The meeting included a festive evening dinner to celebrate RIF's accomplishments over the past year. It included the Anne Richardson Volunteer of the Year Awards. It was terrific to see the short videos RIF put together about the three volunteers.
In the videos, children select books. Among the books shown in the videos are ones I recommend. Some are fiction, such as Joy Harjo's The Good Luck Cat, Jan Bourdeau's Morning on the Lake, and Cynthia Leitich Smith's Jingle Dancer. Some are nonfiction in the We Are Still Here series such as Sandra King's Shannon, An Ojibwe Dancer, Monty Roessel's Kinaalda, Russell M. Peters's Clambake.
Being from Nambe Pueblo in northern New Mexico, it was especially delightful to meet Annette Montoya from Taos, and view the video about her work in Taos! This time next month, I'll be home at Nambe for awhile.
I enjoy the work I do with RIF and look forward to the work we do in the coming year. This week I'll be in Michigan at the annual gathering of the Children's Literature Association. I look forward to learning about new research my colleagues are working on! I especially look forward to hanging out with Tom Crisp and Sarah Park.
0 Comments on Reading is Fundamental as of 1/1/1900
We are delighted to welcome author and educator Nancy Bo Flood as a guest on the PaperTigers Blog. Nancy has lived and worked in several different cultures, including Japan, Hawaii, Malawi, Samoa and Saipan of Micronesia, the setting for her most recent book, Warriors in the Crossfire. We will be reviewing it soon; in the meantime, do read Julie Larios’ interview with Nancy, in which she talks about the book’s background.
Nancy now lives on the Navajo Nation Reservation, in northern Arizona, where she teaches and promotes literacy. In this, the first of two Guest Posts, she highlights some of the projects working to bring books to Navajo children and young people:
It was my first class teaching for Diné College in Tuba City, Arizona. I asked students to buy a dictionary and bring it to class. Our campus building had no library, no dictionaries.
The next week I drove through a sandstorm to get to class; my students had done the same after watering livestock and getting their children to school. Not one student brought a dictionary. Why not? It turns out the nearest bookstore was two hours away. That meant a lot of driving time, a lot of money for gas. This was the beginning of my education about the need for books and libraries across the Navajo Nation.
Here are some resources I have found:
Tuba City Outreach Library
The Navajo Nation extends into Arizona, New Mexico and southern Utah. It is about as big as New England (without Maine) but has only one official public library. Almost no bookstores exist. On the western side of the Reservation the small Tuba City Outreach Library is sponsored by Coconino County / Flagstaff. For the past 10 years I have worked with the librarian, Trish Polacca, to develop the children’s and teen sections.
We’ve worked hard to get books through donations, private foundations, my graduation class’s community service and through a used book store in Flagstaff. Finding “appropriate books” is another challenge. Picture books with contemporary, non-stereotyped images of children who are Native American are hard to find, new or used.
In 2009 I worked with ARA to collect left-over books from vendors at the annual IRA convention in Phoenix. These books were distributed to local literacy organizations and school libraries. There is a full description of this project in the Spring-Summer issue of Arizona Reading Journal, Vol XXXV, 2009. Next time, we will ask attendees to bring books to donate – or buy books at the conference to donate.
This national organization was begun over 20 years ago and has grown into a nationwide project giving free new books and literacy guidance to children at their regular pediatric check-ups. As a board member of the Arizona coalition, we have worked to bring books to health clinics throughout Arizona, including the Navajo and Hopi Nations.
A new coalition was formed in 2007 to focus on children who receive health care at Indian Health Service Clinics, or tribal or urban Indian Health Centers.
Save the Children
Supports program
0 Comments on Guest Post: Nancy Bo Flood – “Where Can I Find a Book for My Child? – Literacy Projects on the Navajo Nation” as of 1/1/1900
To spark that desire in your children, we have collected some useful tips for you to consider. Feel free to make use of those that work well for you and your children, and to add your own ideas.
Actually all of us are winners, don't you think? I will do a wrap-up post here in a little bit, but I want to first say
THANK YOU!!
to everyone who hosted, wrote about, tweeted about, talked about, drew logos for, or sponsored a piece of our Share a Story - Shape a Future blog tour. It was a wonderful week, and I hope that you found encouragement, inspiration, or reassurance in your own reading journey and in helping children with theirs.
Over at There's a Book Danielle announced the winners of the Itty-Bitty-Bookworm curriculum giveaways. Congratulations to the Summit County Integrated Preschool in Newberry, which one years one and two of the curriculum. If you didn't know, Tara was so touched by each of the stories offered by the applicants that she expanded her giveaway and is giving East Elementary and Fleming Island Elementary a full year of the Bo Curriculum, also.
We had three other giveaways, to.
Reading is Fundamental (RIF) donated two full sets (50 books each) of its Multicultural Book Collection. The RIF staff selected finalists from posts created in response to our Writing about Reading prompt series. Our winners are ...
Tess Alfonsin, the Reading Countess, who is donating her book set to Morton Ranch Elementary. From Tess: "This school struggles to put books in the hands of their readers. It is a Title 1 school, and as such, money for books is at the low end of priorities for many families whose children attend the school. The dedicated staff and instructional leaders are inspirations to not only me, but to their student population. The school's phrase is: "a school worthy of your children." I think that says it all."
Eric Van Raepenbusch, at Happy Birthday Author, who is donating his book set to Cuyahoga Falls Public Library. From Eric: "This library has given my family so much over the past 4 years. The staff works so hard to provide a variety of programs for the residents of our city. I was recently talking to the head librarian and she is so proud of the efforts of her staff. It would be awesome for them to receive this donation!"
Thank you so much! I am excited that such a worthy school library will be benefit from the expansive collection from Reading Is Fundamental! Thank you, thank you again!
The Cuyahoga Falls Library was thrilled just to be nominated. They are going to be ecstatic to find out they won! I truly appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this event. It was a blast and I learned a lot from many talented people.
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.
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.
1 Comments on Reading is Fundamental: Sharing Multicultural Books, last added: 3/9/2010
On Monday, I was privileged to visit the offices of Reading is Fundamental. On their website, RIF is described as "the nation's largest children's literary organization," but that doesn't begin to convey how exciting it was to tour the office of RIF's CEO, the delightful Carol Rasco, or to speak with her dedicated staff about Operation Yes and military families.
You can get a flavor of the visit by savoring this:
A LGM cupcake! With sprinkles!
This is me and Carol Rasco, in her book-jammed office.
I could've poked about her shelves for hours.
She also blogs, if you haven't found her posts at Rasco from RIF yet.
(And she tweets, which is how we "met" for the first time.)
The Miss Frizzle doll caught my eye. Our family was (and is) crazy about Miss Frizzle and the Magic Schoolbus books. (I think "the Friz" might be the reason my kids are both studying science in college.) But look closely and you'll see another Miss Frizzle in the framed photograph. That's Carol Rasco!
More of Carol's incredible bookshelves
4 Comments on A TeRIFfic Visit to Reading is Fundamental: Part One, last added: 2/25/2010
Oh Arthur...Brings back so many memories...I remember having to wake up up at 6:30am every day to get ready for school. Arthur would always be on around that time and I'd watch each episode with a bowl of cereal to wake myself up. I'm so glad it's still around (even if it's just re-runs) =)
In this morning's "Google Alert" email (the one I set up using "Debbie Reese" +blog), I learned that Carol Rasco, the CEO of Reading is Fundamental, had blogged about Thanksgiving on her RIF blog. There, she wrote about American Indians in Children's Literature, and how it has impacted her thinking about Thanksgiving. (I must say, though, that as I read the excerpts she used from my site, I saw how unpolished my writing can be.)
Some time ago, I was invited to be on the Reading is Fundamental Literature Advisory Committee. Prior to that, I had come across the RIF's page for November and was, frankly, pretty upset. As I recall that day (this is a two-year-old memory), I was multi-tasking on my computer. I had several websites open in my browser, moving from one to the other. (As I compose this particular post, I've got seven pages open. This morning I watched the Cherokee Nation's video "What is a real Indian Nation? What is a fake tribe?" and I read an article on Slate about book trailers.) That morning, I went to the RIF page for November. It was garrish in appearance, with cartoon Indians and a mish-mash of elements of different tribes.
While I was studying that page, a song started playing. It was a Pueblo song that I know and listen to often because of its meaning for me. I quickly started looking around my computer, wondering how I had managed to turn it on with realizing it. (Think absent-minded professor.) None of the ways that I listen to the song were activated. I realized it was coming from the RIF page. Something there, with good intentions, had created that November page using stereotypical images and a Pueblo song. It was a grab-bag. Anything Indian, slammed together. Good to go. Of course, it was not good to go. Through my work with RIF, they took that page down.
And so this morning, one week before Thanksgiving Day, reading Carol's blog, I am heartened to learn that my interaction with RIF is making a difference in Carol's views. Among other things, she wrote:
"I hear you, Debbie, and have several copies of The Good Luck CatandJingle Dancer among other titles in the “to be wrapped pile” for the coming holidays for presentation to special young friends."
Saying "awesome!" to those words doesn't begin to capture how I feel.
What is RIF? From the website, "RIF is the oldest and largest children's and family nonprofit literacy organization in the United States. RIF’s highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age 8. Through community volunteers in every state and U.S. territory, RIF provides 4.5 million children with 16 million new, free books and literacy resources each year."
So how to celebrate the big 43?
Have a month long party! Over at the Rasco From RIF blog (Carol Rasco is the CEO of RIF), they've been blogging up a storm.
On Mondays: Monday Memory, columns by people who have been with RIF since it started. How many times do you get to read a blog post by Lynda Johnson Robb?
On Fridays: Fallback Fridays, reminiscing about RIF programs throughout the country.
Have memories of RIF, as a kid or volunteer? Head over to Carol's blog and share, and you get a chance to win a signed book.
Photo from RIF website.
Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
The topic: coming together, giving back. Individual bloggers, acting as individuals, can only do so much. So "coming together" can be as simple as a multi-blogger targeted blog, such as Guys Lit Wire. It can be about a book blast tour, like those organized by Chasing Ray, which is driven by bloggers.
Then there are the various literacy initiatives that different bloggers have either started or joined or promoted. Share A Story, Shape a Future is a literacy blog tour; "to encourage each other to reach beyond ourselves and do it in a way that we are neither judging nor instructing others." Mark your calendars; March 8 to 14, 2010, is the next Literacy Blog Tour. And, by the way -- this event is in Chase's.
Gina spoke of the history of Booklights and PBS; how it was started and pulled together. Just another great example of how blogging can be more about "me." (says the blogger who is all about me.)
I loved hearing Ernestine talk about RIF and Carol Rasco's entry into blogging (Rasco from RIF) and tweeting. RIF is as old as I am (um, actually, I'm a few months older, lol); and it's a great reminder to all of us that blogging and social media is not about the new kids on the block. They have provided "4.5 million children with 16 million new, free books and literacy resources each year." Yep, that's millions.
Finally, Year of Reading reminded us of the National Day of Writing. Which was two days ago; and because I knew my timing would be off, I blogged about that a few days ago.
Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
Did you know that First Book, the nonprofit providing books to children in need, is a RIF-approved vendor and a great resource for high-quality, low-cost books for programs serving kids in need? Check out the First Book Marketplace online, offering children’s books and educational materials at deeply discounted prices.
RIF of Southern California Executive Director, Carol Henault, serving over 70,000 children, recently talked about her experiences with First Book. Watch the video below and learn how the First Book Marketplace can enhance and expand the quality and selection of books for RIF programs. Book selections include Caldecott and Newbery Award winners, board books, special editions, bilingual and Spanish-only titles, and more. First Book is a resource to help stretch your purchasing power to provide even more books.
More kids reading more books, that’s fundamentally great!
2008 Summer Reading Olympics Reading Is Fundamental provides a fun list of athletic titles sure to please even the picky readers on your list.
Ezra Jack Keats Award 2008 This award was established in 1985 to recognize new authors & illustrators in the children’s arena for picture books for children 9 & under. For past winners, click on the link above.
What Books Kids Are Reading(May 5, 2008) The following list is provided by Renaissance Learning and based on information from their Accelerated Reader program used in schools throughout the United States. For a complete list of favorite titles per grade, click on the link above.
1-Green Eggs & Ham 2-If You Give a Mouse a Cookie 3-Charlotte’s Web 4-Tales of a 4th Grade Nothing 5-Bridge to Terabithia 6-Hatchet 7&8-The Outsiders
0 Comments on SUMMER READING SUGGESTIONS as of 1/1/1990
Reading Is Fundamental has update from the President of the organization. It's good news! It had looked like the funding for this program was going under, but RIF put the word out and people passed on the request (here's my online plea). And guess what? We made a difference! Here's the statement from RIF:Thank you to everyone who made RIF’s FY09 Dear Colleague Campaign a success!
RIF’s 5th
0 Comments on Reading Is Fundamental Update as of 5/1/2008 6:59:00 PM
My review of Cate Kennedy’s new short story collection, Dark Roots, appears in the weekend’s New York Times Book Review. Here’s an excerpt:
A writer, Eudora Welty insisted, must know her characters’ “hearts and minds before they ever set visible foot on stage. You must know all, then not tell it all, or not tell too much at once: simply the right thing at the right moment.†When fiction doles out its revelations in this way — when it allows just the right sequence of glimpses through a parted curtain — we misleadingly call it “realistic.†Actual existence is rarely well choreographed.
The stories in “Dark Roots,†the Australian writer Cate Kennedy’s first collection, are melancholy but deliberate and coolly exact. They depict characters in crisis, often so mired in what Walker Percy called the malaise of everydayness that the horror of their condition is invisible to them. Some of the stories culminate in epiphanies; others hinge on a jolt — a violent act or loss.
You can read the excellent “Black Ice” (published in the collection as “Cold Snap”) at The New Yorker. And there’s an interview with the author at The Age.
I don’t think I ask a lot of my readers. I mean, other than the MotherReader allegiance blood oath. But today, I do have a favor to ask of you. Well, maybe two.
If you work in a public library or school library, please take a look at my article in ForeWord and comment about your own public or school library situation. Basically, I’m talking about centralized control of libraries and its effects
3 Comments on Favors for MotherReader, last added: 3/12/2008
Good article, Pam. I'm not a librarian, but as a consumer of library services---see? I can talk the talk!---I would rather have a quirky, individualized local branch than a standardized franchise. I already get consistency and centralized resources through the library system's excellent Internet catalog. I reserve what I want through the Internet, and then I go to the local branch to get it...and stumble across other things that I didn't even know I wanted until I saw them!
Sondra Santos LaBrie said, on 2/20/2008 2:23:00 PM
I'm going to add a mention of this posting in our weekly newsletter. Now you owe me a favor! LOL
My review of Alan Bennett’s delightful novella, The Uncommon Reader, appears in the weekend’s Los Angeles Times Book Review. Here’s an excerpt:
In the introduction to his 2004 play, “The History Boys,” Alan Bennett accused Britain’s “so-called Labour Government” of “stamping on the grave of what it was once thought to stand for.” Though he offered this indictment while lamenting the death of free university education, his other writings reflect a disgust that encompasses essentially the entire Tony Blair era. It should come as no surprise, then, that the Labor prime minister who visits the queen each week in Bennett’s clever and entertaining new novella, “The Uncommon Reader,” is smug, disingenuous and remarkably ignorant, a politician who does not “wholly believe in the past or in any lessons that might be drawn from it.”
“The Uncommon Reader” is about what happens when the queen of England (yes) begins to read. The book opens with Her Majesty’s corgis tearing off along a palace terrace to yap at a traveling library parked outside. Out of politeness, the queen randomly selects a book by Ivy Compton-Burnett — a name she recognizes — and checks it out. “A little dry,” she tells the man when she returns it.
Next, she takes home Nancy Mitford’s “The Pursuit of Love” — “a fortunate choice,” Bennett suggests, for “[h]ad Her Majesty gone for another duff read, an early George Eliot, say, or a late Henry James, novice reader that she was she might have been put off reading for good. . . . Books, she would have thought, were work.”
Luckily, the queen is not put off reading; just the opposite. Soon she has embraced not only light fare but also classics. She becomes a reader, in other words, picking up the eccentricities that a passion for books tends to engender: perpetual lateness, poor grooming, an unwillingness to embark on pointless day trips.
Vladimir Nabokov expressed contempt for the idea that fictional characters can influence their own destinies. “That trite little whimsy … is as old as the quills,” he told the Paris Review. “My characters are galley slaves.” No doubt Richard Ford intended an homage to Nabokov when he referred to his own characters as slaves some years back. (”Sometimes at night I hear them singing over in their cabins,” he said.) But Richard Ford is no Nabokov, and his narrator, Frank Bascombe, no Humbert Humbert.
by Carol Rasco, CEO, Reading is Fundamental
One example I have found of a book that certainly combines the nonfiction and multicultural features is HOW MANY SEEDS IN A PUMPKIN? by Margaret McNamara. I have shared this book numerous times in classrooms across the country and almost without fail, each time I read it some student or even multiple students will talk about the magic in the book. They have no idea they are learning math and science. At the same time the illustrations are clearly multicultural in portraying the world around the students – but would most people label it at first glance a ‘multicultural book’? No. It is a natural portrayal of the real world of mirrors and windows we stress in our Multicultural Literacy Campaign.
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I appreciate your sharing information on the RIF program. Your point about allowing children to choose their reading materials makes a lot of sense.
Thank you, also, for the links to local programs–I was happy to be able to find several in my area, and I intend to follow up to see how I can help contribute.
Best of luck in your future writing ventures!
Carol,
Thank you for all you do to put books into the hands of children. I have seen the smiles on children’s faces when they select a book of their very own. Nothing compares with the combination of awe and pride they show as they turn each page. Again, many thanks!
What you do is so important! I’ve read that just having print matter in the home is one of the most important indicators of educational success. I can’t imagine a home without books, but for millions of kids, their families have not made reading a priority. So thank you — and yes, I hope you have a chance to develop your own magical stories!
I really appreciate your information too! SO confirming that the need is truly there. My husband is an elementary school teacher and in a predominately African-American school. (He himself is African-Colombian-American!). I know he would, as a teacher, also appreciate your observations, the research, and how much it confirms what he is seeing. Praise God, though, that we can be a part of bringing literacy to the under-served by finally writing the books that LOOK and SOUND familiar to them!
It’s funny but when I was a 5 or 6 year old kid (this is going back a ways) I used to hear “Reading is Fundamental” on the public service announcements on TV for RIF. And I payed attention. And it stuck.
RIF is such an important organization. Thanks to you, Carol and everyone involved for keeping it going.
And thanks for sharing your thoughts on what kids want in books. I’ll definitely keep it in mind. Good luck with your writing!
My 5 yr old chooses his own books at the school library and some of them well I wonder what he’s thinking, but the point is he picked it so it is special to him. Whoever discovered that concept has a great point, the children have taken their reading into their own hands literally.
Thanks for bringing RIF to our attention, it sounds like a tremendous organisation.
You are doing some very important work, Carol, and I appreciate you taking the time to participate in PiBoIdMo and share RIF with us. How wonderful it would be if all children could be allowed to choose some of their own books. You can bet I will be reading up on the program. Take care.
Thank you Carol for your wonderful post. One of my fondest memories of grade school was going in to the gym and picking out my RIF book. As a child of a large family with a very limited income, it was so wonderful to actually be able to own a book that I picked out. I remember just looking in wonder at all of the beautiful books on the tables with shiy new covers. Your organization is wonderful and has brought joy to so many children, especially those in tough situations.
Best wishes, Loni
I loved RIF day when I was a kid, and the other day, my high school daughter was setting aside some books to donate, and Rules, by Cynthia Lord, was at the top of the pile. I opened it up, because I couldn’t recall buying that particular one for her (what a worthwhile book TO buy, though), and I saw it was her RIF book from a few years back. And now it will hopefully go to another kid who can have his or her life enriched by it.
Yay for RIF, and thanks for your post, Carol!
I remember the work of the RIF program when it came about when I was a child and I am thrilled that it continues to do it’s important work, Carol <3 It is a treat to see you here at PiBoIdMo. Thanks for sharing and inspiring from sea to shining sea!