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Cathy Gifford, like so many program directors, was on a tight budget. In 2011, the director at Jean Dean RIF (Reading is Fundamental) found herself needing to cut 14,000 books from her program. This meant that many of the children she served in her Alabama town would go without the gift of reading this year.

Cathy came to First Book with her dilemma. Because she needed many copies of a few specific titles, we were able to complete a special order for her – working with publishers to drive down the cost of each book to a price Jean Dean RIF could afford.

The result?  Over the last three years Cathy has been able to purchase 45,000 books to be distributed through Jean Dean RIF for only $114,000.  That’s an average of just $2.50 per book, and  savings of 64% overall.  And most importantly, 25,000 kids every year are getting brand new books – many for the first time – to give them a strong start in life.

Every year, Alabama RIF helps close to 25,000 at-risk young children receive three books in their homes to help them succeed when they get to school, and go on to thrive in life thanks to our partnership and your generosity.

Need more than 1,000 copies of a single title? Reach out to us about a Special Order at [email protected].  We look forward to helping you get all the books you need for your kids!

The post Success Stories: 45,000 More Books in Alabama appeared first on First Book Blog.

Thank you, PiBoIdMo participants, guest bloggers and illustrators. Do you know what you did?

You helped me raise $433.62 to donate to RIF, Reading is Fundamental.

Your purchases via the PiBoIdMo CafePress Shop made it possible.

With Carol Hampton Rasco, CEO of RIF

For every $10 donated, RIF is able to distribute four books to a child in need.

FOUR BOOKS!

So last month I made my way down to RIF Headquarters in D.C. I toured their offices and talked with RIF staff about the important work they’re doing.

One staff member had just returned from a county in Appalachia, where 28% of the schoolchildren were officially homeless, and where even more lived in crowded trailers with multiple families apiece.

The school Principal told RIF that amazingly, their test scores rose from 9th percentile to the 22nd percentile in just one year. To what did they attribute that growth? RIF! Now that these children have books of their own, they’re able to continue learning at home and over the summer break instead of being left behind. Books are AMAZING. But you already knew that, right?

As part of my trip to RIF, my publisher, the Aladdin imprint of Simon & Schuster, donated 100 copies of THE MONSTORE to the children at Bancroft Elementary in Washington, D.C. I was honored to appear at the school to talk to the children about writing and to personally sign every copy.

The best moment of the day? When I told the children they’d each be going home with a copy of my book. They cheered and hoorayed, and two besties in the front row hugged each other so tight they tumbled over in joy. Now that’s a great day for any author. Thank you, Aladdin and RIF!

I have something else important to tell you.

RIF’s donations have taken a plummet in recent times. The economy has hit them hard. So please consider donating directly. Remember $10 = 4 books!

Donate here. Or here.

And again, thank you for making the PiBoIdMo donation possible!

Today we honor the memory of a lifelong champion of children and reading who recently passed away. Ruth P. Graves, President Emerita of Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), was an early supporter of First Book and a leader who displayed a passion for reaching children through books. Ruth believed that every child deserved the magic of books, and made it her life’s work to ensure that magic for hundreds of thousands of children every year. During more than three decades of commitment to RIF, Ruth helped to extend RIF’s work to reach to support more than three million children nationwide.

First Book and RIF have worked together at the national and local levels for many years to support RIF’s mission of inspiring children to become lifelong readers through the opportunity to select and own their own books.  We are very grateful to Ruth for her commitment to RIF’s mission and her support of First Book during the early years of our organization, including providing First Book with one of our first grants that allowed us to reach our country’s poorest children.  Ruth’s contributions have been many and her legacy will live on through the amazing work that RIF continues to do today. She changed the world for the better and inspired others to do the same.

In  honor of Ruth’s work,  memorial contributions may be made to Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), P.O. Box 33728, Washington, DC 20033 or through the Donate/Ways to Give pages at www.rif.org.   First Book is also pleased to distribute 1,000 new books to children in Ms. Graves’ home state of Texas in her honor.

The post Ruth P. Graves: Lifelong Champion of Children and Reading appeared first on First Book Blog.

Carol Rasco, president and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), recently answered some questions about the importance of the RIF and First Book partnership that has been established for many years. 

Q: RIF and First Book are sometimes thought of as competitors rather than partners. Could you put this myth to rest and explain the importance of this partnership?

Carol Rasco:  RIF and First Book have been close partners for many years. The missions and values of both our organizations are closely aligned, as we both strive to ensure that children in need have the high-quality books and resources they need to be successful.

Far from being competitors, we are strong collaborators! Through our continually growing partnership, more than 1,000 RIF programs across the country are able to access new, quality books for their kids through the First Book Marketplace. At the same time, many of the programs in First Book’s network use our resources for teachers, parents and community volunteers. These materials are developed based on Common Core Standards and cover multicultural favorites and science, technology, engineering, the arts and math themes.

We consider ourselves soldiers in the same war to close the gap of inequity when it comes to educational materials for kids in poverty, and we will continue fighting side by side to get more books into the hands of kids in need.

Q:  How have First Book and RIF worked together in the past?

Carol Rasco:  For over a decade, First Book has served as a distributor in the RIF Ready Pack program, providing access to low-cost collections of high-quality titles for RIF programs nationwide, through the First Book Marketplace.

In recent years, First Book and RIF have collaborated on numerous special projects such as the distribution of 600,000 new books nationwide in 2010-2011, a joint effort to support programs affected by Superstorm Sandy by providing 1,500 new books to Sandy affected areas in 2012, and, most recently, First Book won the bid to distribute 120,000 books for RIF’s Multicultural STEAM reading collection.  I also currently serve, and have served for several years, on First Book’s Advisory Council.

Q:   What are RIF and First Book currently working on together?

Carol Rasco:  RIF and First Book have recently joined together to distribute one million, brand-new books to RIF programs across the country, thanks to RIF’s long-time partnership with Macy’s! To date 500,000 new books have been distributed to RIF programs serving kids with the highest levels of need and the remaining 500,000 books will be dispersed, through the First Book Marketplace, prior to summer break. This initiative has allowed RIF to maximize our resources and acquire books for our programs through First Book at a cost way below retail price.  In addition, the distribution of these books has focused on key times when kids are out of school and in high need for resources, including summer break, when so many children in low-income areas are without the education tools they need to prevent learning loss over the summer months.

Q:   What are RIF’s plans for this partnership going forward?

Carol Rasco:  We know we can count on First Book’s ongoing support for our RIF programs and we are excited to continue growing our partnership and developing more creative initiatives to get high-quality books into the hands of kids in need!

RIF and First Book have joined together to distribute one million, brand-new books to programs across the country!

The first 250,000 books will be provided to children this holiday season, thanks to support from Macy’s. To further engage parents and their children, winter activity sheets are available through RIF’s website, which can serve as the perfect distraction on a snowy day.

The remaining 750,000 books will be dispersed nationwide before next year’s summer break.

First Book is thrilled to partner with RIF to provide so many books to kids in need.  Kyle Zimmer, CEO and President of First Book, said:“We’re grateful for the chance to put brand-new books into the hands of children at so many RIF programs, and we’re thankful for the hard-working teachers and program leaders who make it all possible.”

Earlier this week The New York Times published an article discussing how young Latino students are not seeing themselves in books frequently enough, and the obstacle many educators feel that omission puts in the path for enjoyment as well as for learning from books for these young children. The Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison of Education, which compiles statistics about the race of authors and characters in children’s books published each year, notes that in 2011 only 3 percent of the 3400 books reviewed were written by or about Latinos; this proportion is unchanged over the last decade. And yet, Hispanic students are one quarter of the nation’s public school enrollment.

Several years ago Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) initiated our Multicultural Literacy Campaign, borne from our concern with the NAEP figures we were studying from years past and the distance with which African-American, HIspanic and American Indian children continued to perform behind their Asian and Caucasian peers. Our campaign is a multi-year effort designed in part to provide children the opportunity 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.

RIF held the launch for the 2012 collection at the Library of Congress Young Readers’ Center with a panel made up of authors and illustrators whose books are featured in that “CELEBRATIONS” collection; the panel was chaired by Dr. Violet Harris, a literacy expert and chair of RIF’s Literature Advisory Board.

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 a campaign for more positive examples of blacks and black culture in books for children. The lack of progress as well as that little girl’s sincere question compelled Dr. Larrick to investigate and produce the article “The All White World of Children’s Books” published in The Saturday Review of Books in 1965.

Rollins had published her groundbreaking We Build Together in 1948; this is a publication which “highlighted criteria for choosing books that portrayed Blacks realistically and built democratic attitudes among all people.” Rollins noted in her publication:

For many years books about Negro children followed a stereotyped pattern. The characters portrayed were the barefoot menial, or the red-lipped clown. Rarely did the Negro character in a story where there were other children ever take part in the story as equals. Illustrators, it seemed, could not resist presenting the quaint ‘pickaninny type’.

With regret we note today the change in children’s literature has not kept pace as many of us would have hoped. Similar statements can be made and are indeed written about the lack of inclusion of other cultures in children’s literature.

As Dr. Harris further noted ”…I want to emphasize…, it is a fight that goes on constantly. Each generation or even every couple of years it is two steps forward, one step back.” And further food for thought from Dr. Harris was her question to us: How can we say to the rest of the world that you need to model yourselves after us, our educational systems, our political systems, our economic systems and so forth, when we disenfranchise a significant portion of our citizenry?

You have finished a month of hard work producing ideas for picture books. As you move further into and with each idea, I challenge you to give very serious attention to the issue of children seeing themselves as well as having a window on the world. The book does not always need to be “about” diversity…perhaps it will be like HOW MANY SEEDS IN A PUMPKIN? by Margaret McNamara and illustrated by G. Brian Karas. The classroom shown through the illustrations is diverse, and I have actually heard children mention that diversity they can see in the book. The experience of seeing the diversity present in a book was new to them, but a common everyday experience in the school each attends.

We as a nation have much to do to prepare each child as fully as possible to read well. One element and one relevant to your work is to show we indeed as a nation value each child and celebrate each child; and part of that visible celebration must be that each child sees and reads about children “just like me.”

Book People Unite!

P. S. How can I post on this blog without giving a roaring round of applause to Tara for her sponsorship of PiBoIdMo as well as personally say ‘Thank You” to her and to all who have purchased from the PiBoIdMo store where the proceeds come to RIF. We are deeply appreciative!

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Carol H. Rasco is President and CEO of RIF. She joined RIF in 2001. Throughout her life, Carol has been a devoted advocate for children, youth, and families, as a professional and as a volunteer.

Prior to this position, Carol was the executive director for government relations at the College Board. From 1997 through 2000, Carol served as the senior adviser to U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, and as director of the America Reads Challenge, a four-year national campaign to promote the importance of all children reading well and independently by the end of the 3rd grade. Previously, Carol worked for four years in the White House as domestic policy adviser to the president and directed the Domestic Policy Council.

Originally from Arkansas, Carol worked as the chief policy adviser in the Arkansas governor’s office for 10 years and also served as the liaison to the National Governors Association. Additionally, Carol has extensive experience as a volunteer for arts organizations and disability advocacy groups. Carol received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas and earned a master’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas. She has taught in the public school system and worked as a middle school counselor.

Carol serves on the Board of Trustees of Columbia College in Columbia, South Carolina. She is the mother of Hamp and Mary-Margaret, and the proud grandmother of William and Charlie Marks.

Go ahead, tell the world you love reading by wearing this adorable “Keep Calm and Read On” tee designed by ToryNova.com!

They’re now available in the PiBoIdMo shop, with all profits ($3 per item) to benefit Reading is Fundamental (RIF).

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is the largest children’s literacy nonprofit in the United States. They prepare and motivate children to read by delivering free books and literacy resources to those children and families who need them most. They inspire children to be lifelong readers through the power of choice. RIF provides new, free books for children to choose from and make their own.

And yes, children’s tees are available, too!

And if there’s something you’d like with this logo on it and it’s not listed in the shop, just leave a comment here and I’ll add it.

Thanks for your support of RIF!

Another Great Review of CRADLE ME!!!

Thank you Debbie Reese, you can view her blog here: http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2012/03/cradle-me-by-debbie-slier.html

CRADLE ME by Debbie Slier

It is impossible for me not to have positive feelings when I look at the faces of babies. Debby Slier's Cradle Me had me happily gazing at the faces of babies from eleven different tribal nations in their cradle boards.

Inside are babies in their cradleboards, smiling, frowning, peeking, touching, crying, yawning, thinking, looking, sleepy, and sleeping. Beneath each of those words is a line for a parent/librarian/teacher to write that word in--perhaps--the Native language of the child the book is being used with. It is a powerful book because the images are photos, not drawings, and because Slier included a two-page spread that specifies each baby's tribal nation.

When you use the book, make sure you use present tense verbs! I recommend it and think you'll enjoy it, too. (Note, 3/2/2012: Cradle Me is published by Star Bright Books.)

Who is Debbie Reese?

A founding member of the Native American House and American Indian Studies program at the University of Illinois. she is on the Literature Advisory Board for Reading is Fundamental and the Advisory Board for Reach Out and Read American Indian/Alaska Native.

First Peoples listed her site as one of the Top Five Native Blogs and Podcast to follow. School Library Journal's Elizabeth Burns featured her site as her Blog of the Day on July 2, 2007, and in 2007, the ALA's Association for Library Service to Children invited her to write a blog post for their site.

I’m so pleased to bring you the PiBoIdMo Cafe Press shop this year!

There’s mugs, t-shirts, journals and totebags with Bonnie Adamson‘s adorable firefly logo, and every purchase earns $3.00 for two charitable causes: RIF and Mount Prospect Elementary School library.

RIF has lost its federal funding grant, and Mount Prospect’s library budget has been slashed by 80% over the last 2 years. (I volunteer there once a week.)

Proceeds from the shop will be evenly split between these two charities.

So if you need a hot cup of java to get your creativity flowing, what better mug than this one?

by Carol Hampton Rasco, President/CEO, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF)

What a special week in the Children’s Literature World…two of my favorite “specials” this month are the start of Picture Book Idea Month (plus two days!) and the birthday of Reading Is Fundamental where the 45th birthday will be celebrated Thursday, November 3 with Lilly and her famous purple purse with lots of children and special guests at the Library of Congress!

And you know what? I see PiBoIdMo as seriously connected to RIF and our mission. Each time I write or talk about this year’s major milestone birthday of 45 years for RIF, I talk about the 380 million magical moments, the 380 million books placed into the hands of children over these 45 years RIF has existed. And guess what? The majority of those 380 million moments have been brought about by picture books given our primary audience of birth to 8 years of age.

Within that age group, RIF seeks first to serve those children most in need and sadly, with poverty the greatest indicator of probable difficulty to read well and independently by the end of third to fourth grade, it means according to the latest poverty reports we have that even more children by comparison in years past to ignite, to motivate, to inspire to learn to read. This means in reality, we need so many different books in order to strike that chord deep within a child, to create the birth of that “aha!” moment, that “wow!” experience that has a child believing “If I can read, I can do anything, be anything.”

Last year I wrote in my guest post for PiBoIdMo noting three types of picture books we hear about most as on the “wanted” list by teachers, reading specialists, PTA parents, Kiwanis Club members—RIF volunteers of all stripes and professions: nonfiction that is “eye and mind catching”, bilingual books, and multicultural books. The requests continue to be the same. All three categories are also critical to the family involvement component RIF believes critical to the success of our mission in motivating children to love reading.

Last weekend I saw again in person the beauty of a picture book that had four generations of individuals pouring over a book, sharing common knowledge and experiences elicited by the book in front of them. It is a picture book about animals in winter—“it doesn’t look like a true fact book, they’re usually boring” as generation two noted in his 6-year-old voice. Generation one was intrigued by the pictures, generation two was eager to learn more about the animals he already had discovered, parents of gen two had no idea about some of the more unusual facts and gen three had information to add about ways these animals were viewed in “the olden days.” After going through the book the family discovered information added by the author at the back and headed to the computer, four generations together again! Gens one and two were reading the text even…what a great experience for the family together…it was a spontaneous activity shared following a meal and lasted with no whining for more than 30 minutes. This family is not unique, no reason this animal book would have been predicted to be the one to “catch their eyes” over others. But it connected for them; it was a prolonged magical moment. And to serve the children and families who need us most, we need lots and lots of books portraying life and our surroundings in oh, so many d

KidLit Con has launched a fundraising partnership with Reading is Fundamental (RIF).

Earlier this year, we reported that the federal budget for RIF has been reduced. With the new partnership, readers can donate to the childhood literacy program in the name of KidLit Con.  Follow this link for more details about how to make a donation.

Here’s more from the announcement: “KidLit Con is seeking to make a more personal and direct contribution as the funds we raise will be coming directly from book lovers in the pursuit of creating more book lovers. Now is the time, quite frankly, where we need to put up or shut up. If you are a writer or a librarian or a bookseller or a book blogger or if you read blogs about books then this fundraiser is targeted directly at you … This is easy. You think books matter then you need to do something to help kids get books. Period.”

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