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I saw a tweet on Twitter about a program that puts books in doctor’s waiting rooms to increase literacy. And I realized–I already do that, although on a smaller scale. When I go to my doctor’s or dentist’s office, I leave behind picture books for the children who will wait there. Not every time, but I make sure that they have books. It’s one of the ways I help encourage reading, and it feels good to me. I know I would have loved to find a bright picture book in a waiting room I didn’t want to be in as a child!

I think it’s an easy way to encourage reading. If you have an extra copy of a book you love, why not leave it in a waiting room next time you’re there?

I also encourage reading through writing books that I care about and that I hope others will care about, hosting book contests, reviewing books I love, and talking about books I love. Books are such an integral part of my life, and it’s important to me to share that joy.

Do you encourage reading in others? What do you do? I’d love to hear.

I love how President Obama and his family help kids get interested in reading by actually reading picture books to children. It’s wonderful!! Know any other famous people or celebrities who encourage literacy? Especially via children’s books? Let me know.

Thanks to @TeachingBooks on Twitter and Lisa Gold: Research Maven for the link.

I love it when a book gets people excited about reading. Breaking Dawn and Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series has done that, similarly the way Rowling’s Harry Potter has, only for teens. Adults, too. Breaking Dawn was released on Saturday at midnight, and there were celebrations and creative release parties around the country.

Wynter Holden reported in the Phoenix New Times blog about a Breaking Dawn event at the Changing Hands Bookstore: “The room pulses with energy. The evening’s long-awaited final act begins exactly as the clock chimes 12. The crowd erupts in a climax of a scream, and I’m caught in a torrent of sweaty young bodies elbowing towards the stage at the back of the room.” Then, at the end of the night, “As I’m walking to my car at 12:20 a.m., I spot a van full of kids with flashlights and open books. To my left, there’s a woman my age in a silver Toyota — motor running, air-conditioning on full blast — furiously scanning the first few pages.”

Changing Hands Bookstore had some great ideas for the release of the book, including readers making themed t-shirts, getting sequined love bites on their necks, and a blood drive. That sounds like fun to me–fun, and great book promotion.

I love that a book created such excitement in readers. Whether or not you like the Twilight series, I hope you agree that it’s created a good thing, getting many people caring about a book so intensely.

New York Times quoted teen Katie Herzer, as saying, “We got really sad when Harry Potter was over. It’s great to find a new series we can read and maybe grow old with.” And there is the passion and excitement for a book that thrills me.

Breaking Dawn sold more than 1.3 million copies in just one day–August 2, the release day. Wow!

I loved Twilight, though I couldn’t get into the second book. I’ll try again. Either way, I’m happy there are so many excited readers out there–especially teen readers. That’s a good thing.

Does your child reject your book recommendations? Or not have much interest in reading? Julie Schoerke, a publicist for books, including teen fiction, has an absolutely wonderful, creative way that she gets her daughter into books.

Julie’s daughter loves to read–but she doesn’t want to hear any of Julie’s book recommendations. So, when Julie finds a book she thinks her daughter will really like, she mails the book to her anonymously, in a manila envelope. Her daughter has no idea who sends her the books–some mysterious benefactor–and the books go on to be her favorites, ones she reads over and over!

Isn’t that such a creative and wonderful way to sneak good books into your child’s life (or a child you love)? I can remember the thrill of getting a letter or something special in the mail as a child (actually, I still get that thrill), and for a book lover, this is perfect. It may even entice a reluctant reader to read a book.

I remember someone else telling me how she’d leave books lying around, and her daughter would pick them up.

Anyone else have any tips on how to get your child to read?

photo: This Is A Wake Up Call @ Flickr

The Electric Company–a TV show that encourages children to read by focusing on reading readiness for K6-9–is making a comeback. Sesame Workshop will begin production of The Electric Company this month in New York City. (The original series ran on Public Television stations in the 1970s.)

Since so many children today watch TV–far too much TV–I think it’s a great idea to have another TV show that encourages them to read. I hope it works.

Thanks to Cynopsis Kids for the info.

I always find it heartening to hear about people making books and reading a part of others’ lives, encouraging children and teens to read. It feels even better when books reach people who really need it. So it felt really good to read about Literature for Life.

photo: memh @ Flickr

Non-profit organization Literature for Life, founded by Jo Altilia, runs book groups for teen mothers in Toronto, picking books that resonate with them, creating a love for reading, and showing them and their babies that books are important. They also learn that language can be a tool to express themselves. Some of the books they read and discuss include The Color Purple, The Lovely Bones, and The Diary of Anne Frank. For many of these girls, these are the first books they have read. Their children also receive books just for themselves. Literature for Life spends $10,000 a year on books, reaching teens in eight maternity homes, shelters and community centres.

Altilia used to be a teacher, and she saw that teen mothers’ children often struggled in school; creating Literature for Life was her way to help those children and their teen moms learn to love books. And it sounds like her program is a success.

You can read more about this story here in the Toronto Star. You can also donate online to Literature for Life at their site, or read more about their program.

Homework

Originally uploaded by Photocheek

YA author Alex Flinn has a thoughtful post on reading logs. Her daughter loves to read, but dreads filling out reading logs; the teacher now requires them to “write the title and author of the book they read that day, write a paragraph explaining what happened in the part they read, answer a question about what the section was mainly about, and then state what they believe the author’s purpose was in writing the passage” each night.

Wow. That sounds like a fast way to kill enjoyment of reading, to me. I know it would make me not want to pick up a book, to have to analyze and report on each section, and write it all down. A book is to be read in big gulps, savored or gobbled down, the experience to run through our mind and boy and veins, not to make it become homework. And that is what reading is becoming for some children at some schools. Homework. Something to loathe. How dreadful!

What happened to reading for a love of reading? I know teachers want and need to know that their students are reading, but I don’t think reading logs are the answer. I hope teachers, schools, school boards, whoever is coming up with this, can rethink this approach–we want to foster a love of reading, not a dread of it.

Those are my thoughts. What do you think?

Toys for Tots, a non-profit organization in the US that provides Christmas presents to disadvantaged children, has started a new focus–Toys for Tots Literacy Program. The program will help to create literacy in children living in poverty, by providing books and funding literacy programs at libraries, schools, and nonprofit organizations. It’s good to see another organization working to help children read, especially children who might not otherwise have their own books.

You can read more about this at School Library Journal.

Elizabeth Barrett, a 17-month-old baby, can read at a 7-year-old’s level. Her parents read to her ever since she was born, and she also learned sign language through “Signing Times” show, which her parents believe helped her learn to read.

Elizabeth seems to take great delight in reading, and in the delight and wonder of others around her. I found myself watching the video with a big smile on my face. I also really like that her parents read to her and play with her about reading, in what seems like a loving way; they weren’t pushing her to learn–just teaching a love of reading. You can read more about the story and watch the video here.

THIS IS IT!

The Fist-A-Cuffs EAST VS. WEST CHAMPIONSHIP!
And it's for or all the marbles!...Actually for two swell championship belts!

The "Pain Brothers" need your HELP one more time!
(which translates to votes.)

In the F.A.C. universe...


Hmmm...Will TrogHammer come out of retirement?
T.H. jr may need a new pair of sneakers... Braces for sure! :D

(psssst. remember to vote for the Pain Bros! )

The "Pain Brothers" need your help!
That's right...I'm back for more punishment in Fist-A-Cuffs 2!

The mighty TrogHammer gave it the ol' college try...but was sacked last time around.
Don't cry for T.H. though...always remember the words of Oscar Goldman; "We CAN rebuild him."
While T.H. recuperates, he had us put in a call to his cousin Floyd Ragnarokker to fill his sandals for the next FAC tournament.

Allow me to introduce THE RAGNAROKKER!




This time around it's a tag team match. And Ragnarokker (Floyd to friends and family only) has the good fortune of teaming up with his old friend Kaptain Knife Kafka! (as drawn by my friend David Rubin)
They're fighting under the moniker of "The PAIN BROTHERS".

Be sure and head over to Sam Hiti's Fist-A-Cuffs blog for all the gory fun...

Did this for Sam Hiti's version of ThunderDome: