Welcome to the bimonthly children’s literacy and reading news round-up brought to you by Jen Robinson’s Book Page and Scrub-a-Dub-Tub. As a reminder, while Jen, Mheir and Baby Bookworm are settling into routines, I (Rasco from RIF) am “filling in” for Jen, so here’s a *wave* to Jen and Baby Bookworm who is growing quite fast! It has been exciting recently to see Jen back on twitter and posting on her blog; check out some of her latest posts!
While the air doesn’t have even the hint of autumn yet in the Washington, DC area, the calendar says September, the windows of many commercial establishments show fall colors, the school busses are back on the streets and children are now not always running along the sidewalks more carefree but stooped forward with the weight of backpacks. It is easy to allow our thoughts to immediately leave summer behind….
But I encourage each of us to stop, think and go to work on preparing for next summer! There is no better time to reflect on our communities’ programming for summer learning than now when the summer of 2010 is fresh on our minds. I am a broken record, yes, I know it but summer is such a critical period for literacy for our children. Make sure your community has individuals attending the National Summer Learning Association’s (NSLA) annual conference SUMMER CHANGES EVERYTHING! By the way, *wave* a Happy Anniversary greeting to NSLA and read about their productive year for children.
As school does start up sights often turn to “back to school” nights or regular family engagement nights, mornings, afternoons…Reading Rockets recently shared an article Creative Literacy Events for Families listing some new ideas, different twists on often-used, good ideas. A family game night or cultural cookout sound intriguing to me! Also, if you have not reviewed a copy of School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action by Joyce Epstein and others, you will want to do so. Dr. Epstein is the Director of the National Network of Partnership Schools and the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships, Principal Research Scientist, and Research Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University; the Network will be hosting the annual Leadership Development Conference in Baltimore October 26 and 26; you do not have to be a member of the Network to attend. It is a great opportunity for networking and learning more about the critical school, family and community partnerships critical to children’s educational progress.
Another potential community or even Family Literacy Night activity that builds on the “One Community, One Book” concept was recently announced by Boston: One City, One Story. I can see this as a great school night activity – what about you?
The school “start up” period also brings about a new flurry of discussion about types of reading: book, e-readers, audio reading. While the article was posted in April, I only recently had it called to my attention and it notes: 81% of the top iPad book apps (13 of the top 16) are for kids; whether in print, on screen, really it’s just a book to the kids. And did you see the WSJ article recently labeled “THE ABC’S OF E-READING”? In brief, it notes a study of 1200 e-reader owners found that 40% said they read more than they did with print books, 58% read about the same amount and 2% said they read less. And 55% said they would use their device to read more in the future…worth a read. And there is already an article that makes one think about the future of that thing we know as an APP!
Now, in case you are worried about friends who do all their reading by e-reader and you want them to remember “the print book” or you yourself are pining for the “good ole days”….you can order this if still carried: This is weird. But that also makes it fun. Perfume that smells like an old book! The maker of this scent, Christopher Brosius, loves his books. He describes the odour of his product as: “English Novel taken from a Signed First Edition of one of my very favorite novels, Russian & Moroccan leather bindings, worn cloth and a hint of wood polish”. He made four varieties of his “In the library” scent. It comes as Perfume Absolute 15 ml and 2 ml, a Water Perfume and a Home Spray. You can find out more about it, and order it if you dare, here.
In talking about their new book pictured above, Sandra Feinberg and James R. Keller have said “How parents and caregivers act within the library setting often influences how children feel and how often they will come to the library. How children feel when they use the library will affect their attitude and behavior not only when they are children but also when they become parents.” One article commenting on this quote by the authors noted you can “substitute the word ‘reading’ for library…and is it any different?” By the way, if you haven’t met Sandra Feinberg in print or in person, you must do so. She is the Library Director at the Middle Country Public Library in New York, what a librarian, what a library!
Speaking of Libraries, have you seen this great game? The Library Adventure Game! It uses a web-based simulation to teach reference skills….sounds very interesting to me as a former sixth-grade teacher who struggled to find engaging activities on just this topic.
RIF invites you to join us along with US Airways in packing your bags and taking off with the the 2010 Read with Kids Challenge! Remember, one part is where participants log the number of minutes they spend reading to and with children. This year, our nationwide goal is reading with kids for 10 million minutes between September 1 and October 31. Think of the incredible benefits kids will receive by spending quality time with you and some good books! (and there are nifty prizes, check it out!)
DON’T FORGET these events: National Book Festival, September 25 Even if you can’t attend this 10th Annual Festival on the Mall, there are things on the website you’ll find interesting and more will be posted as the day draws closer! Also, remember the next installment of The Exquisite Corpse Adventure begun at the 2009 National Book Festival will be posted on September 10, don’t miss it!
For the third year, RIF and US Airways have teamed up for the “Fly with US. Read with Kids.®” campaign to promote the importance of reading with children.
If you’ve participated in the past, you know that a very fun part of this campaign is the Read with Kids Challenge, where participants log the number of minutes they spend reading to children. This year, our nationwide goal is reading with kids for 10 million minutes between September 1 and October 31. Think of the incredible benefits kids will receive by spending quality time with you and some good books!
When you join the Challenge and begin logging your minutes, you’ll be eligible to win weekly prizes, travel gift cards, and the grand prize of a US Airways Vacations package to the Walt Disney World® Resort. In addition, if you make a donation to RIF through the campaign, you can receive up to 5,000 Dividend Miles from US Airways. And free downloadable resources, like bookmarks featuring Maisy our campaign “Spokesmouse,” can help you spread the word to your friends and family.
As you can see, there’s a great deal to take advantage of in this campaign. Welcome aboard, and enjoy some wonderful reading adventures with the children in your life.
Last Saturday, RIF joined the US Airways DoCrew to help promote the importance of reading with kids at the National Book Festival in DC. The DoCrew, US Airways’ employee volunteer group, showed up in full force, ready to pass out books and encourage children and their parents to discover the joy of reading. Together, we distributed more than 20,000 copies of Off You Go, Maisy!, a children’s book featuring Lucy Cousin’s much-loved mouse, Maisy! This book was created specially by Candlewick Press for the US Airways and RIF partnership, “Fly with US. Read with Kids.” and is always a big hit for those who read with young children!
RIF Board member Lynda Robb visits the booth.
Happy reading!
Kathryn Jackson
Director, Corporate Relations
(From left to right.) Captain Kathryn Jackson. RIF Staff “Flight Attendants.”
At RIF we know how important it is to celebrate great successes, and we do it in style! Yesterday our lovely RIF flight attendants complete with US Airways hats took their carts with peanuts, pretzels, and soft drinks (all FREE!) through the hallways serving the RIF staff. The event celebrated the tremendous work of Captain Kathryn Jackson who led the “DID IT CREW” at RIF in surpassing the goals for our US Airways Read With Kids Challenge! Serving on the DID IT CREW were Ernestine Benedict, Rebecca Burton, Lynn Croneberger, Henry Dunbar, Alishia Frey, Marcus Lee, Kim Nakashima, Sue Ryan, Matt Wolf, Layla Wright, and Shane Yost.
RIF is proud to announce and celebrate these amazing numbers:
Read with Kids Challenge Stats:
Minutes: 10,304,105
Participants: 7,129, of which 492 are US Airways employees/retirees
Teams created: 622
Favorite Books shared: 268
Planes decorated: 4,981
Donations:
$92,052 total!
1,018 donations
Average gift – $90
Following this beverage service a notice went to the staff:
At midnight tonight RIF will officially conclude the 2009 Read With Kids Challenge sponsored by US Airways. For the past three months, parents and other caring adults have been reading with kids and logging the minutes on our Million Minute Meter. The results have been overwhelming as more than 7,000 participants logged 10 million minutes read to children, far surpassing the initial goal of 5 million minutes read!
We couldn’t be happier with these results! We still have some final prizes to award—like the vacation for four to Walt Disney World® Resort and the lending library to go to a RIF program in honor of a winning team—but the most important prizes have already been given. Those are the precious minutes and hours that adult readers have given to the children in their lives. We encourage everyone to keep on giving. Stay tuned to hear more about how with our Summer Read for Change initiative. Also check the final results of the Read With Kids Challenge on www.readwithkidschallenge.com.
I want to thank everyone who participated—including our honorary team captains like Eric Carle, Jerry Seinfeld, Billy Crystal, Sandra Boynton, Russ Parr, Al Roker, Carmelo Anthony, and many more—for making this a huge success.
In a video released June 17, President Obama officially announced UNITED WE SERVE, a summer initiative encouraging all Americans to create meaningful change in their communities by engaging in service. Reading with children is part of this initiative due to the serious loss in reading skills experienced by many children over the summer months.
United We Serve will kick off officially on June 22 at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service and will run through the new National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11. All the tools for participating in this initiative can be found on The Corporation for National and Community Service’s website, Serve.gov.
As a first step, you can show your commitment by reading with a child and logging your minutes at the ongoing 2009 Read with Kids Challenge. This Challenge continues through June 30 and the minutes logged June 22 through the 30th will be reported as part of the United We Serve campaign. Watch RIF’s website and RASCO FROM RIF for further opportunities for participation in United We Serve.
Now, please bring together a child and a good book and take the Read with Kids Challenge!
Okay, so I mentioned I am reading in my “beach scene” at the office today….just what does it look like, you might ask? Here it is……..peanut butter, bread and me in my Snuggie!
When I posted an April COVER STORY featuring SCAT by Carl Hiaasen, I knew then I wanted to read this book, and the 48 HBC has been the perfect time; gracious, did I need a less “heavy” book after the last one!
What did I see and feel in this book?
That part of my childhood spent devouring mystery books, series of mystery book, individual mystery titles, all kinds of mysteries!
I’m from hunting territory, all the “stuffed animals” were familiar…and we aren’t talking teddy bears here.
Eccentric substitute teachers – we’ve all had them, right?
Looking through a son’s eyes when his father returns from Iraq and is wounded…
Oh, and what’s with the Snuggie? Is my office cold? No, my office is not cold (at least not to ME!). But the RIF staff felt this might grab your attention as a reminder of the “Snuggie-A-Day” Giveaway at RIF. Check it out!
The “Snuggie-A-Day” giveaway at Reading Is Fundamental started yesterday as part of the Read with Kids Challenge, aimed at logging 5 million minutes spent reading with kids by June 30.
Participants who log time spent reading with kids will be automatically entered into the “Snuggie-A-Day” random drawing to win free Snuggie™ blankets and portable lights. The drawing will be chosen at random throughout the final days of the Read with Kids Challenge and winners will be announced daily!
Additionally, participants of the Read with Kids Challenge are also entered into the grand prize drawing for a Walt Disney World® Resort vacation package from US Airways Vacations. Other prizes include:
US Airways gift cards and monthly prizes.
A special do-gooder prize for teams—the opportunity to select a featured RIF program, as well as a school in their community, to receive a special children’s book collection.
Carol reading to grandson William his first story less than an hour after his birth.
As pictured here, I first read to my new grandson William in his hospital room less than an hour after his birth! The book was In Grandma’s Arms by Jayne C. Shelton and was a gift to me at the Kappa event where I spoke the week before his birth.
And what did I do after reading to William? I logged the minutes read for the Read with Kids Challenge! I hope you are participating in this great event either as an individual or as part of a team; if you haven’t done so yet, sign up today!
I am pleased to announce the 2009 Read with Kids Challenge is taking off! RIF and US Airways invite you to be part of a national effort to collectively log 5 million minutes spent reading with kids to raise awareness about the importance of reading. Many of you joined the Challenge in 2008 and helped us surpass our 1 million minutes goal. This year we’re taking the Challenge to new heights! Check out the fun:
Prizes — All participants are eligible to win a US Airways Vacations package to the Walt Disney World® Resort and more great travel prizes. Each month during the Challenge, there will also be drawings for prizes that range from books and toys to adorable children’s furniture.
Teams — You have the option to create a team or join a team. Be sure to check out our honorary teams led by celebrities and organizations you may know. In addition to each participant being eligible for the grand prizes and monthly drawings, the winning team will select a RIF program and a local school to receive special book collections.
Free Book and Dividend Miles — Make a donation to support RIF’s mission to provide free books to the children who need them most. For your donation, you can receive a special edition of the Off You Go, Maisy! children’s book by best-selling author Lucy Cousins, and will be eligible to receive up to 5,000 Dividend Miles from US Airways.
Get on board and start logging your minutes today!
As school does start up sights often turn to “back to school” nights or regular family engagement nights, mornings, afternoons…Reading Rockets recently shared an article Creative Literacy Events for Families listing some new ideas, different twists on often-used, good ideas. A family game night or cultural cookout sound intriguing to me! Also, if you have not reviewed a copy of School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action by Joyce Epstein and others, you will want to do so. Dr. Epstein is the Director of the National Network of Partnership Schools and the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships, Principal Research Scientist, and Research Professor of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University; the Network will be hosting the annual Leadership Development Conference in Baltimore October 26 and 26; you do not have to be a member of the Network to attend. It is a great opportunity for networking and learning more about the critical school, family and community partnerships critical to children’s educational progress. 
This is weird. But that also makes it fun. Perfume that smells like an old book! The maker of this scent, Christopher Brosius, loves his books. He describes the odour of his product as: “English Novel taken from a Signed First Edition of one of my very favorite novels, Russian & Moroccan leather bindings, worn cloth and a hint of wood polish”. He made four varieties of his “In the library” scent. It comes as Perfume Absolute 15 ml and 2 ml, a Water Perfume and a Home Spray. You can find out more about it, and order it if you dare, here.
National Book Festival, September 25
