Do you know where your favorite book is?
If not, you’re in luck. It’s spring cleaning time, and this year let’s try to make it fun by revamping our bookshelves.
Nowadays many people turn to Pinterest for some DIY inspiration. So we’ve put together a board of bookshelves that inspire us. Happy pinning.
Photo Source: Enokson 
Birds are chirping. Flowers are budding. And soon, spring will be here in full bloom.
Yesterday marked the first day of spring.
Now most people might shake their head at this because, well, it’s still wintery in many places, but the earth is indeed tilting closer toward the sun and soon enough we will have spring weather to thoroughly enjoy.
Whether your kids enjoy singing and skipping around May poles, Easter egg hunts, Passover Seders, or Mother’s Day, there are traditions and stories to be passed along to your kids – and reading can play a major role.
Have your kids help read Bubbe’s recipe for kugel or Nana’s recipe for deviled eggs. Read a “Peter Rabbit” classic with them before your go out into the garden. Tell them a story about your tradition and help them write a book about it.
Need more spring reading activities? No problem! Use our free spring activity guide for some fresh ideas.
Remember, spring is the season of growth, so be sure your kid doesn’t miss out of their reading growth spurt this spring!
Photo Source: Bill Liao 
Books are more than words on a page. For kids, they can be keys not only to a world of possibilities but they can bring them closer to their own world.
Sara Massey knows this. One of her most memorable moments was reading to two little girls – maybe 6- or 7 years old. Storytime was a luxury for them and they likely didn’t have books at home until RIF entered their lives.
As she began to read to them, one snuggled up close to her and Sara remarked, “Wow, you really like to cuddle, don’t you?” The girls looked back at her and asked, “What’s ‘cuddle?’”
For Sara, that moment represented the importance of reading and books – the power of books in people’s lives.
Inspired by this interaction, Sara created reading events that bringing parents, children, and teachers together—often for the first time.
She told RIF that in each school where these programs were held, the schools continued them every year since because it was so enriching. 
As the President of Communities in Schools in Greater New Orleans, Sara was there in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. She took on the incredible challenge of replacing the books lost to the devastation.
With the help of RIF, Sara provided thousands of high-quality, brand new books to the children she serves. Sara goes to work every day knowing she has a chance to add value in a child’s life.
What an awesome outlook on life, Sara. Congratulations on being chosen as one of RIF’s 2013 Volunteers of the Year.
Linda and two other award recipients — Kay Gooch of Austin and Linda Placzek of Omaha— will receive their awards May 9, 2013, at RIF’s WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE Gala Celebration.
Photo Source: Tulane Public Relations 
Thanks to book people uniting in Sterling, Colo., more than 80 children and their parents are on the road to a lifelong love of reading.
“This year, Lions Clubs around the globe are putting an emphasis on literacy projects,” said Carol Graybill, a longtime Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) supporter. “As an active Lions Club member, I saw an opportunity to re-start a RIF program in our area.”
It had been a dozen years since the last RIF program in the region – one that shut down when Carol retired. Carol was eager to get back to putting books in the hands of kids in her area.
Because new RIF programs can only be created with independent fundraising, the involvement of the Sterling Lions Club was critical. The program will begin with supporting the Iliff Head Start, with 83 children between ages 3 and 5.
“We started with a budget of $500 to purchase our first books – and we’re also looking at our own fund-raising projects,” explained Carol. “In January, we ordered from a RIF supplier and were really pleased with how many high-quality books we could get for our money. What a great opportunity RIF gives us to help Head Start kids.”
Five other Lions Club members are working with Carol on the project – including another former RIF coordinator and a reading teacher with a master’s degree. Two other members belong to a local Friends of the Library program and have helped get used books for older siblings of the Head Start children.
“We have a fine committee to build this program in the future,” said Carol, who has already secured an additional $100 from a local insurance company. “We even plan to offer a parents’ class on helping their kids with reading at home, thanks to our committee member who has many years of experience in teaching reading.”
She added, “The families are low-income, and many are single mothers with limited English skills. They also have this in common – they all love their kids and are excited about encouraging them to read.”
RIF is proud to be a partner in Lions Clubs International’s Reading Action Program. If you’re interested in reading about how Lions are supporting this call to action, visit their blog to learn more!
Rainbows. Shamrocks. Green Eggs and Ham.
Ahh, memories of St. Patrick’s Day as a child. My mom used to make me green eggs (scrambled) and ham for breakfast. We’d read the classic Dr. Seuss tale together.
In the backyard, I’d look for lucky four-leaf clovers and search the sky for rainbows, in hopes of chasing down a pot of gold.
Our neighbor would even create a treasure hunt for the kids, usually involving chocolate coins as a reward for deciphering poetic clues.
From writing limericks to learning Irish songs (Molly Malone, anybody? ), our St. Patrick’s Day celebrations were packed with activities – and almost all of them involved reading.
Anybody have plans for a reading-filled holiday this weekend?
Need more ideas? Try some ideas from our free spring activity guide.
Photo Source: Dana Deaton
Progress is at the heart of Linda Placzek’s work. She’s dedicated herself to helping children become more confident in their reading — and what an impact she has had.
Linda was working with a child last year who was having a difficult time reading. She reassured him and gave him a challenge – read every day over the summer. With a little practice, she said, what would be difficult today would be a breeze tomorrow. When he came back in the fall, he read to her like he’d been excelling at reading from the start.
As a retired elementary school principal, Linda knows how important it is to help young kids become strong readers.
So when she retired seven years ago, she really didn’t stop working. Inst
ead, Linda teamed up with the Kiwanis volunteers who had been helping get RIF books to children in her school since the early ‘90s.
Linda saw the Kiwanis in her school and the joy they’d bring to our children. And, most importantly, the difference it would make to the students’ passion for reading. Linda decided that she wanted to be a part of that on the volunteer side.
Since she’s been leading her local Kiwanis, Linda has accomplished a great many things, most notable are the more than 6,000 books that have been distributed to Omaha’s Conestoga Magnet School since her retirement.
But Linda hasn’t stopped there. She’s recruited 15 Kiwanians to read with students at Conestoga Elementary every week.
Linda’s work has been a game-changer for so many children in the Omaha area, but she insists that the Kiwanis members involved in her projects get just as much out of it as the kids do. The work “fills their bucket,” she explains.
On behalf of all the kids whose lives have been changed through her work, thank you, Linda! And congratulations on being chosen as one of RIF’s 2013 Volunteers of the Year.
Linda and two other award recipients — Sara Massey of New Orleans and Kay Gooch of Austin — will receive their awards May 9, 2013, at RIF’s WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE Gala Celebration.
Photo Source: Alex Ragon 
Bugs, flowers and puddles.
They’re definitely signs of spring, but they’re also a great way to get a child more engaged in reading.
Use our free activity guide for ideas on how to make spring a time of growth for your reluctant reader.
Have other ideas? Post them in the comments section to share with others.
And don’t forget to download our March activity calendars for ages birth to 5 years (in English and Spanish) as well as 6 to 15 years (in English and Spanish) for more seasonal fun.
With hundreds of kids surrounding her, Librarian Kay Gooch carts a bookcase full of favorite books onto the stage. The kids in front of her recognize the books. They have many of the same at home. They love these books – from “Fox in Socks” to “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.”
Kay then pulls out an almost empty bookcase, just two or three tattered covers. Old and unwanted books. She goes on to explain that for the kids their age living in low-income neighborhoods just across town, these are their bookshelves. 
They get it immediately.
This powerful visualization is the kickoff to what’s become an annual fundraiser for Austin-based Reading Is Fundamental programs – with Kay’s students helping raise more than $135,000 in just seven years.
Kay credits a community of readers with the program’s success – whether it’s the family members and friends who pledge a nickel or dime for every page a student reads, or it’s the community sponsors whose incentives add excitement to the experience.
Like many of us, Kay remembers Reading Is Fundamental from her childhood. Her mother volunteered for more than 20 years. So when Kay’s school joined a RIF Read-A-Thon years ago, Kay gladly took the lead. Her impact on children in underserved communities in Austin has been profound.
The staff at BookSpring, which runs the RIF program benefited by the Read-A-Thon, says Kay’s passion and enthusiasm have been the hallmark of the program’s success. For her incredible contributions, Kay is one of RIF’s 2013 Volunteers of the Year. Thank you, Kay.
Kay and two other award recipients — Sara Massey of New Orleans and Linda Placzek of Omaha, Neb. — will receive their awards May 9, 2013, at RIF’s WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE Gala Celebration.
Apparently Dr. Seuss was such a perfectionist that the majority of his material would end up on the cutting-room floor. What’s funny is that while Dr. Seuss inspired me in so many ways, what he gave me most was a sense of whimsy.
Whimsy, you ask?
Whimsy is magic. Whimsy is breaking the mold and being proud of your differences. Whimsy is playful. But above all, whimsy is bold.
Sure, sure, being boldly different is celebrated a lot more today than it was in Dr. Seuss’s time. But when you’re a kid, being different can be tough.
For me, Dr. Seuss was the original “Let Your Freak Flag Fly” instigator. His trees were different, his words were made up and every character’s hair was askew.
And though it never felt like I was taking medicine when I read his books, I always got the moral of the stories – standing up for what’s right, even if it’s not popular. A person’s a person, no matter how small!
That kind of messages sticks with a kid. I know it did for me, as I fell in love with in political science and moved from the West Coast to D.C. on a mission the change the world, in whatever small way I could.
Dr. Seuss instigated me. He made me think creatively. He challenged me to reject notions of how things should be. He made me whimsical.
Tomorrow would have been Dr. Seuss’s 109th birthday. From just one of the many he’s inspired to be a dreamer and can-doer, here’s wishing you a whimsy-filled birthday, Dr. Seuss.
Today’s blog post comes from Frances Peacock, a guest blogger in Indianapolis, Indiana, who shares her first book memory.
There was a book I had as a child called The Tin Fiddle. It was a soft, smooth paperback with a long, rectangular shape. I think the cover was green, but it’s hard to say after 40 years. The book made my mother and me laugh out loud – memories I still cherish.
Fast forward to today. As a teacher and a RIF volunteer, I’m always on the lookout for special books. So I ordered a copy of The Tin Fiddle from a used-book seller in New Jersey. A couple of days later, a manila envelope arrived in my mailbox.
I waited to open it in front of my first-grade class. The children looked at the book. I was wrong, the cover was yellow, but it was just as soft. This copy has been treasured too.
As my students looked on, I read.
“I’m going to begin,” Cicero announced proudly, and he drew the bow across the strings… It did not sound like a real fiddle, however. Strange rattling sounds came from inside it as the tin bow scraped and squealed across the wire strings.
The class was polite. I heard no chuckles. I saw only concern on their faces for Cicero.
As I continued, Cicero continued playing poorly and, one by one, his family members found other places to be. Soon, the children were in on the joke and began to giggle.
When Cicero started playing for animals, they, too, flee the scene. More giggles from my students. The dog blamed fleas for his sudden exit. The children started laughing out loud.
Feeling dejected, Cicero walked glumly along and stumbled across a family of mice looking for a new home. He decided the fiddle would make an awfully nice house. My students applauded for the sweet ending.
As I closed the book, the children all told me how funny the story was. We talked about the characters: the boy, the family, the dog, and the mice. It occurred to me that this book had other characters, too. It had a teacher and her students, an author and an illustrator (the legendary Maurice Sendak), and a book seller in New Jersey. But, for me, it started with a mother and a child.
What a refreshing reminder of the power and longevity of children’s books. What’s your first book memory or favorite book you’ve shared? Interested in guest blogging? Email us at [email protected].
Follow Us