September 15 is International Dot Day, a celebration of the power of the creative spirit in all of us! International Dot Day is inspired by Peter Reynolds’ classic children’s book, The Dot, which shows how making just one little mark can begin a journey of surprise and self-discovery. RIF is proud to support this initiative, and in the spirit of the occasion we’d like to share some fun ideas from the Dot Day Educator’s Handbook on how you can take part, in your classroom and beyond!
Make a Guest Dot Sign-In
Get a large sheet of paper on an easel next to a collection of markers and crayons. Make sure that everyone who comes in makes their own special dot on the paper, and encourage them to get creative!
Group Dot
Cover a round table with research paper to make a giant “dot” and ask students to work in groups to fill-in the dot together! See what emerges as students negotiate the use of space and relationships among shapes and colors within the dot!
Make Dotty Name Tags
Have kids decorate dot-shaped name tags for their lockers by making a collage of pictures that say something about themselves.
And Finally… Don’t Forget to Read The Dot!
Peter Reynolds’ delightful book tells the story of Vashti, who is convinced that she can’t draw. To prove her point, she jabs at a piece of paper to make one simple, angry dot. But that one little dot is just the beginning, in this delicate fable about the creative spirit in all of us!
Help spread the word about International Dot Day by registering at http://www.thedotclub.org/dotday/register
September 15th to October 15th is National Hispanic Heritage Month, which celebrates generations of Hispanic Americans who have enriched our nation and society. Here are some of our favorite children’s books and essays written to commemorate the occasion:
Little Chanclas, Jose Lozano
Little Lilly Lujan loves her chanclas (flip-flops) in this fun bilingual tale about one girl’s love for her shoes. In fact, Lily refuses any footwear except her favorite pair of flip-flops, causing her family to nickname her “Little Chanclas.” All day, they go slippety-slap and flippity-flop, until one day Lilly dances at a fiesta and her chanclas come apart! Little Chanclas is inconsolable, rejecting shoe after shoe, until a miracle happens. She tries on a pair of soccer shoes, she goes clickety-click and… Goal! She’s a star!
Diego Rivera His World and Ours, Duncan Tonatiuh
Diego Rivera is one of the most famous artists of the twentieth century, and this is the perfect way to introduce him to younger readers! Diego is a young and mischievous boy, but his passion for art is undeniable – he goes on to become one of the world’s greatest painters! Duncan Tonatiuh also gets young readers thinking when he asks, what would Diego be painting were he with us today? What histories and stories would he bring to life? RIF also has an activity sheet to accompany the book that’s packed with things to do: http://www.rif.org/documents/us/Diego-Rivera.pdf
The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred, Samantha R. Vamos
This is the perfect book for anyone looking to add Spanish words to their child’s vocabulary! It tells the story of how a farm maiden and all the animals work together to make a delicious arroz con leche (rice pudding) to serve at the fiesta. Cleverly incorporating Spanish words by substituting them in place of the English words on the page before, this vibrant story makes learning the language easy and fun! Best of all, the recipe for the arroz con leche is included at the end! Once you’ve read the book, RIF’s activity sheet carries on the fun: http://www.rif.org/documents/us/The-Cazuela-That-the-Farm-Maiden-Stirred.pdf
From September 13–19, when you stop by Books-A-Million to pick up some great new reads, you’ll be able to give to RIF at the register! We asked their CEO, Terry Finley, about what children’s literacy means to Books-A-Million and what trends they see in the bookselling industry right now.
Why has Books-a-Million chosen to support children’s literacy as a priority issue?
We value reading and literacy as if it were our job – because it is. One the greatest gifts you receive as a book seller is when you see reading make a difference to a child. When a child’s eyes light up and you see their imagination going it puts a smile on your face. For a child, reading helps them discover who they are as a person. We have a responsibility to make a difference and help those children who need it the most.
As one of the largest book retailers, what are some of the trends you are seeing in the industry?
As we navigate the digital era, one of the constants is that children’s book sales are continuing to grow steadily as a new generation of parents embraces the physical book as the best way to bond with and educate their kids. These young “readers” have then fueled the incredible rise of teen and tween literature in recent years.
Another major trend is the influence of media and social media in driving the sales of physical books. The bestseller lists are consistently a reflection of the broader media environment, from movies, to video games, to social media personalities and more.
Do you have any favorite children’s books? Did you have a favorite book as a child?
We have a wonderful curated selection in our stores that we call “50 Books To Read Before You’re 5”. As a parent my favorite from this assortment is Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon. I love the theatricality of the book and “performed “ it for my young children at countless times at bedtime. As a child I was a huge fan of the Hardy Boys series and the seemingly never-ending number of stories in the series. I devoured these.
At Reading Is Fundamental, literacy is what we do every single day, and we’ll tirelessly campaign for reading and access to books for every child regardless of their background. September is especially important, though, because it’s National Literacy Month, with September 8 marking International Literacy Day. This global movement to commemorate literary awareness marks a unique opportunity for book people to come together as one and share their passion for a literate world.
Literacy is the foundation of learning and the gateway to boundless opportunities, yet here in the US 34 percent of children entering kindergarten lack the basic language skills needed to learn how to read. Among older children, 8,000 students drop out of high school every single day.
Barnes & Noble College Booksellers are matching gifts throughout September up to $50,000 at rif.org/backwithbooks, so now is a great time to give in support of literacy. RIF is working hard to get books into the hands of the children that need them most. Let’s stand together, for education, for the stories we love, and for wonderful books!
Reading Is Fundamental is proud to be a partner of American Graduate Day 2015! The TV event will be broadcast live on PBS member stations on Saturday, October 3 from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST from Tisch WNET Studios in New York City. American Graduate Day is about leveraging the power and reach of public media to focus on organizations and individual Champions working tirelessly to keep kids on the path to graduation.
American Graduate Day centers around a number of critical themes that relate to learning success, and RIF will be participating in the Early Education aspect of the day alongside partners that share our goals. We’re thrilled to announce that an interview with one of RIF’s 2015 Volunteers of the Year, Ellen Halliday, will be featuring prominently as part of the broadcast. Ellen is a RIF Coordinator from the Youth & Family Services at Brooklyn Public Library, and we couldn’t imagine a better ambassador for the work RIF does nationwide to support children’s literacy.
Ellen Halliday in action!
Want to get involved in helping students succeed in school and beyond? American Graduate Day offers 7 Simple Steps To Become A Champion. Also, viewers are encouraged to share questions and ideas before and during the broadcast using the hashtag #AmGrad. We’ll have more on this exciting partnership over the weeks ahead, as we work together to build a Grad Nation!
Wednesday August 26 is National Women’s Equality Day and we’re celebrating this important occasion the best way we know how – with inspirational, fun books! Here are three of our top picks for kids that celebrate women’s equality.
Amelia to Zora: Twenty-six Women Who Changed the World, Cynthia Chin-Lee
An A-Z book with a difference! Including entries as diverse as Dolores Huerta, Lena Horne and Maya Lin, Amelia to Zora is a celebration of 20th century women who made vital contributions to the fields of art, science, journalism and beyond. Their incredible stories are told through compelling introductions and beautiful artwork, as well as quotes from the women themselves. Once you’ve read the book, RIF has a fun activity sheet to accompany it!
Rosie Revere, Engineer, Andrea Beaty & David Roberts
With her bright red polka-dot headscarf, budding engineer Rosie Revere embodies the “We Can Do It” spirit of the iconic Rosie the Riveter! Rosie’s great-great-great aunt used to build magnificent planes, but she’s never flown in one – so Rosie attempts to put that right! While things don’t quite go to plan, this vibrant story is a wonderful ode to creativity that sends out a message loud and clear: “The only true failure can come if you quit.”
Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World, Laurie Lawlor & Laura Beingessner
When biologist Rachel Carson began to ask questions about the environment, powerful men tried to keep her quiet. However, she refused to stay silent about the effect that chemicals were having on our world and published her book, Silent Spring, in 1962. It was a huge success, and it sparked a global movement to protect the environment. This book tells an important and inspiring story about a woman who became a voice for our beautiful great outdoors.
Win these awesome books by sharing your back-to-school memories!
There’s nothing like hearing the words “first day back at school” to bring back some powerful memories from your childhood, and we’d like to hear yours! Maybe it was introducing yourself as the new kid in class, finding out who you were going to be sitting next to, or even getting lost on the way to your next lesson… These formative experiences tend to stick around for years to come, and with many children starting school this week, new memories are being created right now!
To commemorate back-to-school, RIF is giving away a set of five books plus cool RIF stuff to a random winner. All you have to do is share your favorite memory with us, in no more than a single sentence, by commenting underneath this blog post or on our Facebook page no later than noon EST on Wednesday, August 26. We’ll also share top posts as part of our ongoing #backwithbooks campaign.
To further celebrate this time of year, RIF has teamed up with Barnes & Noble College Booksellers as part of a matching gift campaign. For every dollar donated to RIF, Barnes & Noble College Booksellers will double the donation up to $50,000! That’s a lot of books for kids who need them most this school year. Visit www.rif.org/backwithbooks to give, and in the meantime share your First Day stories with us!
Do you remember what it was like going back to school after a long summer break? That funny feeling in your tummy, or maybe even some nerves about what challenges the new school year would bring? Here are some of our favorite books to help kids get right back into the swing of things and head back to school with confidence!
The Kissing Hand, Audrey Penn, Ruth E. Harper & Nancy M. Leak
In this charming children’s classic, school is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. Mrs. Raccoon shares the family secret of the Kissing Hand, to let him know that her love stays with him any time the world feels a little scary. This is the perfect book to read to young children headed to school for the first time!
The Recess Queen, Alexis O’Neill & Laura Huliska-Beith
Mean Jean is the reigning Recess Queen, pushing around other kids and making sure she always gets her way. Until one day, a new kid by the name of Katie Sue comes over and catches her off-guard – by asking the bully to jump rope with her! An energetic rhyming romp, this is a great way to show that although bullies can seem scary, they’re just regular kids too.
The Invisible Boy, Trudy Ludwig & Patrice Barton
Brian is an invisible boy. No-one invites him to their parties or games, but he loves to draw. When a new kid, Justin, comes to school, Brian is the first to make him feel welcome. They team up on a class project, and Brian’s dazzling talent shines bright! A perfect resource for quieter children, The Invisible Boy is all about the difference a small act of kindness can make.
Yes, it’s that time of the year again! New friends, challenges, and teachers await – if you’re like us, heading back to school is an exciting and slightly nerve-wracking experience! But the sad truth is that many children have spent their break deprived of anything to read, and the consequences of a summer without books are devastating: 47 percent of fourth graders from low-income families score below the basic level in reading.
With your help, Reading Is Fundamental and Barnes & Noble College Booksellers are determined to send kids back to school with bags full of books and a future full of promise! When you give to RIF between now and the end of September, the Back to School champions at Barnes & Noble College Booksellers will double your gift up to $50,000.
You can donate at rif.org/backwithbooks, and help spread the good word using the #backwithbooks hashtag over the weeks ahead! Let’s send kids back to the classroom with those schoolbags jam-packed with fun, inspiring books.
Students! We know how much you love to engage on social media, so the National Association of College Stores (NACS) and Reading Is Fundamental have teamed up to be your enablers for National Student Day (NSD)! We’re giving out some seriously valuable prizes in support of children’s literacy, and all you have to do is snap a selfie in your local campus store and share it on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #GIVEME5NSD – that’s it! Five randomly selected students will win $500 in-store credit just for entering, and for every student who participates, NACS will make a donation of $1 (up to $5000 total) to Reading Is Fundamental.
The contest runs from September 24 to October 22, with National Student Day taking place on October 8. NSD is all about focusing on service and celebrating student success, and campus stores across the USA and Canada will be busy celebrating their students’ hard work with a whole bunch of fun events! For more information on NSD and the contest, head on over to www.nationalstudentday.com or find it on Facebook and Twitter.
Now get out there and get snapping! You totally would anyway, right? The best part is, you get to win stuff and support children’s literacy too!
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