Our good friend, award-winning author, and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is on a multi-city tour to spread the news about the release of his latest children’s book, Sasquatch in the Paint, about a nerdy eighth-grader who grows so tall that a basketball coach is determined to turn him into a player.
He made two special stops this past week just for RIF at Ft. Bragg in North Carolina and Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. And wow, did he score big with the military families!
As soon as Kareem stepped into the building, parents and kids alike were in awe. He casually took center stage and opened up about his life and his passion behind writing his latest book.
At Ft. Bragg, where his father was once stationed, Kareem told children that they should follow their dreams — and not necessarily those of their peers.
“I just thought there is so much in popular culture that tells kids that if they’re going to be successful, it’s going to have to be in the field of sports or entertainment. And that if it’s not that, they’re not going to make it. Theo, the main character, is on the academic team. He’s smart. Books just don’t sit in the corner in his room. That was one message I want to get across. Being smart is cool.”
Well, his message sure did resonate. At Joint Base Andrews, a proud little girl named Anna jolted her hand in the air and exclaimed, “I’m a celebrity reader!” She then hopped up from her seat onto Kareem’s lap and asked the event photographer to take their picture. Now, that’s the confidence Kareem is inspiring kids to have.
Of course, the absolute best part of the event was the end when every child received a copy of Kareem’s book to keep and cherish!
We’d like to give an extra special thank you to all the amazing people at Ft. Bragg and Joint Base Andrews. You were awesome hosts! We are incredibly grateful to Kareem and the Skyhook Foundation for their support of RIF and commitment to improving literacy in underserved communities.
You can see all the action on our flickr photo gallery.
These two go together like peanut butter and jelly. Meet the Cowboy and the Octopus. A pair with some real flair.
I met them yesterday on a sunny afternoon at the National Book Festival on the National Mall.
This hilarious duo jumped right out of Jon Scieszka’s children’s book Cowboy and Octopus onto center stage at the “Literary Lights” Readers Theater.
With over-the-top and larger-than-life costumes (I might try to snag one for Halloween), these characters were brilliantly brought to life by RIF’s president and CEO, Carol H. Rasco, and former First Lady of Virginia, founding board member and Chairman Emeritus of RIF, Lynda Johnson Robb.
They served as Masters of Ceremonies during story book readings by former National Ambassadors for Young People’s Literature–Katherine Paterson and Jon Scieszka–as well as award-winning authors Susan Cooper and Grace Lin. They also added a witty tête-à-tête between each story presented that were happily received by erupting laughter from the crowd.
Everyone surely had a blast.
For more highlights, check out the video I took of the hilarious reading “drama”.
A big round of applause goes to The National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance and The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress for hosting the “Literary Lights” Readers Theater. And wow! There were over 600 Junior League volunteers helping to make this year’s National Book Festival a huge success!
We also want to congratulate our friends at Reach Out And Read who won the Library of Congress’ David M. Rubenstein Prize for their work on early-childhood education.
We love all of you amazing Book People!
Have big plans this weekend?
If you’re in the Washington metro area, swing by the National Mall all weekend long for the free and fabulous National Book Festival!
RIF will be at the “Literary Lights Readers Theater” located in the Pavilion of the States at 4:30PM on Sunday with RIF President and CEO, Carol H. Rasco, and former First Lady of Virginia, founding RIF board member and Chairman Emeritus of RIF, Lynda Johnson Robb. They’ll bring the book Cowboy and Octopus by award-winning author Jon Scieszka to life. Learn more about the performance.
We hope to see you there—Book People Unite!
It is with great sadness that we announce the loss of Ruth Graves, a RIF leader and advocate for children and families.
Ruth served as RIF’s president from 1976 to 1997. Her vision and leadership guided RIF to its status as America’s foremost children’s literacy organization, overseeing a period of tremendous growth during which RIF grew tenfold, increasing its reach from 300,000 children to over 3 million children throughout the U.S.
After her tenure at RIF, Ruth continued to work tirelessly as an outspoken advocate for children’s literacy through serving on several advisory councils for education, government, and media organizations, frequently appearing as a media spokesperson and contributing to articles and books on literacy best practices.
RIF is honored to have had such a bold and bright star at its helm. “We will miss you Ruth.”
The Graves family asks that memorial gifts be made to Reading Is Fundamental in Ruth’s honor.
Ever think that you can’t do something or that you aren’t doing it right? I’m sure we all have doubted our abilities at some point.
But then there’s always that someone that believes in you, empowers you and builds up your self-esteem. Often there’s one person or teacher that makes all the difference.
That’s what The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds is all about.
So this International Dot Day, celebrate your creativity and embrace what makes you, you!
Here’s some ways to get your Dot Day off to a great start:
- Make a statement. Have your kids draw, paint, stamp, trace, rub or use any technique they want to create their own special kind of dot. Have them share it with their friends or classmates and discuss what makes their dot unique.
- Make some noise. Print out some free posters to display in your classroom or kids room at the International Dot Day website.
- Make your mark! Sign up and tell the International Dot Day community what you’re doing to celebrate International Dot Day.
Photo Source: Peter H. Reynolds
What’s a book bag without books?
As summer winds down, kids across the country are bursting through classroom doors. And one thing we all have learned is that books are an essential school supply for every child.
This fall, RIF can give brand-new books to children in low-income communities who wouldn’t otherwise have access to these life-changing resources.
And there has never been a better time to give than right now. Books Are Fun, one of our generous corporate partners who shares our commitment to helping kids learn and grow, has agreed to match any and all donations up to $100,000.That’s twice as many books for boys and girls in need for every dollar you give.
This back-to-school season, let’s double-down on the successful future of our children. Give today!
Pencils, backpacks and ruled notebooks. There’s so much to prepare for Back-to-School. And while it can be overwhelming at times, enjoy the moment, the excitement and of course the cuteness!
We’re going to help you get your kid back to school and prepared to achieve with our high-quality printables for your little ones and as well as reading activities for bigger kids. We’re also offering up a sweet RIF goodie bag filled with RIF character stickers, a Babar book and Babar stuffed animal, pens, bookmarks, notebooks and more back to school necessities all packed inside one of our blue RIF totes.
To enter, take a picture of what you and your kids are doing to prepare for Back-to-School and use the hashtag #RIFBackToSchool on Instagram. You’ll automatically be entered into a drawing to win an awesome RIF Back-to-School goody bag. Keep track of the inspiration on our Facebook app.
Chomping, toothy, and not to trifle with. Sharks have always been a fascinating creature to humans. Take Shark Week‘s popularity for example. So let’s celebrate Shark Week in true RIF fashion—with these “Jawsome” reads!
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National Geographic Kids 5,000 Awesome Facts About Everything is filled with information and facts that will get your kid’s head spinning with delight. |
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Still thirsty for more fact-filled Shark books to sink your teeth into? With the award-winning Surprising Sharks you’ll find out why swell sharks blow up like a party balloon, what lantern sharks use their built-in lights for and more! |
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Dun dun… dun dun….dun dun… Want a good shark scare? Sea Monsters will be sure to delight and startle so open it today…if you dare! |
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Looking for something for the youngest pups to enjoy that won’t give them nightmares, then read Pierre the Penguin and enjoy our activity guides that have been developed by literacy experts at RIF. |
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Ping-pong, pie-eating and even burping! Don’t miss the award-winning Shark vs. Train where a wacky showdown between two unstoppable forces takes kids for a wild ride. Add even more adventure with these activities. |
You’ll be sure to take your kids reading into the deep end with these awesome reads.
For millions of kids, you are a superhero.
Because of you—because of our 10 year partnership with Macy’s—together we’re able to give 10 million free books to children in need.
That’s 10 million more bedtime stories, 10 million more smiles and 10 million more possibilities. Our 2013 Be Book Smart campaign may be over, but the magic is just beginning!
And we—and millions of kids—can’t thank you enough.
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