Summer's in Full Swing so Let's Get Reading

Are you in search of a good reading list?  Well, here are some really good suggestions (thanks Marcus at RIF) so grab a cool corner and ENJOY!

■“The 20 Most Beautiful Children’s Books of All Time” via Flavorwire

■“7 (More) Obscure Children’s Books by Famous “Adult” Lit Authors” via Brain Pickings

■“88 Books That Shaped America” via Huffington Post

■“9 Books That Make You Undateable” via Flavorwire

■“10 Olympic Books”

■“Seven Top Trailers to Hook Kids on Books” via Digital Shift

■“The Reading Lists of Your Favorite Fictional Characters” via Flavorwire

■“The Books HuffPost Staff Are Reading This Summer” via Huffington Post

■“9 Unintentionally Terrifying Children’s Books” via Flavorwire

■“Dark Reads for Your Bright Summer Day” via Huffington Post

Need more lists to keep you and your kids reading this summer? Check out RIF’s Multicultural Booklist containing 45 children’s books and activities celebrating cultures from all over the world.

Be Book Smart

For the next 6 days, you can save big and help RIF get 1 million books to kids.

Now through July 31st, vist your local Macy's and give $3 to help provide a book for a child.  You'll receive a $10 coupon off an in-store purchase of $50 or more.  Macy's will give 100% of every $3 to RIF.

This campaign is the biggest RIF fundraiser of the year!

How Libraries are Reinventing Themselves for the Future

Many branches of these public institutions are dying from lack of funding—and reinventing themselves in surprising new ways
Beyond the Book Mobile

by Allison Berry

Today’s libraries aren’t just trying to fulfill what a March study by the Pew Charitable Trusts calls the institutions’ “shadow mandate” of bridging the widening gaps in social services that used to be provided by non-profits and public agencies. Libraries are also trying to meet people where they are. The cash-strapped Free Library of Philadelphia, a stalwart system founded in 1891, has set up six “Hot Spots” to expand its reach in underserved areas. It’s much cheaper to open these freestanding mini-libraries, which are equipped with computers, printers, and a reference collection, inside facilities owned by community organizations than it is to open a new branch. In a similar move, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has opened what it calls a “library without walls” in the Pittsburgh Public Market in an effort to deliver library services on the weekends in a place where a lot of people do their food-shopping. Some libraries are even venturing outdoors. In response to recent branch closures in Detroit, the University of Michigan this spring partnered with students at a local elementary school to set up six outdoor libraries, whose waterproof bookcases, unlike book mobiles, don’t come with expensive gas bills.

*The above article is not the works of Peta-Gay Lewis but republished on this blog as a means to encourage children to read.

King James Loves to Read to Focus

How LeBron James focused for games: Reading books. Tell the kids.

By Valerie Strauss

Miami Heat star LeBron James had a somewhat surprising practice that he used to focus before games, including during the final series in which he led his team to the National Basketball Association championship: He read books. Tell the kids.

There was “The Hunger Games,” and the other books in the science fiction trilogy by Suzanne Collins. There were, according to ESPN, books on history, biographies, psychology and more. He read sitting in front of his locker “The Pact,” about three boys from tough backgrounds deciding to go to college and then medical school.

According to this story by ESPN’s by Michael Wilbon (who used to be a colleague of mine at The Washington Post), James decided that he could focus on his game better if he spent some time alone reading, so he called up his friend and business associate, Maverick Carter, and asked for some book suggestions.

Carter recommended titles such as “The Post-American World” by Fareed Zakaria and Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point.” According to Wilbon, James came up on his own with the “The Hunger Games” trilogy as well as a book titled “Decoded” by his friend, Jay-Z.

Wilbon wrote in this story:

“Where cynics saw a ballplayer doing something for the cameras, I saw a chance, whatever LeBron’s motivation, for a role model to use his influence to make an impact, intentional or not.... If LeBron is reading, then reading must be fairly cool. Is there a better message the world’s best basketball player could send?”

I can’t think of one offhand, except, perhaps, to be gracious and humble, which James was in his public remarks after he led the Heat to the championship on Thursday night and was named the most valuable player of the final series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Tell the kids that, too.

*The above article is not the works of Peta-Gay Lewis but republished on this blog as a means to encourage children to read.

My Goals as Ms. District of Columbia Essence 2012

Being a titleholder means being a role model and goodwill ambassador for one's community. As Ms. District of Columbia Essence I would like to achieve the folowing:

*Raise $500.00 for Reading Is Essential.
*Complete 15 appearances before the national competition.
*Visit each of the Eight wards for community/neighborhood advisory meetings.
*Share my message of "Reading is the Key to Your Future" with the Mayor and all elected city officials.
*Get September 22, 2012 (fourth Saturday in the month) proclaimed as Reading Is Essential day for Washington, DC.
*Hold the first annual Reading Is Essential walk/run on September 22, 2012.

Dibels Results

Dibels reading results are in and Vanessa scored at the 5th grade level. I am EXTREMELY proud because she is the second youngest in her class and by school system standards she should be in 3rd grade due to her December birthday but as a parent I pressed the system to have her in the same grade as those born in her calendar year and she has held her own (it wasn't easy and I often thought I made a huge mistake at my childs expense) and is now rising to levels I did not expect. I am a PROUD MAMA that is so grateful to her teachers Mrs. Ewart and Mrs. Deanna and all the truly dedicated staff at Watkins!

D.C. Cuts Funding for Librarians

Good and Bad News

May 10, 2012
by Melissa Taylor

I’ve got good news and bad news.

Let's start with the good news, shall we? Hip-hip-hooray, it’s Children’s Book Week, May 7 - 13!

You'll want to celebrate so here are my suggestions

First, peruse the 2012 winners of the Children’s Book Council Choice Awards. Then read some of the award-winning books to your children.

Then, pretend every week is Children’s Book Week! You can . . .

- start a parent-child book club
- get your children their own library cards
- read instead of watching television
- host a book swap with friends
- pick an author and read all of his or her books (suggestions on Scholastic site, Book Wizard)
- write a letter to your favorite author
- find new books on a book blog (good blogs: Jen’s Book Page, There’s a Book, On Our Minds @Scholastic, Imagination Soup, Great Kid Books, Reader Totz, Lit Lad, Book Dads, and The Children's Book Review.)

Now for the bad news.

The Washington D.C. School District is cutting almost 50 librarians from their public schools. This will save money, yes-- but can this be good for children?

I asked Carol Rasco, Reading Is Fundamental President and CEO. She explained to me that just having access to books, aka. no librarian, doesn't help student achievement. To improve children's reading skills, a librarian needs to be available to students, especially those in lower-income schools. (Peck, 2000; Celano and Neuman, 2008) In fact, Rasco shared with me Keith Curry Lance’s research which concludes that the presence of librarians contributes to reading achievement.

At this point, however, there is a clear consensus in the results now available for

eight states: School libraries are a powerful force in the lives of America’s children. The
school library is one of the few factors whose contribution to academic achievement has
been documented empirically, and it is a contribution that cannot be explained away by
other powerful influences on student performance. - Keith Curry Lance

Back to D.C. and Carol Rasco. "Five years ago as Reading Is Fundamental approached our 40th anniversary," recounts Rasco, "we learned of the difficulty DCPS administrators were having in conducting the RIF program in this district where RIF was founded. As an anniversary gift to the children of this district, RIF assumed the leadership of the program, working closely with individual school sites through a site-based designated teacher or administrator. It has been an “on the job” lesson for all affiliated with RIF on the critical need for a literacy emphasis for students in this district. DC fourth graders’ most recent NAEP results (2011) show 56% to be below BASIC (http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/dst2011/2012455.pdf)."

So you can imagine how devastated Rasco felt when she saw the news about the DC librarian cuts. "To read now of librarians being the target of budget cutting measures is incomprehensible," she wrote me in an email, "particularly since the schools targeted to lose a librarian are those schools where the services of a media specialist/librarian would logically be needed most. Books in a room that will simply be opened for children to enter does not constitute a library, it might be a warehouse only."

DC Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson defended her decision in a recent interview saying she didn't think librarians were helpful to student achievement. "We have pulled away from programs where we haven't received a return on our investment.”  Interestingly enough, Chancellor Henderson's actions mimic those of the Department of Education's who cut all federal funding for school libraries in 2011.

Clearly, there's a serious disconnect between the research and the policy makers' actions.

Even if you don't live in Washington D.C. you need to be aware and be very concerned. Here's what I, you, we need to do:

*Fight to save the school libraries, librarians, and the public libraries.
*Find innovative ways to fund school libraries.
*Speak up. Make your voice heard.

Last year in Troy, MI the public library almost closed until a unique ad campaign sparked community outrage -- a Burning Book Party. The campaign worked, the library remained open. Some Troy residents didn't get the satire but I loved the creativity that sparked the outrage against closing the library and burning books.

If it worked in Troy, Michigan, maybe it will work in your neighborhoods, maybe even in Washington D.C.

We need to get creative. If the research isn't compelling policy makers then what will? Do we go with the satire ploy of burning books?

Let's start with that -- what will work?

Bringing Up an E-Reader

Article is not the original works of Peta-Gay Lewis

By THOMAS J. FITZGERALD
Published: March 28, 2012

Julianna Huth, a second grader at Green Primary School, in Green, Ohio, is a convert to the digital word.

The 8-year-old uses both an iPad and a Nook, and she enjoys e-books at home and at school.

“It’s just cool that you can read on your iPad,” said Julianna, who started using e-books when she was 6. “It’s more fun and you learn more from it.”

Children would say that. Books on iPads and some e-readers like the Nook Color or the Kindle Fire are fun. They include music, animation and other interactive elements that make reading a book feel like playing a video game.

In “Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes,” an e-book for children ages 3 to 7, they can change the color of Pete’s shoes by touching them, sing along to music with the lyrics that roll along the page, listen to a narrator or record their voices as they read aloud.

But is it better than a book? It may take a generation to ever know for sure, and even 10 or 20 years from now it will be debated as the effects of television or video games are still discussed today.

Julianna’s teacher, Kourtney Denning, sees e-books as essential. “Old books don’t really cut it anymore,” she said. “We have to transform our learning as we know it.”

Amid the excitement and enthusiasm, some people are suggesting a closer look, especially for younger children learning to read. “Right now, the state-of-the-art, in terms of research-based practice is: read traditional books with your child,” said Julia Parish-Morris, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania who has studied e-books and how children interact with them. “We don’t have any evidence that any kind of electronic device is better than a parent.”

In an attempt to figure out whether parents should embrace e-books with great enthusiasm or ration e-reader screen time as they do TV time, Julianna’s class is participating in a research project for the Center for Literacy at the University of Akron.

The project is meant to find the best way to integrate e-books into classrooms. It is part of a broader study of kindergartners through second graders using a range of devices and computers.

Julianna’s mother, Cathy Ivancic, was elated when she learned the class would take part in the study. She said that devices like the iPad were new and fun and gave children an incentive to read, including those who might be reluctant. “It’s a new motivation to explore reading,” she said. “At this age is when you learn to love reading, or not love reading.”

Ms. Ivancic’s other daughter, Jessica, 13, also uses an e-reader, preferring e-books over traditional books because they are easier to read. “And in between books you can play apps,” she said.

Ms. Parish-Morris and educators are concerned that children can be distracted by the animations and gamelike features within e-books. Maintaining a focus on the story is important in developing literacy skills, they said.

One way this happens spontaneously is through a back-and-forth dialogue that develops naturally between a parent and child sharing a book.

“The most important thing is sitting and talking with your children,” said Gabrielle Strouse, an adjunct assistant professor at Vanderbilt who has studied e-books. “Whether you’re reading a book, whether you’re reading an e-book, whether you’re watching a video. Co-interacting, co-viewing, is the best way for them to learn.”

Lisa Guernsey, director of the early education initiative at the New America Foundation, says conversations about how events of a story relate to the child’s own life, or asking open-ended questions about what happened, are examples of spontaneous dialogue. But this kind of interaction is often different with e-books, she said, and in some cases, disappears.

“We are seeing some evidence that parents expect the e-books to do it all and are stepping back from the engagement with their children,” she said.

Cristy Ludrosky, another parent with a child in Mrs. Denning’s class, is an advocate of e-books, although she does have concerns about the potential for distractions. “There’s this struggle there,” she said. “Sometimes you look at it and you are thinking, ‘Are they reading or learning to read, or are they playing an app or a game?’ ”

118 Words in a Minute

I missed a call from my daughter's teacher. I go into panic mode thinking something happened to my child. I immediately call back. The phone rang numerous times so I became even more worried. Then it was answered and there was an extremely bubbly Vanessa on the phone sharing the news that she read 118 words on her Dibbels test. This numbers exceeds the goal of 108 that was in place. I am soooo proud of my "butterfly". She is one amazing daughter!

Reading Goes High Tech

As the world around us becomes more technological so does the learning tools for our children. Below is an interesting article I came across.

Seizing the Opportunity

A mix of “traditional” players and start-ups have been producing, selling and marketing children’s book apps.

While children’s publishing powerhouses like Scholastic Inc. and Sesame Workshop have robust digitization and app-development efforts, upstarts have come to market with children’s book apps, too. Encinitas, Calif.-based Oceanhouse Media produces, markets and sells Dr. Seuss and Berenstain Bears children’s book apps, for instance.

“Three years ago there was not much of anything,” said Michel Kripalani, president of Oceanhouse. “The app market was just getting rolling.”

Today, there are dozens of small companies like Kripalani’s as well as hundreds of “mom and pop” shops, single developers that produce a one-off app product. And it’s all because of Apple.

“You can build a product and submit it to Apple and ten days later – after approval [Apple will not sell an app in its store if it does not meet certain technical requirements] – you’re available for sale,” said Kripalani. “All of a sudden, they’ve created this environment that anyone who is able to gather the technical and marketing skills is able to build a publishing house.”

National Geographic, the Washington, D.C.-based nature magazine company, publishes magazines and books targeted at children. National Geographic has published two children’s apps, including the iTunes store hit, Weird But True, an app based on the print book series of the same name.

Scholastic has published 14 apps, including Magic Schoolbus Oceans, an extension of the Magic Schoolbus franchise.

“It’s been a very good business for us – and profitable,” said Deborah Forte, executive vice president of Scholastic and president of Scholastic Media, the division within the company that produces apps.

Sesame Workshop currently has 160 e-books and 25 apps and “is in the business [of electronic publishing] to stay,” said Jennifer Perry, vice president of worldwide publishing for Sesame Workshop.

Holiday Treats!

Save the wrapper from specially marked bags of Nestlé candy, enter the code and help Share the Joy of Reading!

An Open Letter to President Obama

Reproduction of letter from RIF CEO/President Carol Hampton Rasco




Dear President Obama:

Along with many reading advocates and individuals who savor the joys of reading, it was gratifying and encouraging to see news stories about your trip to the local Washington, DC bookstore with your daughters over the Thanksgiving holiday. What a great example you set for all parents and caregivers by showing the importance of children having choice in selection of books and actually obtaining books to own, both highly researched principles necessary to building strong reading and literacy skills in children and youth.

However, your trip also points to the serious problem created by your recommendation to Congress to eliminate the $25 million grant Reading Is Fundamental administered for 34 years. We have used the funds to create the most effective and efficient network for getting books to the neediest children in our country; the network is a true public-private partnership to provide children both a choice and a chance to own books of their own. Moreover, RIF creates the opportunity for low-income children to build a love for reading and hone the most basic skill needed to break the cycle of poverty in their lives. Studies show only 1 in 300 poor children have a book, a single book that can be called their own. Without access to this modest amount of federal funding, more than 4 million children living in poverty will not have the opportunity to own a book of their choosing. One book, one choice, one child; we believe that every child deserves to own a book that inspires them.

I hope you will work with RIF in the coming months to urge Congress to institute a new funding stream for national literacy organizations. And I hope that you will continue to demonstrate the importance of books and literacy so that private citizens, foundations, corporations and others will step up to ensure our neediest children are prepared for the workforce.

Sincerely,

Carol Hampton Rasco

Carol Hampton Rasco
President & CEO

How About Better Parents?

By Thomas L. Friedman
Published: November 19, 2011

In recent years, we’ve been treated to reams of op-ed articles about how we need better teachers in our public schools and, if only the teachers’ unions would go away, our kids would score like Singapore’s on the big international tests. There’s no question that a great teacher can make a huge difference in a student’s achievement, and we need to recruit, train and reward more such teachers. But here’s what some new studies are also showing: We need better parents. Parents more focused on their children’s education can also make a huge difference in a student’s achievement.

How do we know? Every three years, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or O.E.C.D., conducts exams as part of the Program for International Student Assessment, or PISA, which tests 15-year-olds in the world’s leading industrialized nations on their reading comprehension and ability to use what they’ve learned in math and science to solve real problems — the most important skills for succeeding in college and life. America’s 15-year-olds have not been distinguishing themselves in the PISA exams compared with students in Singapore, Finland and Shanghai.

To better understand why some students thrive taking the PISA tests and others do not, Andreas Schleicher, who oversees the exams for the O.E.C.D., was encouraged by the O.E.C.D. countries to look beyond the classrooms. So starting with four countries in 2006, and then adding 14 more in 2009, the PISA team went to the parents of 5,000 students and interviewed them “about how they raised their kids and then compared that with the test results” for each of those years, Schleicher explained to me. Two weeks ago, the PISA team published the three main findings of its study:

“Fifteen-year-old students whose parents often read books with them during their first year of primary school show markedly higher scores in PISA 2009 than students whose parents read with them infrequently or not at all. The performance advantage among students whose parents read to them in their early school years is evident regardless of the family’s socioeconomic background. Parents’ engagement with their 15-year-olds is strongly associated with better performance in PISA.”

Schleicher explained to me that “just asking your child how was their school day and showing genuine interest in the learning that they are doing can have the same impact as hours of private tutoring. It is something every parent can do, no matter what their education level or social background.”

For instance, the PISA study revealed that “students whose parents reported that they had read a book with their child ‘every day or almost every day’ or ‘once or twice a week’ during the first year of primary school have markedly higher scores in PISA 2009 than students whose parents reported that they had read a book with their child ‘never or almost never’ or only ‘once or twice a month.’ On average, the score difference is 25 points, the equivalent of well over half a school year.”

Yes, students from more well-to-do households are more likely to have more involved parents. “However,” the PISA team found, “even when comparing students of similar socioeconomic backgrounds, those students whose parents regularly read books to them when they were in the first year of primary school score 14 points higher, on average, than students whose parents did not.”

The kind of parental involvement matters, as well. “For example,” the PISA study noted, “on average, the score point difference in reading that is associated with parental involvement is largest when parents read a book with their child, when they talk about things they have done during the day, and when they tell stories to their children.” The score point difference is smallest when parental involvement takes the form of simply playing with their children

These PISA findings were echoed in a recent study by the National School Boards Association’s Center for Public Education, and written up by the center’s director, Patte Barth, in the latest issue of The American School Board Journal.

The study, called “Back to School: How parent involvement affects student achievement,” found something “somewhat surprising,” wrote Barth: “Parent involvement can take many forms, but only a few of them relate to higher student performance. Of those that work, parental actions that support children’s learning at home are most likely to have an impact on academic achievement at school.

“Monitoring homework; making sure children get to school; rewarding their efforts and talking up the idea of going to college. These parent actions are linked to better attendance, grades, test scores, and preparation for college,” Barth wrote. “The study found that getting parents involved with their children’s learning at home is a more powerful driver of achievement than parents attending P.T.A. and school board meetings, volunteering in classrooms, participating in fund-raising, and showing up at back-to-school nights.”

To be sure, there is no substitute for a good teacher. There is nothing more valuable than great classroom instruction. But let’s stop putting the whole burden on teachers. We also need better parents. Better parents can make every teacher more effective.

2011 Multicultural Booklist (Grades K-4)

Thanks to the generous support of Macy’s, RIF will donate more than 580 multicultural children’s book collections to elementary school classrooms in low‐income communities throughout the United States. The 2011 Multicultural Book Collection includes 45 hardcover children's books representing American Indian, African‐American, and Hispanic themes as well as selections from additional culture groups.

100th Day of School by Reagan Miller

Anna & Natalie by Barbara H. Cole

Amazing Faces by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki

Bein' with You This Way by W. Nikola-Lisa

The Birthday Box by Leslie Patricelli

The Birthday Swap by Loretta Lopez

Book Fiesta by Pat Mora

A Boy Called Slow by Joseph Bruchac

Coyote Places the Stars by Harriet Peck Taylor

The Dancing Dragon by Marcia Vaughan

Days to Celebrate by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Enemy Pie by Derek Munson

Giving Thanks by Chief Jake Swamp

Hand in Hand by Lee Bennett Hopkins

Home to Medicine Mountain by Chiori Santiago

Hush! by Minfong Ho

I Love Saturdays y domingos by Alma Flor Ada

Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Lin Yi's Lantern by Brenda Williams

Lion Dancer by Kate Waters and Madeline Slovenz-Low

Louis Sockalexis by Bill Wise

Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport

The Moon over Star by Dianna Hutts Aston

More Than Anything Else by Marie Bradby

My Name is María Isabel by Alma Flor Ada

Nobody Owns the Sky by Reeve Lindbergh

¡Olé! Flamenco by George Ancona

One of Us by Peggy Moss

One World, One Day by Barbara Kerley

The Last Black King of the Kentucky Derby by Crystal Hubbard

The Pirate of Kindergarten by George Ella Lyon

Planting the Trees of Kenya by Claire A. Nivolaby

Powwow's Coming by Linda Boyden

Rich by Nikki Grimes

Saltypie by Tim Tingle

Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson

Some Kind of Love by Traci Dant

Suki’s Kimono by Chieri Uegaki

Throw Your Tooth on the Roof by Selby B. Beeler

Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto

Uncle Peter's Amazing Chinese Wedding by Lenore Look

Up and Down the Andes by Laurie Krebs

Whoever You Are by Mem Fox

Wings by Christopher Myers

Reading Rockets Writing Contest

To celebrate the publication of the Exquisite Corpse Adventure, Reading Rockets and AdLit.org are hosting the Exquisite Prompt Redux —a national writing contest for kids. Fabulous prizes include autographed books by Exquisite Corpse Adventure authors!

Parent Teacher Conference Day

Today, was parent teacher conference day at the girl's school.

Since, I regularly keep in contact with both teachers not much was needed to be discussed however the trimesterly DIBELS results were in. With great joy, I share with you that Vanessa is on level "P" which is the proficient bench mark for fourth graders. Jade is on level "C" which is considered advance for a first grader.

While, waiting to meet with Jade's teacher another parent and I began chatting and soon enough I began sharing my Reading Is Essential message. She mentioned to me that her son was having a hard time with his reading. My first question to her was "did she make reading fun for him." Her answer was no. In hearing this I told her the best way to get him interested in reading is to allow him to read whatever he wants even if it is comic books. Immediately, upon hearing this she burst into a chuckle and told me those are the only books he picks out at the library and she always tells him to put them back and then she proceeds to pick out other books for him. I told her at this point the subject matter should not be important but instead what she wants is to get him reading.

Next, I shared two creative ways in which we got our un-enthused son engaged in reading. I mentioned his love of playing video games and that in order for him to play his game of choice he is responsible for reading all of the rules and directions for the game. Finally, I shared with her that we oftentimes only allow him to watch his favorite television program with the caption on while the tv is muted. This forces him to read if he wants to know what the programming is about. Unfortunately, our conversation was cut short because it was time to meet with Jade's teacher.

Today's conference re-enforced that our family is on the road to raising great readers and that regardless of where I am I can share my message of reading is essential!

Motivating Kids to Read: Teenagers and Reading

My primary focus is usually to encourage younger children to read however teens also need to the support of family and friends to remain avid readers.

Perhaps the teenagers in your family were once avid readers but now hardly ever open a book, or perhaps they never liked reading in the first place.

As an adult, you know that reading is important and you obviously want to make sure that the teenagers in your life grow into adulthood with all the skills they need to succeed.

In this article, RIF suggests how parents can help teenagers decide for themselves that reading is important to their lives.

Try to avoid...

Before we list ways to encourage teen reading that work, here are a few tactics that don't:

*Pressuring, nagging, or bribing. Encourage teens to read, but don't hound them.
*Criticizing what teens read. Explain what troubles you about certain types of reading materials after reading them yourself. Forbid as little as possible. And whenever you can, accept differences of opinion as just that.
*Lavishing too much praise. If you catch your teenagers reading, show interest, but don't make a big deal out of it. Teens need to know that they're reading for their own pleasure—not for your approval.

Ways to encourage teens to read...

*Set an example. Let teens see you reading for pleasure.
*Furnish your home with a variety of reading materials. Leave books, magazines, and newspapers around. Check to see what disappears for a clue to what interests your teenager.
*Give teens an opportunity to choose their own books. When you and your teen are out together, browse in a bookstore or library. Go your separate ways and make your own selections. A bookstore gift certificate is a nice way of saying, "You choose."
*Build on your teen's interests. Look for books and articles that feature their favorite sports teams, rock stars, hobbies, or television shows. Give a gift subscription to a special interest magazine.
*View pleasure reading as a value in itself. Almost anything your youngsters read—including the Sunday comics—helps build reading skills.
*Read some books written for teens. Young adult novels can give you valuable insights into the concerns and pressures felt by teenagers. You may find that these books provide a neutral ground on which to talk about sensitive subjects.
*Make reading aloud a natural part of family life. Share an article you clipped from the paper, a poem, a letter, or a random page from an encyclopedia—without turning it into a lesson.
*Acknowledge your teen's mature interests. Look for ways to acknowledge the emerging adult in your teens by suggesting some adult reading you think they can handle.
*Keep the big picture in mind. For all sorts of reasons, some teenagers go through periods without showing much interest in reading. Don't panic! Time, and a few tips from this article, may help rekindle their interest.

Talking to teens about reading...

Adults know how important it is for their teenagers to read. Reading is not just important while teens are in school; good reading skills are essential to future success in the workplace. But making a pitch for reading can be a real challenge. If you are the parent of a teenager who has lost interest in reading or never liked it much, here are some suggestions for connecting with your child about books and reading.

What's in it for your teen? Through reading they can:

*Become an expert. An expert on any subject they like—from sports stats to spelunking, coins to carburetors, or anything in between.
*Live dangerously. Through reading teens can share the challenges, fears, thrills, and achievements of those they are reading about without the risk.
*Have a few laughs. Many teens will enjoy sitting down with a book by their favorite stand-up comedian, a collection of jokes or cartoons, or a humor magazine.
*See the world. Without leaving their room, teens can visit places that fascinate them.
*Travel through time. Historical fiction and science fiction move a reader back and forth in time. *Use their brains. Teens may enjoy solving a mystery by figuring out whodunit, outwitting a crafty villain, or thinking through a perilous situation.
*Get some free advice. Lots of novels feature teenage characters who have problems and pressures similar to those your teenage may be dealing with.
*Discover new interests. Through reading, teens may develop an interest in something they knew nothing about before.
*Find a cause. Teens can get smart on an issue that matters to them.
*Escape. Teens can escape noise, tension, or boredom by escaping into a book.

Helping teens find books that interest them...

What they say is true: the more you read, the better you read. In other words, stepping up the reading you do for yourself will make other reading tasks less of a chore. Here are some ideas parents can share with their teens to find the kinds of books that will most interest them:

*Decide what you're in the mood for. High adventure? Romance? Perhaps you enjoyed a recent movie or TV miniseries; chances are it was based on a book you'd enjoy also.
*Ask around. Ask friends, a favorite teacher, or your coach to suggest books they enjoyed.
*Check out the library. It won't cost you anything, and the choices are virtually unlimited. Don't be shy about asking a librarian a question like, "Do you have any books on rock music?"
*Browse in a bookstore. Find the section that interests you—fantasy, cars, computers, or whatever. Treat yourself to an inexpensive paperback, or just have a look around.
*Consult a list of books other teenagers have enjoyed. Ask for a book list at your school or public library.
*Don't judge a book by its cover. What you see on the cover is not necessarily what you get. Read the short reviews printed inside a dust jacket, or skim the first chapter to find out what a book is really about.
*Try a few pages. If the books not for you, put it aside and try another, until you find a winner.
*Read at your own pace. Reading isn't a contest. So what if you read slowly or skip words here and there? If you're interested, you'll read to the end, and that's what counts. And you'll probably find yourself picking up speed along the way.
*Let one good thing lead to another. When you read something that really speaks to you, you may be sorry to have it end. But the end is never really the end for a person who reads. You can always open another book, and another, and another.

Source: RIF Parent Guide Brochure

The World's Spookiest Booklist

Ages 6-8

The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Three terrified little bears explore the inside of a mysterious old tree and go into, up, through, over, down, and out.

Happy Halloween Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt

It's almost time to go trick-or-treating, but first Stinky Face has just a few questions for Mama, including: "Mama, what if Mrs. Petry doesn't know it's really just me at her door?" and "What if she gets so surprised from my super-scary costume that she throws her candy bowl up and it lands on her head and candy spills all over?"

There’s a Monster Under My Bed by James Howe

There was a monster under his bed. Simon knew it. He could hear him breathing. Maybe more than one. Maybe two. Maybe even three or four. Five monsters crawling up the side of his bed! Why had he agreed that he didn't need a night light? His younger brother, Alex, had one. What was wrong with a night light?

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Max is being so terrible that his mother sends him to his room without supper. But Max doesn't care -- he sails off to the land of the Wild Things, and they make him his king. There, Max can be as terrible as he pleases, and the Wild Things join in the rumpus.

Ages 9-12

Bone: Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith

Three Bone cousins—Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone—are separated and lost in a vast, uncharted desert. One by one, they find their way into a deep, forested valley filled with wonderful and terrifying creatures. Eventually, the cousins are reunited at a farmstead run by tough Gran'ma Ben and her spirited granddaughter Thorn. But little do the Bones know, there are dark forces conspiring against them, and their adventures are only just beginning!

Goblins Don't Play Video Games by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones

There are some pretty weird grown-ups living in Bailey City. But could the new computer teacher really be the Great Goblin from Melody's video game? The Bailey School Kids are going to find out!

The Mystery of the Runaway Ghost by Gertrude Chandler Warner

When the Boxcar children visit their friend Fran in Wisconsin, they can't wait to hear her tell the story of the runaway ghost. Fran's family ghost hasn't been spotted in years, but the Aldens still shiver at the spooky tale of the ghost's bell clanging after dark. Then, Violet hears a mysterious ringing in the middle of the night and the children start to wonder—could the runaway ghost be back?

Vampires by Marc Tyler Nobleman

From Elizabeth Bathory and Vlad the Impaler to vampires in the movies; from real-life vampire bats to the myths about how to repel and destroy vampires, examine the facts and myths about this famous monster.

Ages 13+

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Dracula chronicles the vampire, Count Dracula's journey from Transylvania to the nighttime streets of London. There, he searches for the blood of strong men and beautiful women while his enemies plot to rid the world of his frightful power.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

At once a Gothic thriller, a passionate romance, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of science, Frankenstein tells the story of committed science student Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with discovering "the cause of generation and life" and "bestowing animation upon lifeless matter," Frankenstein assembles a human being from stolen body parts but, upon bringing it to life, he recoils in horror at the creature's hideousness. Tormented by isolation and loneliness, the once-innocent creature turns to evil and unleashes a campaign of murderous revenge against his creator, Frankenstein.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret.
What Bella doesn’t realize is the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And, it might be too late to turn back. . . .

Uncle's Trunk by Julie Austad

When the Lawson family moves from West Coast to East Coast by inheriting their uncle's house, they quickly discover they have to take everything that came with it. The uncle used to be an actor in the theater and he left behind a steamer trunk full of costumes, old memories, and...something else.

Supporting Literacy for Kids

This is an article written by Jerry Large, Seattle Times Staff Columnist, and is not the original works of myself.

I think I can. I think I can.

Like "The Little Engine That Could," Carol Rasco and Susan Dibble face a seemingly insurmountable task, and like that engine, they are not giving up.

Rasco is the president and CEO of Reading is Fundamental, the oldest and largest nonprofit dedicated to increasing literacy among young children. Dibble is executive director of Page Ahead, a Seattle-based literacy program that serves 55,000 children in Washington state each year.

Page Ahead, like many reading programs across the country, gets a lot of help from Reading is Fundamental, which has long depended on federal money — money that was cut from the budget this year.

That's like giving the ax to Santa Claus. The government seems to be blindly slashing without considering longterm consequences.

RIF gets children excited about reading, especially low-income children. Its primary way of doing that is by partnering with local schools and groups to give books to more than 4 million children a year.

Dibble cites studies showing that, "If a child is not reading at grade level by the time he finishes third grade, he will never catch up."

A recent study by Donald Hernandez at Hunter College, the City University of New York, found that students who did not read at grade level in the third grade were four times less likely to graduate by 19 than proficient readers. The consequences of not reading at grade level are even worse for children in poverty, who are 13 times less likely to graduate than proficient readers who are not poor.

Being able to read well by then is critical, because that is when children switch from learning to read to using reading to acquire information.

Children who don't read well fail classes and often drop out altogether. And, Dibble added, there is a reason "seven in 10 inmates are functionally illiterate." What job would they get?
So RIF focuses on children at risk of failure to read, Rasco said. "And we know poverty is the biggest indicator."

Rasco was in Seattle last week for a meeting of literacy bloggers and to visit local reading programs.

RIF and local partners work with parents, encouraging them to read to their children, and they provide other reading-related programs.

But getting books into the hands of children is the main thing — books the children pick themselves from a selection ordered by local partners, schools, reservations, military bases, Head Start programs, and other locations.

RIF was formed in 1966 and was so successful that Congress created a book-distribution matching fund and contracted with RIF to manage it.

That relationship has continued for 34 years without a hint of corruption or waste, even with 17,000 sites and 400,000 volunteers.

The federal money constituted 75 percent of RIF's budget.

"We're not going to make up $24 million [last year's grant was $25 million] overnight," Rasco said.

Literacy is a path to success, and now, just as we have the most children sunk in poverty in 50 years, we decide we can't afford to give them a ladder.

"I was pretty disappointed," Dibble said. "The government is the people, isn't it? I feel like the people chose not to do something pretty inexpensive for children. The government is us. Where are our values?"

She and other partners are scrambling to keep programs alive.

"For us, RIF is more that the physical books," Dibble said. "RIF was efficiency. They had an ordering system, they paid for shipping." This month as school started and teachers sent in orders, Dibble said, "We had to recruit volunteers to count and pack books. It's added layers of complexity."

And Page Ahead is asking local sites to pay part of the cost of the books now. Many couldn't afford that, so 100 fewer sites asked for books this year. That's almost half.

Even with federal money, the programs reached only a fraction of at-risk children.

Maybe people don't see the need. Rasco said it's been a challenge helping people who grew up in homes full of books understand that there are people who didn't have that and who aren't passing a love of reading on to their children.

Children can be motivated to read, with books that matter to them.

Dibble said her job is satisfying partly because the problem of literacy is fixable. "We have a lot of information about how to get children excited about reading, how to help them with their reading. It takes time and money and effort, but it's not like we couldn't do it. This one is winnable."

That's why she's so frustrated now, but she and Rasco are still climbing their hill, looking for other sources of money, asking people to contact their representatives, and believing they will succeed.

I hope they can. I think they must

Getting Your Child to Love Reading

Helping your children enjoy reading is one of the most important things you can do as a parent and it's well worth the investment of your time and energy.

Kids will learn reading skills in school, but often they come to associate reading with work, not pleasure. As a result, they lose their desire to read. And it is that desire—the curiosity and interest—that is the cornerstone to using reading and related skills successfully.

By far the most effective way to encourage your children to love books and reading is to read aloud to them, and the earlier you start, the better. Even a baby of a few months can see pictures, listen to your voice, and turn cardboard pages.

Make this time together a special time when you hold your kids and share the pleasure of a story without the distractions of TV or telephones. You may be surprised to find that a well-written children's book is often as big a delight to you as it is to the kids.

And don't stop taking the time to read aloud once your children have learned to read for themselves. At this stage, encourage them to read to you some of the time. This shared enjoyment will continue to strengthen your children's interest and appreciation.

Simply having books, magazines, and newspapers around your home will help children view them as part of daily life. And your example of reading frequently and enjoying it will reinforce that view.

While your children are still very small, it's a good idea to start a home library for them, even if it's just a shelf or two. Be sure to keep some books for little children to handle freely.

Include specially made, extra-durable books for infants, and pick paperbacks and plastic covers for kids who are older but still not quite ready for expensive hardbacks. Allowing little children to touch, smell, and even taste books will help them develop strong attachments.

How you handle books will eventually influence how your kids treat them. Children imitate, so if they see that you enjoy reading and treat books gently and with respect, it is likely that they will do the same.

When you read aloud together, choose books that you both like. If a book seems dull, put it down and find one that is appealing. There are, however, so many children's books in print that making the best selections may seem a formidable task.

One approach is to look for award-winning books. There are two famous awards for children's literature made each year by the American Library Association that are good indicators of quality work: the Caldecott Medal for illustration and the Newbery Medal for writing. But these are given to only two of the approximately 2,500 new children's books published each year.

Fortunately, there is a lot of other good help available. For instance, there are lists of books recommended by the American Library Association and the Library of Congress, as well as some excellent books to guide parents in making selections.

The best help of all, though, is at your neighborhood library. If you are not familiar with the library, don't hesitate to ask for help. The children's librarian is trained to help you locate specific books, books that are good for reading aloud, and books on a particular subject recommended for a particular age group.

The library also has many book lists, including ones like those mentioned above and probably some published by the library itself.

In addition, your library will have several journals that regularly review children's books, including the Horn Book and Booklist. These will give you an idea of what's new and worth pursuing.

And there's nothing like just browsing through the many books available at your library until you find ones that appeal to you and your kids.

If your children are school-aged, keep in mind that the school library is an excellent source for a wide variety of materials and the school librarian is knowledgeable about children's literature. Encourage your kids to bring home books from their school library for pleasure as well as for their studies.

Author: Kathryn Perkinson

Source: U.S. Department of Education