Children’s Literacy and Reading News Roundup – End of May 2011

Welcome new readers, subscribers, and followers!

Three times a month, Jen Robinson @  Jen Robinson’s Book Page, Carol Rasco @  Rasco from RIF, and I publish a children’s literacy and reading news round-up.  Jen covers the first part of the month, I take the middle, and Carol Rasco does a lovely wrap-up and look ahead. Carol’s May in Review post went up last week, and Jen’s June post will be coming shortly.

I love Carol’s roundups because they take us in far-flung directions and show us how literacy is a flower with many petals.

• She’s got plenty of classics for you … from Book Patrol’s post about a project to illustrate Frank Baum’s the Wizard of Oz to the 100th birthday of the New York Public Library (complete with reading reference from Breakfast at Tiffany’s!)
• She also reports on an Oxford study with research that shows just  how important it is to keep your teenager reading when school’s out.

Speaking of summer, Summer Reading Day is June 21 Family reading is so much fun … and you can make a plan together and register it. You might even let the kids pick a book they want Dad to read to them as a Father’s Day gift. Then they can share them together.  Carol’s got help for you there, too. She links to a 2010 Horn Book article that answers the eternal question: What Makes a Good Book for All Ages?

In a recently published Singapore News article, Joanne Chan shares suggestions from the National Literacy Board’s program about a father’s role in their child’s academic development. It is an effort to encourage fathers to read with their children and the program has reached 60,000 participants so far.  The NLB is currently trying to reach dads who work jobs with irregular hours with a new campaign: “10,000 Fathers and More Reading.”

Last but not least, if you live in/around Marietta, Georgia, you might check out the Li’l Dippers program.  This is a year-round youth reading program for developing readers and their families.

Jen spent the weekend participating in MotherReader’s 6th Annual 48 Hour Book Challenge. So far, 79 bloggers have reported in with their results. Wow! Probably more than 80 people. I am SO jealous! Anyway … Jen crossed the finish line, and has some reviews of great middle grade and YA books. So Stop by MotherReader to see what everybody’s been reading these past two days!