Mother’s Day Monday, Children’s Book Week & American Girl

Happy Mother’s Day!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend with lots of special, memorable moments. It’s fun to have a day just for us, but moms around the world know that every day is Mother’s Day, as we treasure those inexplicable, unpredictable treasures of everyday life!

Ditto Children’s Book Week. Spending the week reading and talking books is wonderful … did you see the video with Jarrett J. Krosoczka and Jon Scieszka (still wearing his Ambassador’s ribbon)? O.M.G.G.

Reading and sharing stories is something many of us strive to do in our lives everyday. Raising awareness of literacy and paying forward a love of reading are what the Reading Tub is all about.

So why not keep the buzz of Mother’s Day and Children’s Book Week going all summer long … AND help young readers understand the importance of helping those less fortunate?

This is where American Girl’s Read-a-Palooza can help!

American Girl is inviting girls and their moms to discover the joy of reading while helping a great cause! Read-a-palooza is a summer reading program that started May 1, 2012 and runs through September 3, 2012. The campaign is not just about reading and reading incentives, but also about making a difference. One dollar from every book purchased from American Girl will benefit Save the Children’s US Literacy Program, which works to raise literacy rates in impoverished communities by providing basic education and equipping schools and teachers with reading materials.

This fall, American Girl will donate books to Save the Children. This is the third donation of books to Save the Children, and raises the value of the company’s total book donation to nearly $1.5 million.

From the American Girl Press Release: To participate in Read-a-palooza, girls can visit americangirl.com/reading,. There they will find colorful bookmarks to download and free book-related content, such as tips and materials for starting a book club. They’ll also be able to do reading challenges and take fun, interactive quizzes.

Starting in June, girls can participate in the Read-a-palooza summer reading campaign by visiting an American Girl retail store, where free reading events will be offered all summer long. provides girls with fun activities and incentives to inspire them to keep their reading skills sharp and encourage engagement in a variety of different literacy activities!

Read-a-palooza is a summer reading program for girls ages 8 to 12. Although it is designed to help girls maintain their reading skills over summer break, it can be a lot more than that. It is a chance for moms (and dads) to create those special every-day memories we treasure, and strengthen their communication bonds as we approach the (dreaded) teen years.

With those ideas in mind, the Family Bookshelf is hosting a giveaway of American Girl books. Think of it as a belated Mother’s Day present and a way to make summer reading easy! American Girl has graciously donated nine books, something to meet every young reader’s interests. Several are classic-style that are extensions of the American Girl doll experience, and some are “Smart Girl’s Guides” that engage readers and promote positive, personal growth.

So how does our Read-a-palooza summer reading giveaway work? We will have three winners, selected by random. Each winner will receive three books.

To enter, add your post about Mother’s Day and/or the joys of reading with your children in the InLinkz box below or in the comments.

Does it have to be about girls? No, so long as you have a girl in your life (or your library – hint!) that you want to give the books to.
Do you have to be a mom? Nope! We love that dads read with their daughters!

Updated: Spammers not welcome! New link box!