S'mores and BOOK LINKS

S IS FOR S’MORES A CAMPING ALPHABET is mentioned in the July issue of BOOK LINKS! It’s in an article entitled “S’mores and More: Books about Camping Out.” The title, I heard, was inspired by my book. You’ll find the article on pages 34-36, and it’s by Angela Leeper, an educational consultant, writer and longtime camper from Wake Forest, North Carolina. I’m pleased to have BOOK LINKS mention S'MORES.

You can find a link to BOOK LINKS at the American Library Association’s website. Here’s the address:

www.ala.org/ala/productsandpublications/periodicals

At the website, you’ll be able to explore past articles in the newest issue as well as past issues. Right now you can download the entire November issue which features Lita Judge’s work on the cover. Lita is the illustrator of S IS FOR S’MORES A CAMPING ALPHABET.

Literacy Resources

I just learned of THE 2008 KIDS AND FAMILY READING REPORT™ conducted by Yankelovich and Scholastic. You can get a downloadable copy of the report at:

http://www.scholastic.com/aboutscholastic/news/readingreport.htm.


Here’s some introductory information Scholastic has on their website:

“A new study . . . finds that 75% of kids age 5-17 agree with the statement, “No matter what I can do online, I’ll always want to read books printed on paper,” and 62% of kids surveyed say they prefer to read books printed on paper rather than on a computer or a handheld device. THE KIDS & FAMILY READING REPORT ™, a national survey of children age 5-17 and their parents, also found that kids who go online to extend the reading experience—by going to book or author websites or connecting with other readers—are more likely to read books for fun every day.

The 2008 KIDS & FAMILY READING REPORT, a follow up to a similar 2006 study, both of which were conducted by Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, and TSC, a division of Yankelovich, a leader in consumer trends research, again found that the time kids spend reading books for fun declines after age eight and continues to drop off through the teen years. ”


Here's another resource: PUBLISHERS WEEKLY invites you to sign up for their free newsletters by going to www.publishersweekly.com/subscribe.asp?screen=pi10.

Armando and the Blue Tarp School

Today I had the happy opportunity to have a delicious Thai lunch with my friends Judith Josephson and Edith Hope Fine. (I like for them to call me Helen-ith so I can be part of the -ith group.) We’re working together on an article for the summer issue of the California Reader, the journal of the California Reading Association.

Sometimes Edith and Judith are known as the "Grammar Patrol" for their books Nitty Gritty Grammar and More Nitty Gritty Grammar. They have written books together and individually. Their newest book, Armando and the Blue Tarp School (published by Lee & Low), is an inspiring literacy story and will be featured on the cover of the California Reader. I hope you'll visit their websites to learn more about them at www.grammarpatrol.com, www.judithjosephson.com, www.edithhopefine.com, and www.bluetarpschool.com. (How’s that for lots of terrific literacy information?)