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Library of Congress Book Festival

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| Sep 19, 2011

The Library of Congress’ 2011 National Book Festival will be held on September 24 and 25 on the National Mall between ninth and 14th Streets in Washington, D.C.

Co-chaired by President Obama and Mrs. Obama, this year’s event draws an impressive lineup of authors, including Toni Morrison, Terry McMillan, Dave Eggers, Hoda Kotb, Julianne Moore and a host of other bestselling and award-winning writers.

See www.loc.gov/bookfest to access the complete author lineup and for more information.

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Faster and Easier: the New IRA Catalog

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| Sep 12, 2011

Excitement swirled around the publication of the fall 2011 International Reading Association (IRA) publications catalog, but the collection of literacy resources wasn’t the only draw. This catalog is the first IRA catalog to feature an interactive shopping cart that allows readers to purchase items while browsing the digital version.

The IRA publications catalog was released as an interactive digital version as well as in print for the first time in spring 2011. The fall issue brings the addition of red “buy” buttons next to each publication description in the online catalog. Clicking “buy” adds the item to a shopping cart, which you can check by clicking on a red cart icon at the top of each page. This digital interaction replaces the paper order form in the print edition. IRA member and bulk order discounts are automatically applied during the checkout process.

Another new feature to the fall 2011 catalog is the addition of icons that highlight books on Common Core and Response to Intervention. Two pages of the catalog recommend books that are helpful with these topics, and “CC” and “RTI” symbols appear next to appropriate book listings throughout the catalog. New books and bestsellers are also called out with red “NEW!” and “BESTSELLER!” tags.

While all IRA resources couldn’t fit into the catalog, such as the popular $6.95 sale bookstore, IRA Books Marketing Associate Nicola Wedderburn says there’s more online. “The selection is always changing. You can find books, e-books, DVDs, lots of other resources on the website.” By visiting /books, you can view the books by title, by author, and many other ways.
This fall’s catalog is just the beginning of IRA’s efforts to make professional development easier for IRA members and all literacy professionals. To view the digital catalog, go to /fall2011.

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New Journal Publishing Partnership

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| Sep 08, 2011

Beginning this month, Wiley-Blackwell will manage the production and distribution of The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, and Reading Research Quarterly. IRA will continue to provide each journal with peer-reviewed, research-based content through its professional journal editors and review boards. All copyrights of journal content will continue to be owned by IRA.

What does this mean for IRA members? Print subscribers can expect the same high-quality IRA journals to be delivered each month, although the September print issue will arrive in mailboxes a little later than usual. In the coming months, online publication of the journals will transition from the Association's website (/) to the Wiley Online Library (onlinelibrary.wiley.com), which offers a number of technological enhancements that allow for more user customization and interaction with tablets and smartphones.

The September issue of The Reading Teacher is the first under Editors Diane Barone and Marla Mallette, featuring an all-new look and content. Please e-mail RT@/ to share your impressions. This issue of The Reading Teacher features contributions by Nell K. Duke, Nicole M. Martin, Roberta F. Schnorr, William P. Bintz, Sara D. Moore, Pam Wright, Lyndsie Dempsey, Kathy Ann Mills, Amanda Levido, Chase J. Young, Timothy V. Rasinski, Stephanie Wessels, Katrin L. Blamey, Katherine A. Beauchat, Frank Serafini, Katherine A. Dougherty Stahl, and Patricia L. Hardré.

The Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy (JAAL) also features some new, practical features. Select JAAL articles now offer “Take Action!” sidebars of simple, step-by-step instructions to help you quickly get started using a teaching idea or strategy. “More to Explore” points you to books, articles, ReadWriteThink.org lessons, and even podcasts related to the topic of an article. “Toolbox” provides a variety of teaching and classroom management tips and a reproducible that is ready to use. “Spark” helps you to ignite your students’ literacy achievement. Some of your favorite authors and educators provide quick, practical tips that are based in research and tested in classrooms, plus a list of additional resources if you want to take the idea even further.

The September issue of JAAL includes submissions by Donald J. Leu, J. Gregory McVerry, W. Ian O’Byrne, Carita Kiili, Lisa Zawilinski, Heidi Everett-Cacopardo, Clint Kennedy, Elena Forzani, Amanda Haertling Thein, Megan Guise, DeAnn Long Sloan, Mellinee Lesley, Kathy A. Mills, Vinesh Chandra, Janette Hughes, Sue Dymoke, Ellen S. Friedland, Susan E. McMillen, Pixita del Prado Hill, Douglas Fisher, Diane Lapp, Nancy Frey, David O’Brien, Scott Voss, James Blasingame, April Brannon, Laura B. Turchi, Risha Mullins, Shelly Shaffer, Aron Jones, Ted Domers, and Garth Gagnier. Please send your views of the new journal to JAAL@/.

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WV Council Supports Book Club and Causes a Reading Surge

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| Sep 06, 2011

by Cheryl Jeffers

Something special is happening in Lincoln County, West Virginia. A high school book club supported by the Lincoln County Reading Council, an affiliate of the International Reading Association, is driving new levels of student reading and generating lots of excitement.

Carol Turley, Advanced Environmental Science teacher and LCHS Reading Council President, sponsors the LCRC High School Book Club. Servicing 120 student members in 2009-10 and 89 student members in 2010-11, this unique club has set a goal to become the first West Virginia Reading Association student book club and to have the club Internationally Chartered.

Dinner and a Movie

Responding to a need from the community for planned activities between 3:35 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. for high school students wanting to attend Friday night football games, Ms. Turley offers a free “Dinner and a Movie” event for her book club students. Non-members may attend for $1.00. Students lead discussions on the similarities and differences between a chosen book/movie, a light dinner is served, and the movie is shown in the school’s theatre. The event ends in time for the after school bus to transport students to the field.

Reading to Younger Students

In its Trained to Read Aloud project, the club dispatched members throughout Lincoln county to accentuate their motto, “Create a Smile, Read to a Child” by reading to elementary and middle school students and leading writing activities using the county’s Writing Road Map program. The students visited the elementary schools, read Christmas stories to the students, and led them in a letter to Santa Claus writing activity.

Gift of a Book

The high school and the Lincoln County Supporters purchased one book for every book club member during 2009-2010, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, and for 2010-2011, C.S. Lewis’ The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The students read the book, met for book club discussions, and then traveled to the Huntington Mall cinema to see the book transformed into a movie. They were also treated to CiCi’s pizza for lunch.

Compare/Contrast

Back at the school, Ms. Turley facili¬tated a compare/contrast discussion between the book and movie by allowing high school book club students/ Future Educators Association (FEA) members to lead the meeting. One student in attendance shared how the comparison/contrasting group discus¬sions helped him “finish a book for the first time.”

Later the LCHSBC took their compare/contrast book discussion activity to a middle school that was reading the same book. The middle school children had attended a theatre presentation of the book. Both high school and middle school students enjoyed discussing and reflecting on the literacy activity.

Ms. Turley stated, “The high school students’ level of self-esteem rose dramatically that day.” She further stated, “The bus ride back to the school was filled with student comments of how they ‘loved doing this’ and ‘it was so much fun’. One high school football player said, “I didn’t realize that I could ever have an impact on students’ love of reading when I didn’t even think I was a good enough reader myself - until now.”

One year later, when the eighth grade students visited the high school for Step - Up Week, an activity to help transition students to high school, a student searched until he found Ms. Turley and shared how the club’s visit in 2009 had made him feel like he could become a better reader and that he had been doing a lot better in reading since their visit. “We had so much fun last year when your book club spent the afternoon with us,” he explained.

Early Library Opening

An additional avenue Ms. Turley opened for the students is to provide access to the high school’s library a half hour before school opens each morning. The students are granted access to books on tape, library resources, computers, and the opportunity to receive help on class assignments or projects.

Literacy Tent at the Fair

The book club has also participated in the Lincoln County fair by providing hands-on activities and Story Time under the Literacy Tent. During the Fall Fest the book club students dressed in their favorite storybook character costumes and marched in the homecoming parade. Another event the book club participated in was ‘Nice to Meet You Day’, sponsored by Mountain State Leaders, American Red Cross/AmeriCorps, an event for organizations to share what they can offer the community.

College Scholarship

An impact on a first generation college student is being made by the reading council due to a scholarship that has been awarded for the next four years to a book club member. The Edward Frazier Scholarship Committee graciously awarded the scholarship to LCHS Book Club member, Julia Clevinger. Ms. Turley agreed to mentor Julia throughout her four year program by meeting prior to and at mid-term each semester to assist with scheduling classes and purchasing books.

A student-led membership drive was held at the end of the school year where senior high school book club members created power points and presented what the club has to offer incoming freshman.

As the 2011-12 school year begins, packets are being distributed throughout the county asking for schools’ faculty, teachers, students, parents, and community members to join and support the new council.

Cheryl is a seventh grade reading teacher at Enslow Middle School for the Cabell County School system in Huntington, WV, Vice-President for the Lincoln County Reading Council, and a doctoral candidate working on an Ed.D. in Curriculum Instruction at Marshall University. She recently completed a 21st Century Fellowship where she worked four years as an assistant professor of reading at Marshall University and served as a liaison for Marshall University's June Harless Center for Research and Professional Development. Her research focus is on Professional Development Schools (PDSs), Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), and their impact on student and teacher learning, cherylannjeffers@gmail.com.

Photos: Homecoming parade. Reading Club 2010-2011. Reading to elementary school students.

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New York State Reading Association’s Profitable Conference

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| Sep 06, 2011

by Cindy Wells

Blending the charm of the Two Sisters, charisma of Kelly Gallagher, entertainment of Steven Layne, solid advice in writing process provided by Ralph Fletcher, strategies for developing automaticity that bolsters fluency from Tim Rasinski, internet connections with Donald Leu, insights into successful implementation of RtI by Donna Scanlon along with countless other professionals, the New York State Reading Association saw an extremely profitable conference this past April. Participants from all around New York State, neighboring states, and Canada converged to connect with various professionals to learn more about the effective promotion of literacy at all levels.

Notable events at the conference included an author tea with Ellen Potter and Anne Mazer which featured their new book, Spilling Ink, and an author dinner which included several prominent authors who shared their journey toward connecting literacy to their lives. A special event at the Author Dinner was the honoring of the 2010 Charlotte Award winners and the unveiling of the 2011-2012 Charlotte Ballot. This is a unique book award program in which winning books are chosen by the students in classrooms from around New York State.
Leading up to and during the annual conference the reading association strives to support literacy outreach either nationally or internationally. This year puzzle quilts were crafted incorporating the book jackets from the New York State 2009-2010 Charlotte Award nominee books at the primary, intermediate and young adult levels. The proceeds from the raffle of the quilts were sent to the Village of Hope in Ghana, West Africa which were used to purchase school supplies and – of course, books!
A Children’s Literacy Fair was a popular event which was held in partnership with the local library in Saratoga Springs, New York. Cookie Mouse warmly welcomed children and their families to this event which featured visits with authors, games, storytelling and free books.
Our secret to success? Along with making sure that current topics and timely presentations were offered, a great deal of effort went into making sure the conference was promoted through many venues. We connected with professionals via social networking, a video sharing conference highlights was posted on our website (www.nys/), announcements were placed in Reading Today and other prominent publications, The Empire Reading Scene Newsletter was sent to our membership and every school district in New York State and communication with our State Education Department was frequent. Collaboration was established with phenomenal sponsors and exhibitors who supported our efforts and helped spread the word of the conference offerings and dates. Teamwork was the essential ingredient that provided the foundation for this profitable endeavor!

Cindy Wells is an instructor at the undergraduate and graduate levels for the State University of New York at Potsdam and also works as a Literacy Consultant, dwells5@ twcny.rr.com.
Photos: 2010-11 President Debbie Dermady and Sara Parker share stories of the Village of Hope. Literacy Fair Coordinator Susan Hirsch with Cookie Mouse. Conference Committee member Judy Ehrensbeck and Conference Coordinator Cindy Wells.

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