Freedom to Read Week: February 22-28, 2015

Freedom to Read Week is an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed them under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The week is organized by the Freedom of Expression Committee of the Book and Periodical Council.

This week is important to me not only as a book lover and avid reader, but because of what I see in my elementary school libraries.  There are many challenges, verbal and formal, to a huge variety of books in schools.  I have seen challenges based on strong personal beliefs (same sex relationships in books; descriptions of puberty, language) and some based on quick observations (scary book covers, violence, titles).  

Below are some of the books that have been questioned in my schools.  Of course there are many, many more that never get past the "I don't think you should have this" comment.

challenge: inappropriate title (and assumed content even though they never read any of the books)

challenge(s): Goosebumps and Christopher Pike series for being too violent or too scary

challenge(s): same-sex relationships being introduced to children and being portrayed as 'normal'

You can see some of the titles that have been challenged and/or pulled from shelves on the Challenged Works List on Freedomtoread.ca 

Visit your local library to see what events and promotions they are hosting.  Ask your school libraries how they are representing the freedom to read.

Here are some of the events happening in Ontario according to Freedomtoread.ca:

Banned Book Review Contest

February 22 to February 28, 2015
Brantford, Ontario

Display: Idea Exchange celebrates Freedom to Read Week

February 22 to February 28, 2015
Cambridge, Ontario

Carleton University Library celebrates Freedom to Read Week

February 23, 2015
Ottawa, Ontario

The Death of Dissent: How Governments Kill Criticism

February 24, 2015
Toronto, Ontario

Banned Book Bash

February 25, 2015
Ingersoll, Ontario

Read. Write. Speak.

February 25, 2015
Toronto, Ontario

Forbidden Fruit: A Brief History of Literary Censorship

March 7, 2015
Toronto, Ontario

How are YOU Celebrating on January 27th?

Family Literacy Day 2015

When is it?  
Tuesday, January 27th, 2015

What is it?
"a national awareness initiative created by ABC Life Literacy Canada in 1999, and held annually to raise awareness of the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family."
By reading, talking, drawing and playing with children you are helping them develop skills they will use forever.

How do I participate?

Check your school and public library for ready made activities and programs.  Sign up for one (or more).

Host your own event.  Invite family and friends or enjoy with those already in your household. Activities can range from fundraisers, book drives and children’s reading circles, to literacy-themed games, anything you can think of!


Ideas For School Libraries:

• Ask families to send  a "selfie" of themselves engaged in a literary activity ~ reading the newspaper, playing Scrabble, etc.

• Host a dress up day where primary kids dress up as their favorite BOOK character - a sort of Halloween for books.

• Host a family reading time.  Invite parents in to read with their children.  Try pairing it with juice and muffins before school or during nutrition/lunch breaks.

Ideas For Home:

You don’t have to participate in a formal event to be a part of this initiative. Family Literacy Day can be celebrated by simply setting aside 15 minutes of family time to do an activity together.

• Read together

• Listen to a book on CD

• Write a letter.  Write a round-robin story.

via bilingualmonkeys.com

• Play word games such as crosswords, Boggle, Scrabble or other brainteasers

• Cook together using a recipe and following the steps as a team; write down step by step preparations for a favorite family meal.

• Have children read to the cat or dog.  Animals are great reading companions especially for children who may not be strong readers. They don't correct or get impatient with your children reading style.

post-gazette.com

Study shows that kids read for fun less and less.

Despite the popularity of young adult series like Harry Potter, Hunger Games and the Divergent series, are reading rates dropping?

New research released in May 2014 from Common Sense Media finds that reading rates don't just fall as kids grow up, but they've also dropped dramatically over the last three decades, with 45 percent of 17-year-olds admitting they read by choice only once or twice a year. That is down more than 50% from the last decade. The research reviews national surveys and databases to identify trends in childrens' and teens' reading rates and achievements. 

Jim Steyer of Common Sense Media says that "Kids with parents who read, who buy or take books out of the library for their kids, and who then set time aside in their kids' daily schedule for reading, tend to read the most," — whether it's on a book, an e-book or some other gadget.  This isn't news to educators.  Parents who model reading and who spend some time ever week reading with their kids are able to instill an enjoyment of leisure reading.

source: Notesfromtheslushpile.com

Parents who introduce the family to the public library and make regular visits also bring the gift of a near endless supply of free books to their children and teens. When book stores are too expensive or someone just wants to try a books out, the shelves of the library can carry a reader along beyond the encouragement to simply pick up a book.

source: flickr.com

Luckily, e-reading seems to be gaining some momentum and can be substituting for some of the paper book version.

A summary of the research brief from Common Sense Media can be seen in this infographic. 

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Common Sense Media is a non-profit national organization led by concerned parents and individuals that provide advocacy and support in the areas of the safe use of technology and education for children.  The full report can be found here.

A Love for Reading: Lead by Example

A great way to encourage reading and teach students how fun it can be is to model reading.  One of my schools created a picture wall in the library.   Since then, other schools have customized it for their needs.  Some made a simple display, others turned it into a contest and one asked students to bring in their own pictures to add.

This is a mock up of a contest where students are challenged to match the book cover to the staff member who read it.

It started as a promotion for Summer Reading and was easy to create. Ask your staff - teachers, custodians, support staff, principals, volunteers - to bring in or email photos of themselves reading over the summer. Encourage people to get creative. It doesn't just have to be of the person sitting in a chair holding a book, although that is fine too. As you can see from some of these pictures below, there are a lot of options. The only limitations is the reader's creativity.  I have seen pictures of people holding a book on a roller coaster, dressed up in tuxedos and others dressed in vibrant PJs or onesies with fuzzy bunny slippers.  Do anything to have fun with the picture.

Is your staff camera shy? Don't let them miss out on this!  I have had people submit pictures of their pets reading or pictures in silhouette of them reading, or even pictures of the book from their point of view with the book on their lap and their feet stretched out in front.  They can set up a scene of where they read such as reading at the beach with a snap of  the book with sunglasses, a sunscreen bottle and  a sun hat. 

If people are reading with their families but don't want the kids pictures to show publicly, they can take pictures from behind,  showing the backs of their heads.   Model co-reading by including the whole family.

Include an info bite.  The captions can say anything, again,  be creative.  Tell where you were reading, the title of the book, a quote from the book,  what you liked about the book or author.  Add recommendations or what you will read next.

Have fun with it and create a great display for back-to-school.  Or reading week.  Or any time!

The Lonely Book by Kate Bernheimer

This is one of my new favorite finds.  I admit to holding on to a few childhood favorites simply because I didn't want them to feel bad that I had gotten rid of them.  The soft colours evoke feelings of finding a special corner and reading while the world around me disappears.  The passage of time in the story make me long for those cherished books. I love the relationship between the reader and the book.  Kate Bernheimer has brought it to life in this unique (at least in my library) tale.

What it is about:
When a wonderful new book arrives at the library, at first it is loved by all, checked out constantly, and rarely spends a night on the library shelf. But over time it grows old and worn, and the children lose interest in its story. The book is sent to the library's basement where the other faded books live. How it eventually finds an honored place on a little girl's bookshelf—and in her heart—makes for an unforgettable story sure to enchant anyone who has ever cherished a book.

Miss Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind by Judy Finchler

Ace teacher Miss Malarkey returns in a picture book narrated by a reluctant reader. Although comfortable within his small group of video-game-playing buddies, a boy wants to contribute to the schoolwide goal of reading 1,000 books in hope of seeing Principal Wiggins "dye his hair purple and sleep on the roof of the school." Trying one of Miss Malarkey's suggested books after another, he rejects them all--until she finds the perfect one to match his eclectic interests. Expressive cartoon-style illustrations, brightened with markers and colored pencils, create a series of lively scenes in which speech balloons record conversations and comments not found in the text. With an unstated moral, this is one volume that librarians won't soon forget. Short lists of recommended books, including a bibliography of adult books that recommend children's books, are appended. [Carolyn Phelan-Booklist]

Check out this Free Lesson Plan on Teachers Pay Teachers

It includes a written lesson plan, discussion questions, a reading survey, and a book list to use with the school library catalog. This is a great lesson for starting the beginning of the school year, as it allows you to see students' interest and gets them excited about choosing library books. It also will allow students to go the library with a purpose as they search for the books that they have included on their book list!

From Miss  Malarkey Leaves No Reader Behind by Judy Finchler