Celebrating EARTH in Children's Books! |
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"Children's books are so important — not only do they help little ones learn new words and concepts, but they can also help shape children’s perception of the world." These words are from Sophie Hirsh in greenmatters.com, a website about environmental issues -- from recycling to reforestation to renewables. The blog, found here, features a very cool list of book ideas by authors from all different cultures that also feature protagonists of various backgrounds. Take a look at that and at our new Resource page featuring links to children's books about the environment. That's here! Image: Getty Images, Lee & Low Books Inc., Schwartz & Wade, Chronicle Books
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BOOK BABIES!
In January, we began a new feature: BOOK BABIES! Why? Because pictures help tell the love-of-reading story! Do you have a photo of a baby or toddler "reading" ... or at least trying?! If so, send in your favorite photo(s) to our email: rifnova@gmail.com. We will publish one new photo a month in the newsletter and on our website (with absolutely no names). All we need from you is approval to use the photo in our media.
April's BOOK BABY caption: Read where you are planted!
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Crestwood's NOVA RIF Distribution Focuses on Poetry...and Maple Syrup!
RIF of NOVA books have returned to Crestwood Elementary School in Springfield, along with kindergartners who started some in-school days in early March. Older children received their books during curbside pickup, along with scented bookmarks -- which smelled like maple syrup! Where does syrup come from and how is it made? The children learned about it as a part of their RIF of NOVA celebrations. Also part of their book festivities....a school-wide focus on poetry. The pandemic can't stop these youngsters from celebrating reading and poetry...and syrup!
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Victoria Washington, Crestwood librarian and RIF of NOVA liaison, led the Crestwood NOVA RIF book festivities! |
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Book displays featuring many choices greeted the Crestwood children during both in-school and by-car pickups. |
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Added features in the last month...Check out these links!
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In New Books...with a NOVA Connection, we feature two books -- and three voices -- about coping with a breast cancer diagnosis. Meet Dumfries fifth-grader Madison Lyublanovits who wrote a book about her mom's breast cancer journey. Arlington's John and Liza Marshall wrote about Liza's cancer journey -- from her perspective and that of her oncologist husband, Dr. John Marshall. Both books bring to light the impact of a cancer diagnosis on the individuals and families involved. Click on the cover images below to learn more about these two books. |
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Meet new board member Shon Lyublanovits. Shon brings to the board a wealth of experience from the work, volunteer, and publishing worlds. Her breast cancer story is the focus of daughter Madison's book, noted above. |
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Janice Perreault, librarian and RIF of NOVA liaison at Bailey's (lower) School for the Arts and Sciences, offered a list of some of her favorite titles for Earth Day, providing ideas for many ages and interests. Find that here! Image: Sourcebooks; Author Paul Czajak; Illustrator Cathy Gendron
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Pencil in your calendars: October 16! Book It For Books!!! |
It may be virtual. It may be in-person. It may be a hybrid of both, depending on guidance from the CDC and the state of Virginia. But we are planning our Book It For Books 5K/One-Mile Fun Run for Saturday, October 16. We will be looking for sponsors, donors, helpers, runners, and walkers!
Those who have participated will remember the joy of our past Book It "fun" raisers. See photos from our 2019 5K by clicking here! Details of our 2021 will follow in upcoming editions of the RAP. Please pencil this on your great-things-to-do-in-October list...and stay tuned! |
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During the pandemic, we are accepting NEW or GENTLY used books (as like-new as possible!). If you have or want to collect books, contact us at rifnova@gmail.com. We will arrange to pick them up. So far, we have collected over 6,600 books, and over 2,500 have new homes in the RIF of NOVA community! A full list of book donors can be found on our website at: http://www.rifnova.org/contribute-books.html.
Here are some of our most recent book donors!
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Axel and Eva Pozinsky, ages three and four, attend Primrose School of Haymarket. They joined their classmates to collect books for NOVA RIF in celebration of Read Across America.
Another Primrose School, in Aldie, Virginia, held Og’s Beautiful Book Drive to help RIF of NOVA. Student Mabel Hayes shows one of her favorites. She and her fellow students from both Primrose schools donated these beautiful books so that other children are able to have wonderful books in their homes. So great! Thank you!
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Sabrina Lampron is studying international politics at Georgetown. A life-long reader, she realized that it was time to weed her childhood book collection and chose RIF of NOVA for her donation. Thanks, Sabrina!
Below, Caithlin Allen poses with her children surrounded by dozens of Usborne books. Her recent Cards for a Cause fundraiser netted over 250 brand new books for RIF of NOVA. Thank you Caithlin!
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A Tribute to William Craft Owen
by Diane Owen
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My father, William C. (Bill) Owen, passed away in December. When friends and colleagues asked what charity would be suitable for donations in his memory, I immediately thought of Reading is Fundamental of Northern Virginia. Dad was an avid reader throughout his 91 years. He especially devoured science fiction, fantasy, and books about astrophysics and astronomy.
More than that, Dad made words his profession. He worked as a reporter and newspaper editor for Stars and Stripes in Korea during the Korean War, for the wire services INS and Associated Press in D.C., and for more than twenty years for the Birmingham News in Alabama. He wrote a grammar and usage column for the in-house newsletter at the News, and his personal collection of thesauruses filled multiple shelves.
Dad loved sharing books with others. After he fell in love with the Harry Potter books, he started buying ten copies of each new release for his local public library to cut down on how long kids (and adults) would have to wait to enjoy them. I'm so glad that donations to rifnova.org/donate will spread his love of reading to the next generation. |
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Special thanks to the Heart Sing Foundation for an extremely generous donation earlier this month. We are ever grateful.
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*Send a check to our mailbox:
RIF of NOVA
P. O. Box 7012
Arlington, VA 22207-0012
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Other options to help:
*Register with smile.amazon.com. Type in Reading is Fundamental of Northern Virginia, Inc. to select us as the charity you want to support. Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to RIF of NOVA. With all our current online ordering, the 0.5% can really add up!
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*If your workplace holds a United Way campaign, designate RIF of NOVA as your chosen philanthropy. Our United Way # is 8959. |
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Thank you for any donation -- no matter how big or small! And thank you for being part of the RIF of NOVA community!
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Please share the RAP! Forward our newsletter to your friends and anyone interested in providing books to children who need them!
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