"When it comes to summer, reading may not be the first thing — or even in the top 10 things — kids have in mind! But reading can be the ideal summer activity. It’s fun, portable, can involve the whole family, and will help your child academically." This from the National Education Association. The NEA provides a list of really great resources and ideas to get kids involved in reading all summer long! It's clickable right here...don't miss it! Summer reading initiatives at our local libraries, along with a slideshow with ideas, are noted below in the RAP! (Image: NEA)

BOOK IT FOR BOOKS, RIF of NOVA's biannual 5K/One-Mile fund/fun-raiser is happening! When: October 16, 2021. Where: Bluemont Park in Arlington. Runners and walkers will be able to join in on site -- in person (WOW!!) -- with a virtual option for those who prefer to run or walk from a distance!

The link to sign up is live on the PR race site: https://potomac.enmotive.com/events/register/2021-book-it-for-books-5k. Sign up now to run or walk on October 16!

In GREAT news, we have our first sponsor: Books4School. Thanks to Amy and Marty Fields of Books4School for their stalwart and ongoing support for NOVA RIF!!! Books4School is a family-owned and operated supplier of "valu-books and special order tradebooks for infant through 12th grade," with access to over 10,000,000 book titles. Books4School is one of three vendors that supply book titles for RIF of NOVA.

We are looking for other early sponsors, too, because this race can't happen without help from our community. Sponsors get lots of benefits (including, of course, the gratitude of the children we serve). See sponsorship levels and how to connect here! We would be so grateful for your support! Contact us at: bookitforbooks2021@gmail.com for info.

Pictures help tell the love-of-reading story! Do you have a photo of a baby or toddler "reading" or 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 through the end of the year (with absolutely no names). All we need from you is approval to use the photo in our media.

New! June's BOOK BABY: I think I'll choose...hmmmm...this one!

Thanks to a generous grant from the Vineyard Family Foundation, RIF of NOVA book distributions have taken or will take place at these Fairfax County schools and sites: Woodley Hills ES, Groveton ES, ACCA, the South County Health Center, the Falls Church McLean Center, and FECEP, Fairfax County's Head Start program.

At Woodley Hills Elementary School, librarian and NOVA RIF liaison Jill Connors staged a distribution called: Soar into Summer with Awesome Books! Class by class, the children came to pick a book to own and enjoy all summer.

"It has been a rocky year, and we were fitting a lot of events and tests into the final months. Because we were forced to move our event so close to the end of the school year, we paired our distribution with our Summer Reading Informational Sessions, so students were able to pick books of their own to read this summer and learn about all the places they can borrow books and hear readings in our local community." Rocco further noted: "Of course, RIF of NOVA is always a favorite with our students!" Yayyyy!!!

New! On our website: RIFNOVA.org

New! NOVA RIF Launches "Young Ambassador" Pilot Program

RIF of NOVA has launched a pilot "Young Ambassador Volunteer Program" for the 2021-2022 academic year. The idea is to encourage young people in our community to provide other youngsters with books to encourage the love of reading. Our first "class" of Young Ambassadors is pictured below. Details of the program are featured on our website, where you can also read more about these two inspirational leaders and what they plan to do to help RIF of NOVA with our work! Both McKenzie Watt and Addie Clift earned commendation awards for contributions they have already made on behalf of NOVA RIF. Congratulations and welcome!!!

NEW! In New Books...with a NOVA Connection, we feature a particularly timely work about the every-17-year cicada visit! The book -- Cecily Cidada -- came about in 2004, the last time the cicadas paid the region a visit. Little Eevee saw a cicada at a Washington, DC park and, well, freaked out. Her mom and grandmother responded by writing a book to make sure other children could learn about cicadas and know what to expect. The book has been refreshed with a new cover and new illustrations in a recently released 2021 edition. Learn more about the book and its genesis by clicking here! It's a fun story!

Need ideas for summer reading for your kids? Look no further than our four local library systems. All feature summer reading challenges with fun and prizes for readers at all levels, including adults! The Alexandria Library has prepared a top-ten list of summer learning tips with some really super ideas! Click here for that!

Three local library systems are featuring summer reading programs called Tails and Tales! Prince William County's Public Library prepared a video to promote its program, which runs June 14 to August 15. Click here for details.

The Alexandria Public Library SummerQuest program features special books for all reading groups and prizes provided by the Washington Nationals! The program started June 1 and runs through September 11. The deets are here!

The Fairfax County Library program runs from June 11 through August 13, with badges and e-gift card prizes for those who log their reading minutes. Want more info? It's here!

The Arlington Public Library summer reading program is called Food for Thought, with prizes for readers and donations to the Arlington Food Assistance Center. The program started June 1 and runs through September 1. Details? Right here, of course!

Board member Shon Lyublanovits and her company, Verkallos Media, will host a summer reading club for girls ages 8 to 18 (divided into reading groups by age). Its purpose is to increase reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The club begins June 29. For info and to register, contact: info@verkallosmedia.com.

Board member Carylee Carrington has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund her pilot program, Read with Carylee, in hopes of bringing her children's literary program to broader audiences on the small screen. Read all about it here!

Kappa Kappa Gamma is a collegiate sorority, found on many campuses throughout the U.S. Like many Greek organizations, Kappa encourages its members "to support causes that are closest to the needs in their communities." As a national organization, Kappa partners with the national Reading is Fundamental organization (RIF.org) "to help underserved kids discover the joy of reading and books."

For many years, the Northern Virginia Kappa alumnae chapter has partnered with RIF of NOVA, and even joined in with a team to run/walk in the 2019 Book It For Books 5K (shown with Clifford, that ham!). Right now, the NOVA alumnae chapter is collecting both new and gently used books for our book donation program! Thank you, Kappas, for your ongoing support for RIF of NOVA!!!

A full list of book donors can be found on our website at: http://www.rifnova.org/contribute-books.html. If you have or want to collect books for children from Pre-K to grade 8, contact us at rifnova@gmail.com. We will arrange to pick them up. So far, we have collected more than 7,700 books, and over 5,300 have new homes in the RIF of NOVA community!

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. The 0.5% can really add up!

*If your workplace holds a United Way campaign, designate RIF of NOVA as your chosen philanthropy. Our United Way # is 8959.

*Celebrate a graduate, a birthday, or memorialize a loved one with a special donation.

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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