Family Bookshelf

Book Buddies: Summer Reading Possibilities

Terry Doherty — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:43:49 +0000

Many of us are familiar with book buddies, buddy-reading programs that are in many of our schools. For whatever reason, I have looked at book buddies as more of a “school thing.” But they aren’t! Book Buddies can be a great tool for summer, too. Whether it is siblings reading with one another, a reading play date, or even a neighbor’s child interested in spending a little time with younger kids … book buddies can help ward off the Summer Slide. As we continue through the summer, I will be pulling a number of posts I wrote for the Big Universe Learning blog to add to the Family Bookshelf. Here is the next post in our summer series. Book Buddies: … Read more →

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Summer is Here … and we (Mostly) Are Not

Terry Doherty — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:51:15 +0000

Let’s just put it out there: Life gets really crazy in the summer! I love sleeping in. I relish the time with the family. Swimming takes over our lives. I cannot balance it all. So things will mostly be quiet on the Family Bookshelf. I’ll be hit-or-miss on Twitter and Google+. We’re going to take a vacation from the Literacy Roundups – but Jen, Carol, and I will post things on Twitter. Look for #litRdUp for the round-up-worthy items we share. What WILL I be doing? Reading! I have a goal to read and review 150 books this summer. I’ve finished three books so far (have my fourth going), and have two reviews just about done. The Literacy Lalapalooza will … Read more →

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Are eReaders the Answer for Dormant Readers?

Terry Doherty — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:23:00 +0000

That was one of the Literacy 2.0 questions that came up this week on Quib.ly, a forum for parenting in a tech-based world. I knew I’d written about the topic of ereaders before, but couldn’t find THE post I was looking for here on the Bookshelf. This morning I found it … a post I had written on the Big Universe Learning blog last fall. With summer reading now upon us, I’m re-sharing here and would love your thoughts, too! eReaders: The Ubiquitous Frontier Before I go one sentence further let me say this – eReaders are fabulous. I love our Nook … it is a family reader. I love being able to read Kindle books on my phone. We’ve … Read more →

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Literacy Lalapalooza 8 – Dads, Grads & More

Terry Doherty — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 15:31:54 +0000

Our Literacy Lalapalooza is a 14-month celebration of the Reading Tub’s 10th Anniversary. It is our way of thanking you for sharing the gift of literacy. Each issue will have Idea for literacy and reading. Tools and/or Resources suggestions (e.g., websites, games, toys) Book ideas, one for each reading group: 0-4, 5-9, 10&Up Sign up for the newsletter edition and DOUBLE the creative literacy ideas. Subscribers already got their email with a completely unique set of recommendations. You must select “Literacy Lalapalooza” in the Sign Me Up For … section Before we jump in this month, let’s give dads some props for all they do to help kids build their literacy skills. Whether its reading a bedtime story, helping with … Read more →

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Authors: Promotion for You and Giving Back, too

Terry Doherty — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:16:55 +0000

Authors. Once or twice a year, I borrow some space on the blog to talk about the Reading Tub® and our charitable work. As regular readers know, we are a 100% volunteer 501(c)(3). While our work is “free,” the costs of getting reading materials to at-risk readers and underwriting our literacy resources, is not. Rather than create grand events that benefit just us, we have opted for opportunities that offer a Win-Win to everyone. Our Author Showcase is just that kind of opportunity. Through our website, blog, and other social media platforms we can help authors of children’s and young adult books increase the discoverability of their work. In return, they can help us get reading material to at-risk readers … Read more →

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