Syndicated advice columnist Amy Dickinson, of "Ask Amy," used her nationally distributed column to promote the idea of leaving a book at the end of each child’s bed the eve of a winter holiday, starting a new family reading tradition.
Family Reading Partnership announces the theme for Kids’ Book Fest 2010: The Alphabet.
Mark your calendar for November 13, 2010, 10am-4pm, Boynton Middle School, Ithaca, NY. Free family fun based on books with the alphabet theme!
"Put a Poem in Your Pocket!" initiative blankets Tompkins County with poetry! As a lead up to the Kids' Book Fest in November, families could pick up a poem at more than 75 community locations. There were cat and dog poems at the animal shelter, muffin poems at the bakery and money poems at the bank. The poetry frenzy culminated at the Kids' Book Fest, where families could write their own poems, hear poems read aloud, and walk through the poetry book, "My Village: Rhymes from Around the World" compiled by Danielle Wright.
Read-Along Songs goes to Harlem, NY for a performance at Promise Academy. Kindergartners and first graders sang along and did hand motions for Itsy, Bitsy Spider and other musical stories during a Read-Along Songs event brought to the school by Family Reading Partnership. Kindergartners each received their own bag of 6 books and CD of the books being read and sung.
Family Reading Partnership leads the Ithaca Festival Parade with a giant sun from the book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle. Close behind the sun was a very large version of the caterpillar from the book, followed by Read-Along Songs celebrities, John Simon and Cal Walker, in the Big Red Reading Chair.
Family Reading Partnership celebrates it's 10th Birthday! During the Ithaca Festival in June and throughout the year, community members shared their stories about what Family Reading Partnership has meant to their family.
Family Reading Partnership publishes a book about reading at home to children. FRP Assistant Director Katrina Morse wrote and illustrated a book that was distributed to more than 6,000 area families in conjunction with Kids' Book Fest '09. Her book, "At Home with Books" is a gentle story about the Bear Family and the fun they have reading together at home. Imbedded in the comforting tale and beautiful illustrations are subtle messages to families about how to make the read-aloud experience more meaningful for children. Included in the back are read-aloud suggestions for parents.
Click here to order "At Home with Books"
An interview with the author and illustrator, Katrina Morse
Family Reading Partnership receives Community Action Award
The 2006 Community Action Award was presented to the Family Reading Partnership by Tompkins Community Action "in grateful acknowledgment of their work in breaking the cycle of poverty through their dedication to the goal of 'creating a culture of literacy' within families in Tompkins County."
Family Reading Partnership is featured in the sixth edition of The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease as a model of a community-wide literacy initiative.
Find out more about Jim Trelease
Newsweek Magazine honors the Family Reading Partnership in its online edition!
"Since Brigid Hubberman launched the Family Reading Partnership in Ithaca, thousands of babies and children have books in their homes and enjoy the pleasures of reading with their families." Brigid was chosen for "America's Best: Readers' Choice," as a person in our community who is making a difference.
Literacy program earns kudos; Family Reading Partnership gets thumbs up from Newsweek View article
Ithaca Journal
Literacy: Local group earns praise, Ithaca Journal Editorials
"For most Tompkins County residents, the Family Reading Partnership has become as much a part of our reality as walks in cool summer gorges and hot-tempered debates about everything. For years it's been hard to drive or walk around the area without stopping to stare at one of the partnership's giant ‘Read to Me' banners..."
Kids' Book Fest 2005: On the Move with Books! The theme of this Fest was transportation and included all kinds of "on the go" activities for families based on children's books.
Heed the "Read to Me" Banners
By Brigid Hubberman, Ithaca Journal Guest Editorial
Big Things in Small Cities, Family Reading Partnership Creating a Culture of Literacy...One Book at Time, Vanguard magazine
Family Reading Partnership
Ithaca, New York
Phone: 607-277-8602
Email: office@familyreading.org
