By Mal Keenan
I noticed a young boy sitting in front of me while watching my son’s basketball game last night. He was reading. I didn’t see the title of the book and wasn’t sure who he was rooting for. It didn’t really matter. What I do know is how engaged he was with chapter 15 and how it made me feel seeing him turn the pages as the ball was dribbled up and down the court. Reading can happen anywhere and anytime.
By Mal Keenan
As we work to create light for others,
we naturally light our own way.
Mary Anne Radmacher
I love this quote. Creating light for others really does brighten up our own lives, and during the holiday season, people are more willing to shed light on adults and children in need. This is true in my own family. We have been deliberate in asking our sons to volunteer and help those less fortunate during the Christmas season. As a family, we brainstormed possible ways to get involved and we will work together to donate our time, energy, and resources. The spirit of giving is easy to instill into children and has long lasting effects while lighting our way.
By Anastasia Gruper
What do teachers, nurses, firefighters, and Santa Claus all have in common? They will be supporting the A to Z Literacy Movement on December 9th at Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington from 6-8.
After Santa arrives at the hospital aboard a fire truck, a local fire-fighter will read “Twas the Night Before Christmas” reminding all of us of the importance of literacy when celebrating our holidays. Santa will pose for pictures with children while others make crafts and munch on goodies. Please join the cause to increase literacy by bringing a gently used book to donate, purchasing a book bag, or purchasing a book plate at the backward book fair. There is no better way to begin the holiday season than by giving. We hope to see you there!
By Mal Keenan
Many of you have heard the news and seen the pictures of houses and buildings destroyed by the violent storms in central Illinois two weeks ago. As residents begin to rebuild their lives, monetary donations, food and clothing are being collected to help the communities move forward. Volunteers are working alongside victims to help gather personal items from the wreckage.
But what else has been lost in the tornadoes? Books. Last week, the call for new books was sent out to organizations like the Illinois Reading Council. In keeping with our mission of getting books into children’s hands and helping those in need, A to Z Literacy Movement has prepared two boxes of new children’s books to be delivered to the Regional Superintendent of Tazewell County.
Even though the donation is small, we know every little act of kindness helps. Helping one family or one group of students is a good place to start.
By Ann Yanchura
If you’re lucky enough to have books all over your house or your classroom, then stop and take a moment to feel grateful. There are so many homes and schools where the choices for reading are slim or even nonexistent, and my heart aches for the children and adults who live in a world bereft of the love of the written word.
Most of us reading this blog have been raised to have our pick of many exciting and beautiful titles to choose from whenever we want to curl up and get lost in a book.
‘Tis the season for settling in for some warm winter reading.
‘Tis the season for browsing the bookstores for the perfect gift for your loved ones.
‘Tis the season to share your books and love of reading with others.
‘Tis the season to be thankful for books, large and small, old and new, heavy and light, funny and sad, true and not-so-true.
By Kristina Weber
I can’t tell you how many times I have heard from parents and teachers that graphic novels aren’t “real books.” It hurts me inside every time I hear that.
The visual literacy gained from graphic novels is real. Not only do you need to comprehend the words on the page, but you need to interpret the images, and how they relate to the words. Some graphic novels do depict superheroes and action like the comic books we are all familiar with, but there are so many richer themes going on in graphic novels as well. Even the superhero comics can be good, though- the themes of good triumphing over evil and social justice above all are really great things for kids to learn.
As a librarian, I find that even my most reluctant readers can lose themselves in a good graphic novel- and then I see them coming back for more and more. They don’t realize how good these books are for them.
Now, I know that some may need more convincing than that. So, I put together a quick list of five graphic novels that may change your mind for good.
1. Epileptic by David B. – David’s brother is diagnosed with epilepsy at age 11. What follows is a desperate search for a “cure,” where his parents try everything (even things that are crazy or harmful) to cure David’s brother during a time when not much is known about the condition (the 60s and 70s). David uses vivid imagery and metaphoric characters to represent some of the people and situations he encounters along the way (a macrobiotic healer is a tiger, for instance).
2. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi – Students tell me all the time that this was an eye-opening read for them. Persepolis is Ms. Satrapi’s memoir of her experiences from the ages of 10 to 14 living in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. She weaves together a story of the horrors of the conflict, coming of age as an independent, smart girl, and the history and culture of Iran.
3. Maus by Art Spiegelman – Speigelman depicts Jews as mice and Nazis as cats in this Holocaust story. The story is true- Speigelman’s father was a Holocaust survivor, and the entire story is based on his memories of what happened to him during that time.
4. American Born Chinese by Gene Yang – Yang weaves three stories together: one about a mythical monkey who wants to be a god, one about a popular white kid embarrassed by his stereotypical Chinese cousin, and one about a Chinese-American kid who wants acceptance from his white peers. The book teaches acceptance: from others, and from oneself.
5. Anything by Gareth Hinds – Hinds turns classics in to another kind of art by turning them into graphic novels. He keeps the original language of the piece, and he is extremely thorough. These have absolutely no resemblance to the “Illustrated Classics” we grew up with- these are graphically gorgeous adaptations that adults can appreciate just as much, if not more than, teen readers.
There are a ton of others- some even better than these (Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, etc.), but I wanted to show you a cultural mix that might surprise you. I didn’t even delve into the genius coming from Asia.
Pretty please with a cherry on top: next time you see someone with a graphic novel, DO NOT think that it isn’t a real book. It is real- and it just may be even more real than some of the Kindle candy being published these days.
Read one! You might love it- never know unless you try!
Mal and Jonathan
By Mal Keenan
8:30 am Chicago time. 4:30 pm Zambia time.
Calling Zambians is such a treat for me. Yes, it’s hard to sometimes hear students and teachers talking. Yes, I find myself saying “Excuse me? Can you repeat that?” because of the background noise or accent. Yes, it’s tricky when cell phones are turned off for a day (or two) and you get the same message over and over again. But then there’s that moment when I hear “Hello, Teacher Mal”. Honestly, it never gets old.
This morning, Betty and I talked with Jonathan, a Shine Reading Academy graduate, who has been on our radar for the last four years. He attended Shine for two years, went on to another community school, and has now applied to Munali Secondary School as a sophomore at the age of fifteen. This young man is such a success story as so many teens in Zambia remain in grades sixth, seventh, and eighth as they are unable to pass the Ministry of Education mandated exams. Jonathan is forging ahead and has a goal in mind. He wants to complete his high school academics in Zambia and then travel to the United States for college. He is motivated. He is committed. He is a force.
A to Z believes in Jonathan and will be providing funds to cover the cost of his tuition at this government (public) school. If you would like to make a small donation in honor of Jonathan, please visit our website at www.atozliteracy.org and hit the donate button. He is a ray of hope – shining bright – in our eyes.
By Erik Merke
Whether you’re a teacher, tutor, parent, or student, you know the power of a favorite book and the joys that come from reading. Obviously, there is a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment when volunteering, but A to Z goes beyond that. When A to Z isn’t sending books to impoverished schools in Zambia, they help local residents through community outreach events, such as the book fair held at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake.
Students of all ages filed into the gymnasium looking for books. Getting just the right book into the hands of an eager young reader was my goal that day. Each volunteer hoped to ignite a spark that would ultimately transform a casual page-turner into a life-long reader.
As new books found themselves into the bags of each student who came to shop, I could see their smiles as they browsed the table tops. That’s what volunteering at the Clinic was all about for me -getting kids excited about reading books. As I talked about various authors and explained book plots, I hoped they saw how much I liked books, and that my enthusiasm would rub off on them. It was an awesome experience and I look forward to volunteering again.
Pat’s trunk frequently looks like this.
By Pat Kelly
The books we recycle originate from many sources. One of the major, recurring places which provide us with quality stories is libraries. Public libraries have book sales and naturally, there are leftovers after the doors have closed. In a most generous manner, libraries donate those volumes left to non-profits.
Having gone to quite a few of these giveaways, I‘ve developed into an efficient gatherer. Time is of the essence when collecting books at a post-sale giveaway, and so I have become pretty good at judging books by their covers. Once I have an interesting one in my hands, I flip through it briefly to check condition (we look for very good condition), reading level and appropriate content for Zambian children. Quite a number of subjects that American children read about wouldn’t convey well to a Zambian child.
I thrill to find the occasional book which directly relates to Africa, such as a folktale or picture book about African animals. I also happily add to my box those stories which were my own children’s favorites.
Our partnership with libraries plays an important part in the support system carrying out the mission of A to Z Literacy Movement.
Another thing we are all thankful for.
Thank you, Mary Windsor, from the Elmhurst Library, for donating three wonderful bags of children’s books. As with all of our donations, volunteers will sort through the stacks and decide what books are best for kids here in Illinois and what books will be shipped to schools like Mango Grove Community School in Zambia, Africa.
Please feel free to check out our book donation guidelines to see if you have a few books to donate.
A to Z Literacy Movement Blog 