Need to Read 2

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Bookmobile meant 'good reads'

On Tuesday, Nov. 3, I voted and then sat on pins and needles waiting for the election results, because the proposed 2010 budget of the Chemung County Library District is on the ballot. What was at stake was whether Chemung County's libraries would be able to meet the public's demand for new books, access to electronic databases and genealogy research materials, programs for kids and much more in all six of our libraries.

This is the time of year when I take stock of what I do and why I do it, and let me share this with you: When I was a kid, growing up on a poor family farm in western Washington State, I spent summers picking fruit, splitting and stacking firewood and mending fences. I wasn't very good at the work. Instead, I would listen to popular music on a small, battery-powered portable radio, daydream about pitching like Don Drysdale or hitting ground strokes like tennis great Ken Rosewall.

And every two weeks the county Bookmobile would arrive, maybe a half mile down the road from our home, and I would choose two or three books, usually biographies written especially for kids, to supplement my subscription to the Weekly Reader that came to our mailbox.

It was on one of those summer afternoons that the Bookmobile librarian suggested I borrow "The Yearling" and ask my mother to read it aloud to me and my sister. She did, and I've been hooked on reading and listening to books read aloud ever since.

I began to grow up in the summertime, just as Jody Baxter did when he rescued the orphaned fawn. And over the next few years I read other books, like "Lost Horizon" and "The Chronicles of Narnia."

If today, I were to pick out a contemporary author for kids to read, I would probably choose Richard Peck. I love his stories, especially "A Long Way From Chicago" and its sequel, "A Year Down Yonder." And while the Lemony Snicket's "Series of Unfortunate Events" ? the first volume is "The Bad Beginning" ? are best read by a more sophisticated teenager than I was, they are tremendously entertaining.

These books have several things in common. They are about kids and their families, about growing up, about using one's knowledge and intelligence and imagination to rescue one from a difficult situation. And these books ? and many more available from your local public library ? are what a librarian would call a good read: a story that begins with a compelling first chapter and refuses to leave the reader until well after the final page is turned.

Now, just how did that budget vote turn out?

Jim Sleeth is director of the Chemung County Library District and a member of the Family Reading Partnership of Chemung Valley. His comments are part of a monthly series of articles about literacy. Incidentally, the budget was approved 3,758 to 2,300.

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Saturday, October 31, 2009

Reading by the thousands
Riverside students set, surpass goals

By Mara McKeever

During my inaugural year of the Books and Beyond program at Riverside Elementary school, a remarkable thing happened. I challenged each of my first graders to read 300 books during the year. The hope was to inspire kids to read nightly and to develop habits of lifelong readers. I figured that if every child read 300 books during the year, it would be quite an accomplishment. Together, we would read close to 6,000 books.

In September, I kicked off the reading program at Open House. Parents were informed that for every 100 books their child read, their child would earn a medal. I promised to send home a bag of books nightly with books their child could read. The kids were fired up about reading. By December, the class had already reached its 6,000 book goal.

We continually set and met goal after goal. Reading was contagious. For every 1,000 books we read, we celebrated our hard work. We were delighted to join forces with the Kramer Foundation whose "Pawtner" Reading program delighted the kids with dogs to read to (of course we read dog books to our furry guests.)

By spring break, we had read a staggering 12,000 books. The kids thoughtfully considered a goal of 15,000 books for the end of the year. On the last day of school, as we celebrated our accomplishments and donned our medals, we had read more than 16,600 books. Our top reader, Victoria Stewart, had read 3,000 books and received 30 medals. Every child received at least three medals ? our original goal.

Although this accomplishment was incredible, it was not the most remarkable thing that happened that year. I found that the kids truly loved reading, and the kids learned valuable life lessons. They learned to persevere and remain dedicated to goals they had set. They learned to work as a team to help each other succeed. Daily, I watched the class cheer for each other as they achieved their personal best. They learned to be responsible for their own learning. They learned to be trustworthy and dependable.

Most importantly, they learned how to love reading. These Riverside Readers were honored by The Chemung Valley Family Reading Partnership and the Chemung Valley Rural Health Network. The community rallied together to make their celebration memorable.

As I start a new year of Riverside Readers, I am optimistic about what they too can accomplish. I believe with my whole heart that readers are leaders, and I know these leaders will change the world. Remember, my Riverside Readers: "Read, Read, Read!"

Mara McKeever teaches first grade at Riverside Elementary School in Elmira and is a member of the Family Reading Partnership of Chemung Valley. Her comments are part of a monthly series of articles about literacy.

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Sunday, September 27, 2009

Reading through the ages
Books appeal to all kinds of children

What makes a book good for a child? Different age groups have different skill levels and needs. Here is a list of suggestions:

* A baby ? up to 18 months ? is stimulated by rhymes, colors or things familiar. Try "Red, Blue, Yellow Shoe" by Tana Hoban or "Clip, Clop" by Nicola Smee.

* Toddlers are ready for more. Try "Baby Shoes" by Dashka Slater or "Daisy's Hide and Seek" by Jane Simmons. Simple counting or alphabet books are also good choices.

* Pre-schoolers, ages 3-5, enjoy a fuller story and an expansion of concepts, such as "Goodnight Moon 1 2 3," based on the classic by Margaret Wise Brown; "Will Goes to the Post Office" by Olof and Lena Landstrom; or "A Splendid Friend Indeed" by Suzanne Bloom.

* Kindergarteners to second graders still enjoy being read to, although they have been working hard to read independently. This age provides two options: easy readers for solitary reading and picture books to share. Easy readers, such as "Easy as Apple Pie" by Karen Gray Ruelle, provide age-appropriate vocabulary to help sharpen skills. Books, such as "The Raft" by Jim Lamarche, provide a more complex story line for the older child, complete with pictures.

* Third grade to middle schoolers are ready for chapter books, such as the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling or the plethora of series books available. These work right into junior-high level.

Young adult books are usually reserved for ninth graders and up. These include difficult subjects such as sex, drugs or emotional traumas. They provide a bridge between younger-aged books and adult fiction. They may help teens deal with personal difficulties or understand these subjects better.

Do consider this: Reading together can be enjoyed at any age.

Caroline Poppendeck is a librarian in the Children's Services division of Steele Memorial Library.

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Sunday, August 30, 2009

Help for job hunters
Library resources handy during recession

Your Chemung County Library District's Steele Memorial Library has a vast array of resources to assist in finding a job or researching a career. In the electronic realm, all county library card holders have access to the Business and Company Resource Center and the ReferenceUSA Business Directory. These electronic databases provide access to information about companies of all sizes, such as addresses, phone numbers, links to subsidiary companies and, in some cases, even short histories of the company.

The library district's Web site also offers card holders access to the Learning Express Library. This unique resource provides patrons with access to various practice exams and review books for a select number of civil service positions, such as the correctional officer exam, postal worker exam and many more. Learning Express also gives access to math and language review courses, as well as resume writing resources. These electronic resources can be found at http://www.ccld.lib.ny.us/db.htm.

The Steele Memorial Library also has 20 public access computers with Microsoft Word 2007 for creating resumes. MS Word 2007 has a template of resumes where you can just fill in the blanks. Our public access computers provide patrons with broadband access to the Internet to search various job-hunting sites.

Of course, the library has lots of books to help job hunters. The most famous manual for job hunters and career changers is: "What Color is Your Parachute" by Richard Nelson Bolles, and we have three copies of the 2009 edition. We have also purchased "150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs in 2009" and "The AARP Crash Course in Finding the Work You Love: the Essential Guide to Reinventing your Life." Author Samuel Greengard shows readers how to sort out their feelings about their existing career, successfully transition to a new one and work toward a greater sense of balance in their daily lives.

We have more than 75 books on how to write a resume and more than 30 on writing cover letters. One recent book is "Gallery of Best Resumes for People without a Four-Year Degree" by David Nobles. We try to have a resume resource to fit every individual in every situation. Some examples are "Expert Resumes for Health Care Careers," "Same Day Resume: Write an Effective Resume in an Hour," "101 Grade A Resumes for Teachers," "Expert Resume for Managers and Executives" and "7 Minute Cover Letters" by Dana Morgan. For the literary challenged, we have a DVD titled "Dude, I Need to Find a Job."

We also have more than 60 books just on employment interviewing, such as "Tell Me About Yourself" by Katharine Hansen; "Next-Day Job Interview: Prepare Tonight and Get the Job Tomorrow" by J. Michael Farr and a personal favorite, "Ditch the Flip Flops: Ace your Job Interview." Some titles from the interviewee point of view are: "I Can't Believe They asked Me That" and "101 Smart Questions to ask on Your Interview" by Ronald Krannich. We even have some for the employer such as "Who: The A Method for Hiring." We haven't even gotten to the books on negotiating for a salary. We truly do have something for everyone and something for every step of the process.

Which brings us to the way most people actually do get a job ? networking. We have "How to succeed in Business using LinkedIn : making connections and capturing opportunities on the Web's #1 business networking site" by Eric Butow; "Monster Careers: Networking" by Jeff Taylor and "Never Eat Alone" by Keith Ferrazzi.

Come on in and look over our many, many choices and find just the right job for you. The Steele Memorial Library and the other neighborhood libraries of the Chemung County Library District can provide you with access to books, electronic resources, Internet and word processing capable computers throughout the week.

Go to: www.ccld.lib.ny.us/our_libraries.htm to view our summer hours of operation. Our fall hours, starting Sept. 12, will include Saturday hours at libraries in Big Flats, Horseheads, Elmira and West Elmira.

Phyllis Rogan and Owen Frank are reference librarians at the Steele Memorial Library.

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Star-Gazette - Sunday, July 26, 2009

Try taking a 'bookation'
Literature makes a good travel companion this summer

A hot topic of summertime conversation is vacation. I recently listened to my friends from the Family Reading Partnership talk about vacation and, you guessed it, books. One person coined a new word to describe all the experiences and ideas we were sharing. If there are "staycations," why not "bookations"?

Let me share my friend's examples of memorable bookations and some of my ideas for book-staycations...

Lisa recalled a wonderful childhood vacation to Chincoteague Island in Virginia where she saw the miniature horses described in "Misty of Chincoteague."

Faith recalled a recent trip to Prince Edward Island inspired by "Anne of Green Gables."

Carol shared that her family read the "Seneca Falls Mysteries" by Rochester author Miriam Monfredo and then traveled to Seneca Falls. The books and the walks along the streets of Seneca Falls brought the women's rights movement to life for the entire family.

Donna remarked about the truth in the famous lines by Emily Dickinson "There is no frigate like a book to carry you lands away." Books have transported her across barriers of time and distance over and over again.

For students, the entire summer is vacation, so there are still many opportunities to enjoy books and to escape the daily routine before Labor Day. Make time to reconnect with nature and spend more time outdoors. With all of the stresses in our modern world, we all need to get away even if we cannot travel.

Families need to admire and appreciate living things and understand the balances of nature firsthand. For inspiration to spend time outdoors, read "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Luov and "Summer World" by Brad Heinrich. Both authors have awe for nature and point out the benefits we receive when we enjoy the natural world and increase our efforts to protect the environment.

Books will help you learn more about our environment. Be sure there are piles of books about animals available to pick up and read ? storybooks with animals as characters, natural history books and wonderful adventure stories. Outdoor activities will lead to a greater appreciation for the natural beauty of Upstate New York and Northern Pennsylvania. Day trips can take you to the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, the sandy beaches of Lake Ontario or countless state parks.

As you increase your knowledge about plants and animals use all your senses as you slow down and cherish the time spent away from the daily stresses. Watch a mother duck rear her family and read "Make Room for Ducklings" or "The Ugly Ducking." Listen to the sounds of water, the songs of birds and the quiet of a forest floor and read "Wind in the Willows." Touch the scales of a fish, the slime of a frog and the texture of a tree trunk.

Look for "Green Wilma" at Miller Pond. Go pick blueberries and read "Blueberries for Sal." Catch a glimpse of an eagle soaring overhead or a twig floating down the Chemung River and imagine floating peacefully or soaring powerfully. Read "Brother Eagle, Sister Sky."

Hike along the river or at Tanglewood and think about tiny birds that travel from the tip of South America each summer ? their long journey, their fragile habitats, global warming and marvel at their survival. Read about endangered species like penguins and polar bears.

Commemorate the 40th anniversary of man's first steps on the moon and the explorations of space. Read any book with moon or space in the title ? "Good Night Moon," "Owl Moon" or "Green Wilma Goes to Space." Teens and adults might enjoy "New Moon" from the best-selling vampire romance series by Stephanie Meyer. Read "3-D Moon" by Ithaca's Ken Bell to learn about the moon.

Keep track of the moon each day and look at photos of Earth from the moon or a satellite. Have a midnight picnic on a moonlit night with glow sticks, flashlights, binoculars, stories from grandparents about the last 40 years of space exploration. Eat half-moon cookies and drink Tang or other astronaut food. And before you nod off to sleep, imagine the places you can go and the experiences you can enjoy with books as your launch pad.

And above all, remember, there is no place like home: our precious planet Earth.

Mary Anne Perks is a teacher at Elmira College and a member of the Family Reading Partnership of Chemung Valley.

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Sunday, June 14, 2009


Familyreadingpartnership.org offers new link to literacy

One of the most significant influences on my early exposure to reading was ìClassics Illustrated.î It was a series that placed famous literature into a comic book format. Traversing the tales of Melville, Dumas and Twain with illustrations was fun and, hey, I was learning. Connecting reading with being entertained was a revelation and propelled me into the challenge and deeper magic of real books.
Today our youth are engrossed in a multitude of media influences that are far more sophisticated than any animated classics. Competing with the printed page is Facebook, Twitter, Xbox, Wii, Guitar Hero, MP3, iPod, cell phones and, of course, the old standby, TV ó now containing endless video options. (By comparison, my virtual youth was spent Sunday nights with ìLassieî and ìThe Ed Sullivan Show.î) There is no doubt that our childrenís leisure time contains less and less reading time.
We know from strong evidence what this means: The presence of books and reading in the home and in the lives of parents and children facilitates a childís ability to comprehend, communicate and learn. As reading becomes a less popular form of youth activity, our community challenge is clear: How do we make books and reading a more vital experience during our childrenís developing years?
Family Reading Partnership of Chemung Valley, now in its fifth year of promoting books and literacy, proudly announces the addition of our new Web site: familyreadingpartnership.org. This new resource will provide not only instant information about our programs and events but will also create opportunities for interaction among parents, teachers, students and other community partners to share creative ideas about books and literacy.
Family Reading Partnership is committed to the mission of creating a culture of literacy in our community in which all people experience the joy of reading as a part of everyday life. We know that our new Web site will provide greater opportunities to fulfill this goal. It is an exciting step for the Family Reading Partnership and our community.
We look forward to your clicks, comments and contributions to help further the cause of joining books with children and families.
Caparulo is a board member of Family Reading Partnership of Chemung Valley.This series
Joe Caparulo, owner of Cappyís store in Elmira, writes today about the launch of a new Web site promoting literacy and reading, especially involving children. This is one of a series of monthly columns written by members of the Family Reading Partnership of Chemung Valley.