Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. ~Charles W. Eliot

Thursday, March 17, 2011

My favorite field trip of the year

Every March I make a day trip to Washington, DC, to the Library of Congress for a Reading Promotion Partners Idea Exchange. This invitation-only event is organized by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, the arm of the library that is committed to programs that promote reading. The Center for the Book has been one of my favorite partners since I entered the literacy world. We've worked together on several initiatives that I truly believe have moved the needle when it comes to promoting the joy of reading and connecting kids with books. I love this March meeting. It is profoundly inspiring to go around the table and hear people representing 80 or so different organizations talk about the good work they're doing. People exchange ideas, partnerships and plans to collaborate develop on the spot and we all get a little smarter about the literacy-related work and services that are happening and available and the vast amount of work that remains to be done. I feel very fortunate to be part of the conversation.

Almost as if she knew that I had committed to highlighting the Children's Choice Book Awards finalists in my blog, one of the partners today shared her favorite book of the year; the book that she recommends to families who are reading together and parents who are reading aloud to their children. It's How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills, which I happen to agree is a wonderful book and so do the thousands of kids who selected the finalists for the Children's Choice Book Awards. It's a finalist in the Kindergarten-2nd Grade Book of the Year category. The little yellow bird you see on the cover teaches Rocket to read and it's hard to resist cheering for Rocket when he gets the job done. It's easy to imagine kindergartners sounding out the words along with Rocket and delighting in their own accomplishments.

Don't forget to encourage the child in your life to vote here for their favorite books of the year in the Children's Choice Book Awards.

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