Children's Literacy and Reading News Roundup: Read Across America Edition

Just in time for today's Read Across America Day celebrations, Carol Rasco has posted the end of February children's literacy and reading news roundup at Rasco from RIF. The roundups are brought to you twice a month by by Jen Robinson’s Book Page, Family Bookshelf and Rasco from RIF, and feature children's literacy-related events, literacy and reading programs and research, and suggestions for growing bookworms. Therre is a lot going on right now in the children's literacy and literature world.

First up, I'd like to draw your attention to a special announcement included in the roundup. As you may have read, Jan Berenstain, co-creator with her late husband Stan of the well-loved Berenstain Bears books, passed away last week. Her family just designated RIF to receive memorial donations in Jan's name. If you would like to donate, just click anywhere in the announcement box at the top of the full roundup post at Rasco from RIF, or go directly to www.rif.org/berenstain.

Second, as I mentioned above, today people all around the United States are celebrating Read Across America Day, organized by the NEA and held today in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday. Here are a few of the many things going on today:

• Sylvan Dell Publishing will be offering all seventy of their children’s picture book titles as free eBooks for you to read on their website this Friday, March 2nd. Click on the Read Across America icon in the upper right-hand corner of the website.
• PBS KIDS is celebrating this special occasion with THE CAT-IN-THE-HAT-A-THON - a two-hour marathon of PBS KIDS’ popular series THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!
• Technically, this was posted yesterday, but it's a wonderful Dr. Seuss-inspired effort. Betsy Bird at A Fuse #8 Production put out a call for a re-Seussification project, in which people reimagine classic Dr. Seuss books in the style of another illustrator. Betsy's favorite is Green Eggs and Ham in Eric Carle style. What's yours?

Third, the annual Share a Story - Shape a Future literacy blog tour is being held next week (logo design by Elizabeth Dulemba). This year's theme is The Culture of Reading. The festivities will start Monday, with Donalyn Miller hosting a look at Creating a Reading Culture at home and at school. Terry Doherty (Share a Story founder) and Carol Rasco will be hosting themed days later in the week, with the help of many fabulous contributors.

Carol has lots of other literacy news in the full roundup. And here are a few extra tidbits from this week:

• Sven Birkerts has a nice piece in School Library Journal on the essential link between literacy and the imagination. 
• The February Carnival of Children's Literature is up at The Fourth Musketeer. 
• The sixth annual #KidLitCon will be in New York City on September 21-22, 2012! More details will be forthcoming as arrangements progress. I certainly have this on my calendar.
• My fellow Cybilite @SheilaRuth wrote a must-read piece for SmallPressWorld: Book Apps Aren’t Going to Replace Children’s Books.
• There's no web link for it, but Stephen Roxburgh has an excellent, thought-provoking article in this month's Horn Book Magazine on the e-Future of books, libraries, and publishing.

Tune in mid-month for the next children's literacy and reading news roundup. Thanks for reading, and for caring about children's literacy. And happy Read Across America Day!