Banking on Books

Local banks put books into kids’ hands

by BooksChaptersNewsSupporters

A summer program by Jackson County—reprinted with permission from Jackson Newspapers

In the financial world, it’s common for banks to be in stiff competition with each other, offering better rates and incentives to gain new customers.

In Jackson County, three banks are joining together as a team on a project that will make a positive impact on the lives of children, ages 10 and under.

Starting June 19, United Bank, City National Bank and BB&T offered the second annual “Banking on Books” campaign.

In cooperation with Jackson County Read Aloud, each bank purchased 250 books to give to drive-through customers who have children under the age of 10 in the car with them. One book was given to each vehicle. The books were available at United Bank in Ripley, City National Bank in Ripley, and BB&T in Ripley and Ravenswood.

Both Kerry Casto, Market President for United Bank and Nick Miller, BB&T Vice-President, were enthusiastic about this opportunity to encourage and support reading.

“I serve on the Jackson County Read Aloud Board,” Casto said. “There’s no greater reward than to see a child excited about getting a book. With “Banking on Books,” our window tellers can see the kids’ faces light up when they’re handed a book. It’s a lot better than candy.”

Miller agrees with the importance of this campaign. “Our banks definitely support reading and life-long learning,” he said. “We were concerned last year that doing this might be a burden to our tellers. But it was just the opposite. They loved it.”

Jackson County Read Aloud worked closely with the book selection. There was a variety of books, geared mainly to elementary level, including board books and chapter books.

According to Linda Dickirson, Jackson Read Aloud board member, the inspiration for the book give away came from the Read Aloud West Virginia Conference.

“We learned about Lewisburg’s Literacy Day and their bank giveaway,” she said. “When we brought the idea back with us, our board and these three banks enthusiastically embraced it. And it’s really taken off. We hope it expands to the other banks in the area as well. There’s no doubt they all support reading and education.”

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National Book grant books distributed throughout WV

by Book DistributionNews

By Lesley McCullough McCallister

Read Aloud West Virginia was selected by the Coughlan Companies Communities Fund, in partnership with GreaterGood.org (GGO), to receive a National Book grant valued at nearly $200,000. The gift includes thousands of books that will directly benefit West Virginia children and families.

A portion of those books arrived at the Read Aloud office in Charleston at the end of March. For more than eight hours on Saturday, March 25, volunteer students from Bridge Valley Community and Technical College and Charleston Catholic High School helped package and prepare more than 7,200 books for distribution to 32 Read Aloud West Virginia member schools throughout the state.

These generous volunteers performed a myriad of tasks, including making sure each book received a Read Aloud book plate so the student receiving the book could proudly write his or her name in his or her very own, brand new book. Additionally, students pushed shopping carts around tables in the Columbia Gas building auditorium with “shopping lists” for each school, packaged and labeled shipping boxes, and then loaded the boxes into the rental van for delivery. Each enrolled Read Aloud West Virginia school received 20 books per Read Aloud classroom, and deliveries were made to member schools before the end of the school year.

Executive Director Mary Kay Bond noted the importance of getting these books in the hands of students before the end of the school year, just in time to highlight the importance of summer reading among all students.

“Far too often children lose reading skills over the summer due to a lack of reading,” said Bond. “The result is that teachers have to spend important classroom time at the beginning of the next school year bringing students back to their previous skill level. This remediation time is not necessary if children maintain skills over the summer, and they can do so by reading.”

A second shipment of books is being prepared for distribution at a later time. Once the remaining books are added to the count, Read Aloud West Virginia will have distributed more than 11,000 books from the National Book grant throughout the Mountain State.

Lesley McCullough McCallister is a Read Aloud supporter, volunteer reader, newsletter contributor and a freelance journalist.

Turn summer slide into a springboard for family reading and bonding; key element? YOU!

by Parents and FamiliesReading

By Nikki Moses

Summer slide, summer setback, dumber in the summer. Ask any educator, and you will find that a loss of reading skills among students can be as much a part of summer as baseball and ice cream cones; but, it doesn’t have to be!

Many children lose more than two months of reading achievement over the summer, according to the Campaign for Grade Level Reading. Some children do not.

Summer can be a time for reading adventures, trying new genres, family read-a-thons, camp outs with flashlights for reading, reading under the old apple tree, trips to the library followed by stops for ice cream…and reading skills can be maintained or increased.

What (or who) is the catalyst? YOU!

Take advantage of the summer break. Skills and drills, necessary to the educational process, can be left at school. Have fun. Be creative. Bond. Pick up a book that you have been meaning to read!

Henry wants more

Librarian Recommended!

by Book Reviews and RecommendationsBooksReading
Here are some favorite selections from Terry McDougal, Head of Children’s Services at Kanawha County Public Library

Pre-kindergarten to first grade

Henry wants more Henry Wants MORE! by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Brooke Boynton Hughes

Whether spending time with Papa, singing songs with Grandma, playing games with Lucy, or racing with Charlie, toddler Henry wears his family out until bedtime, when Mama is the one who wants more.

 

My Bike

My Bike by Byron Barton

Tom tells about his bicycle and riding by trucks, cars, even elephants, and his work as a circus performer.

 

 

Bee Dance

 

Bee Dance by Rick Chrustowski

A honeybee searches for nectar, then returns to the hive to tell the other bees. She does a waggle dance, moving in a special  pattern to share the location of the food. Vivid and active images bring these amazing bees to life!

 

 

Froggy Goes to the Library

Froggy Goes to the Library by Jonathan London,  illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz

When Froggy, Mom and Pollywogilina set out for the library, Froggy brings a wheelbarrow to hold all the books he plans to borrow, but he is so excited that he forgets to use his indoor voice.

 

One Big Family

One Big Family by Marc Harshman, illustrated by Sarah Palacios

A family reunion brings summer fun and adventures in this cheerful celebration of family ties and the joys of summer.

 

First and second grades

 

Max's Math

Max’s Math by Kate Banks, illustrated by Boris Kulikov

Max and his brothers drive to Shapeville and Count Town searching for problems, and are able to use their skills in arithmetic and sleuthing to prepare for a rocket launch.

 

 

Bike On, Bear!

Bike on, Bear! by Cynthia Liu, illustrated by Kristyna Litten

Bear is an extraordinary genius who can do anything except ride a bike. Can he get on two wheels?

 

 

 

Clark the Shark Afraid of the Dark

Clark the Shark Afraid of the Dark by Bruce Hale, illustrated by Guy Francis

At a sleepover, Clark the Shark braves his fear of the dark with the help of music and friends.

 

 

 

Dreaming Up

Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building by Christy Hale

A collection of concrete poetry, illustrations and photographs that shows how young children’s constructions, created as they play, are reflected in notable works of architecture from around the world.

 

 

The Quickest Kid in Clarskville

The Quickest Kid in Clarksville by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Frank Morrison

Growing up in the segregated town of Clarksville, Tennessee in the 1960s, Alta’s family cannot afford to buy her new sneakers—but she still plans to attend the parade celebrating her hero Wilma Rudolph’s three Olympic gold medals.

 

 

Mid to upper elementary

Trombone Shorty

Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier

A 2016 Caldecott Honor Book and Coretta Scott King  award winner. Hailing from the Tremé neighborhood in New Orleans, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews got his nickname by wielding a trombone twice as long as he was high. Along with illustrator Bryan Collier, Andrews has created a lively picture book autobiography about how he followed his dream of becoming a musician, despite the odds. The book is a celebration of the history of New Orleans and the power of music.

 

One Today

One Today by Richard Blanco, illustrated by Dav Pilkey

A lyrical, patriotic commemoration of America from dawn to dusk and coast to coast.

 

 

 

Ira's Shakespeare Dream

Ira’s Shakespeare Dream by Glenda Armand, illustrated by Floyd Cooper

A biography of Ira Aldridge, an African American actor who is considered one of the greatest Shakespearean actors of the nineteenth century.

 

 

Fourth to sixth grades

 

The Treasure of Way Down Deep

Treasure of Way Down Deep by Ruth White

In 1954, when mine closings bring an economic crisis to Way Down Deep, West Virginia, Ruby Jolene Hurley makes a thirteenth-birthday wish to find the treasure rumored to have been buried by one of the town’s founders.

 

 

 

Crenshaw

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. There’s no more money for rent, and not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Crenshaw is a cat. He’s large, outspoken and imaginary. He’s been gone for four years, but has come back into Jackson’s life to help him.

Phineas Gage

Book Reviews: Upper Elementary/Middle School

by Book Reviews and Recommendations

 

Phineas GagePhineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman never fails to grip audiences from fourth grade through high school. In a readable, narrative style, the author tells the story of a railroad construction foreman in 1848 who was shot through the skull with a 13-pound iron rod and went home to wait for the doctor. The details of Gage’s story give modern readers a look at both the condition of 19th-century medicine, and the beginnings of modern understanding of the brain.

— Dawn Miller

 

Guys Write for Guys ReadGuys Write for Guys Read, edited by Jon Scieszka.

Various authors write about their lives as boys and young men. Stories range from belly-aching hilarious to mature and poignant. One of be best, funniest and shortest stories for all ages is “Brothers” by Jon Scieszka, who also edited this and other volumes in the series.

— Dawn Miller

 

 

Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe’s Tales of Mystery and Madness, illustrated by Gris Grimly.

Stories including “The Black Cat” and “The Fall of the House of Usher” are eerily illustrated in this ideal book for teens.

 

 

 

Same Sun HereSame Sun Here by Silas House and Neela Vaswani.

Kentucky-born novelist Silas House has teamed up with Neela Vaswani on their first book for younger readers. It is about two 12-year-olds, one in New York’s Chinatown, one in eastern Kentucky, who meet through a school pen-pal assignment.

— Terri McDougal

 

 

About our contributors:

Terri McDougal is director of children’s services at the Kanawha County Public Library and a board member of Read Aloud West Virginia.

Dawn Miller is editorial page editor of the The Charleston Gazette-Mail, a 20-year Read Aloud West Virginia volunteer, and a former chair of Read Aloud’s board.

 

The Camping Trip that Changed America

Book Reviews: Upper Elementary

by Book Reviews and Recommendations

 

The Camping Trip that Changed AmericaThe Camping Trip That Changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and our National Parks by Barb Rosenstock & illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein. While School Library Journal recommends this book for grades 1-4, I would read it to grades 3 and up, including middle school students, as a way to introduce the subject of preservation of our natural resources. Parts of this book are very relevant to current events. Pair this book with the 2009 book by Ginger Wadsworth, Camping with the President, for comparison of this same camping trip taken by President Roosevelt and naturalist John Muir.

-Terri McDougal, Head of Children’s Services, Kanawha County Public Library

 

Camping with the PresidentCamping with the President by Ginger Wadsworth and illustrated by Karen Dugan. This is a carefully researched and true story of the May 1903 camping trip where President Theodore Roosevelt dismissed his Secret Service agents and sent away reporters to spend three nights with famous naturalist John Muir in California’s Yosemite National Park.

 

House Held up by TreesHouse Held up by Trees by Ted Kooser. Although School Library Journal recommends this for grades 3 to 5, I’m not sure how much 3rd graders will appreciate this picture book. I think it could be read to middle school and even high school students. Written by former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser, this is a melancholy story of a house and the family who once lived there and nature’s reclamation of the house when it is left empty for years.

— Terri McDougal

 

[The Mangrove TreeThe Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore. School Library Journal recommends this title for grades 3 to 6, but it is written in a manner that allows it to be shared with younger children by reading only the text on the left-hand pages. Those pages are written in the cumulative style of “The House that Jack Built.” The right-hand pages provide more factual information about the efforts of Dr. Gordon Soto to plant mangrove trees in the small African country of Eritrea. An inspiring account of one man’s contribution to combating poverty and hunger.

— Terri McDougal

 

Eliza's Cherry TreesEliza’s Cherry Trees: Japan’s Gift to America by Andrea Zimmerman. While School Library Journal recommends this title for grades 4 to 6, I think it is also possible to read it to 3rd graders. Eliza’s Cherry Trees is both a biography of Eliza Scidmore, author, photographer, and first woman to hold an important job at the National Geographic Society, and her decades-long quest to bring
cherry trees from Japan to plant in Washington, D.C. This is the story of a remarkable woman about whom little is known.

— Terri McDougal

 

Henry Hikes to FitchburgHenry Hikes to Fitchburg by D.B Johnson. Henry, a bear with a remarkable resemblance to Henry David Thoreau, sets out to meet his friend in Fitchburg. His friend will take the train. Who will get there first?

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

Boys of SteelBoys of Steel: The Creators of Superman by Marc Tyler Nobleman. The format is a picture book, but this is a seriously researched biography of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, a couple of mild-mannered teens of the Depression era who created an enduring, idealistic superhero — Superman. It is a story from when comic books were a new format. Illustrations by Ross MacDonald evoke the era.

 

Bill the Wonder BoyBill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman by Marc Tyler Nobleman.  Another picture book biography, this one about Bill Finger, the guy responsible for much of what we know as Batman, but who was never credited.

The author keeps the story understandable for young readers or listeners, but does not shy away from the conflict and difficulty in the lives of these comic book creators. Ty Templeton’s illustrations parallel comic book imagery of the time.

 

Henry WorksHenry Works by D.B. Johnson.

Henry the Bear never gets paid, but on his “walk to work” he stays busy. He waters flowers and finds a healing plant for a neighbor. He brings news of a coming storm and sets a path of stone across a stream. It is a gentle, transendental delight.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

Henry Climbs a MountainHenry Climbs a Mountain by D.B. Johnson.

This book is a deep and beautifully illustrated version of the story of Henry David Thoreau’s night in jail in 1846, where he was taken for refusing to pay a poll tax, his protest against slavery.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

14 Cows for America14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy.

A man returns to his Maasai village in Kenya with news of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in America. Villagers are moved to give a healing gift to all Americans.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

Bad News for OutlawsBad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal, by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson. As promised, this is the remarkable, true story of a man born in slavery in 1838, who flees to the West and is hired by a U.S. judge to bring law and order to territory that is now Oklahoma. Arresting illustrations by R. Gregory Christie.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

Chocolate TouchThe Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling and Margot Apple (Illustrator).

A boy gets a magic box of candy, and then everything he touches turns to chocolate, just like Midas.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

 

 

A Tale Dark and GrimmA Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz.

After this elementary teacher got over the horror of the blood and violence of the original Grimm’s Fairy Tales, he saw some value in them, and wove them together in a modern, yet more faithful story about Hansel and Gretel, finding their way in a scary, dangerous world. My fourth and fifth grade listeners begged to hear more of this book.

— Dawn Miller, RAWV Advisory Board Member

 

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson.

If you want a funny and warm story to share each evening during the holiday season, treat yourself to this story. Parents will recognize the children’s Christmas pageants of their youth (or maybe the present), and the characters are lovable and boisterous.

— Dawn Miller

 

 

Nelson MandelaNelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson, author and illustrator. “My work is all about healing and giving people a sense of hope and nobility,” the author writes. “I want to show the strength and integrity of the human being and the human
spirit.” His illustrations are almost photographic. He is one of my favorite children’s book creators.

— Terri McDougal

 

About our contributors:

Terri McDougal is director of children’s services at the Kanawha County Public Library and a board member of Read Aloud West Virginia.

Dawn Miller is editorial page editor of the The Charleston Gazette-Mail, a 20-year Read Aloud West Virginia volunteer, and a former chair of Read Aloud’s board.