Once again this summer, on Thursday, July 27th, Maclure Library was able to host an amazing book giveaway thanks to a grant from the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF). The event was well-attended by 62 children and their families gathering at the Lothrop School gym to hear Vermont author Marv Klassen-Landis’s engaging storytelling, and each child was able to walk away with two free books of their choice from a wide variety of options.
CLiF awards Summer Readers grants to organizations serving kids at high risk of experiencing a “summer slide” in literacy skills. The partnership between Maclure Library and CLiF reached Pittsford’s young readers who are at greatest risk. Research shows that children who don’t read over summer vacation tend to lose literacy skills while children who do read improve their reading abilities. Low-income children and youth often experience greater summer learning losses than their higher-income peers.
“The book giveaway is a real treat to host,” said Sophie Marks, Maclure Youth Librarian. “The kids are so eager to search for the perfect book to take home, and it’s a pleasure to see them find it.”
CLiF is a non-profit organization whose mission is to nurture a love of reading and writing among children up to age 12 at higher risk of growing up with low literacy skills throughout New Hampshire and Vermont. Since 1998, CLiF has supported and inspired over 350,000 young readers and writers through its literacy program grants and has given almost $10 million in new, high quality children’s books. For more information about CLiF and to apply, visit www.clifonline.org.
