Share a Story 2011: All the Posts

Just as we did for Share a Story 2009 and Share a Story 2010, we have created a complete, one-stop index of all of the posts from this year's event. And oh, boy ... it's a doozy!

Our theme for 2011 was Unwrapping the Gift of Literacy. We saw it as a way to celebrate every aspect of literacy  ... from the intrinsic value of knowing how to read and sharing memories of beloved books and characters to different ways to "pay forward" that gift. After all, who doesn't like gifts?! Over the week, our hosts talked about ...

• The Power of a Book - From the literal power of owning a book and a good story to the intangible power that comes with knowing how to read.
• The Gift of Reading - Whether you're looking for a book to excite a reader, want to help someone learn to read or celebrate the "gift" ... it's covered
• Unwrapping Literacy 2.0 - With all of the talk of digital literacy, e-readers, etc. What does "literacy" look like in this new century? 
• Love of Reading v. Homework - Do they have to be at odds? We'll talk about ways to help readers at home and at school.
• The Gift that Keeps on Giving - To wrap up the week we'll be remembering "that moment" when we realized we were a reader or writer and how to celebrate it with others. Lots(!) of interviews this day.

It was an amazing week, with more than 100 bloggers - authors, educators, illustrators, librarians, parents, and book lovers - sharing ideas and personal stories. We used a new-to-us term Literacy Curators to describe our role as gift holders and gift givers. The innumerable personal stories in posts and in response to our Writing @ Reading prompts affirm that literacy is a priceless gift meant to be treasured, expored, and shared.


You can always go to each individual day's post to get all of the background information. What follows are the day summaries and posts.

Monday's theme, The Power of a Book started us off with some incredible stories via written post and video. We had two co-hosts: Donalyn Miller, aka the Book Whisperer; and Carol Rasco, President and CEO of Reading is Fundamental

• Donalyn shared her thoughts about the intangible power of a book, which is filled with personal examples of just how a book can change your life.
• Paul W. Hankins, the moderator for RAW INK online, turns the concepts of used books and remainder notes on their ears in this very personal story about a student, a book, and an author.
• Terri Lesesne (aka The Goddess of YA Literature) not only talks about all of the things a book can do, but she offers her own personal story, as well. 
• Carol title her post The Power of a Book: 380 Million Times to Date! and talked about the RIF experience of presenting a choice of books to children who have often never owned a book of their own until their first RIF distribution. 
• Riley Carney wrote about The Power of the Written Word; and
• Kyle Zimmer shared  First Book and RIF: The Gift of Literacy on Bookmark, the First Book Blog.

On TUESDAY, our three hosts and their guests shared ideas about the Gift of a Book and a Gift of Reading. Dawn Little, who blogs at Literacy Toolbox, had a full slate of mom and educators.

• Dawn opened the day by sharing all of the meanings that the gift of literacy has. 
• Dawn Morris @ Moms Inspire Learning shares the ingredients for hungry kids in a Picture Book Recipe for Creating Healthy Eaters
• Trina O'Gorman @ Book Loving Boys shared a recent, personal experience about having to explain to her son that the series he loves is really for older kids. She shares her gift, a promise, and a commitment
• Jen Robinson shares ideas, recommendations, and ways to spread the gift of literacy by giving books to new parents. @ Jen Robinson's Book Page 
• Melissa Taylor @ Imagination Soup reminds us that we can read 'til our heart's content  - for free - just by getting a library card. 
• Amy Mascott @ Teach Mama offers ideas about finding the 'gifts' in any book

Then it was off to visit Chris Singer of Book Dads, sent dad participation skyrocketing with more than 30 fathers talking about reading with their kids and the gift of that moment when your child's eyes sparkle with the knowledge that they know how to read!

To get all of the stories, Chris had not one, not two, but THREE parts! Still, we want you to have a nice neat list of all the contributors and where to find them when they're not reading. Check out this list ...

• Andrew Bennett @ BenSpark.com
• Eric DelaBarre, author of Saltwater Taffy @ What a Great Book
• Renny Fong @ Timeout Dad 
• Robert Smith @ Life of a New Dad 
• Daddy Geek Boy
• Chalkboard Dad
• Stefan Lanfer, author of The Faith of a Child and Dad Today website
• Alan Kercinik @ Always Jacked 
• Todd Lieman, author of The ABCs of the Expectant Dad 
• Kevin Westerman @ Super Daddy 
• Del Shannon, author of Kevin's Point of View
• John @ The Daddy Yo
• Dan Nessel @ Dad Does 
• Mitchell Brown @ Thoughtful Pop
• Dad of Divas @ Dad of Divas
• Gavin Craig @ Wordwright 
• Douglas Clark @ Lake Fable
• Read Aloud Dad @ Read Aloud Dad 
• The Jack B @ The Jack B
• James Rohl @ SAHD in PDX 
• Frederick J. Goodall @ Mocha Dad 
• Jeff Bogle @ Out With the Kids
• Tom McMillen-Oakley @ Jesus Has Two Dads
• Eric Van Raepenbusch @ Happy Birthday Author
• Mike @ Mike Wordplay
• John Cave Osborne  @ Babble's Stroller Baby
• Daddy Crying @ Why is Daddy Crying
• Ron Mattocks @ Clark Kent's Lunchbox

Our third host was Terry Doherty of the Reading Tub. At her blog, Scrub-a-Dub-Tub, she opened what became the most commented-upon post of the week: a discussion of multiculturalism in children's and young adult literature with Hannah Erlich of Lee & Low, and award-winning authors Mitali Perkins and Tanita S. Davis. She also had posts from  ...

• Maria Burel wrote When Reading is More than a Gift  @ Once Upon a Story; and 
• Mrs. P of MrsP.com told us why books are her favorite gift AND how to make your own, too, in her Writing @ Reading story.

There were several other contributors on Tuesday, including Jonathan Auxier of The Scop, who shared a family photograph and a great story in Conversations with Ray. Laura Atkins share her thoughts on diversity in books at Laura Atkin's blog and Nathalie had an interview with Zetta Elliott at Multiculturalism Rocks.

Midweek already? Yep, on Wednesday we zoomed into Literacy 2.0. It was an opportunity to incorporate a discussion of literacy in the world our kids live in -- digital, screen-driven, interactive. Danielle Smith and her guests at There's a Book explored the good, bad, fascinating, and ugly of the new technologies. 

• Carisa Kluver shared her thoughts about iPad books @ Digital Storytime: "As the mother of a child who is just now learning to read, the idea of digital books both delights and terrifies me."
• From Eric Van Raepenbusch @ Happy Birthday Author Blog showed us how video can extend the meaning of a book beyond its pages, teach basic skills, entertain, and provide primary sources of information.   
• Chris Singer of Book Dads was back to talk about @ why he bout a Nook Color and how he shares it with his young, beginning readers.
• Pam van Hylckama Vlieg had a post on the same theme at @ Bookalicio.us, where she talked about engaging her reluctant reader.
• Holly Slotkin shared her thoughts about using apps/iPhones/iPads/Tablets/etc. and gave us some resources in her post @ LitLad. 
• At the Book Chook blog, Susan Stephenson explored online resources for reading and writing
• Melissa Taylor shared Reading on the Go @ Imagination Soup.
• Mary Ann Scheuer @ Great Kid Books reviewed in her post Exploring E-books with your Children.
• Over at The Scop, Jonathan Auxier says Hasta la Vista, Hardy Boys! 
• Heading into the 21st Century classroom, Paul W. Hankins offers ideas on ways digital media can be used in a classroom in his post When it comes to Skype Believe the Hype. @ Mr. Hankins is Reading and Writing in Kentuckiana 
• Similarly, Jennifer Vincent @ Teach Mentor Texts  talked about Unwrapping Literacy 2.0 and offered ideas to broaden our thinking about reading aloud. Check out Mrs. Read-A-Lot to see how she uses a blog to engage readers and their families, too.
• At Miss Remmers' Reviews, Miss Remmers showed us us what students think of technology in the classroom.

These were great posts to segue to our theme on Thursday: Leisure Reading vs. Homework, which Mary Lee Hahn and Franki Sibberson hosted at A Year of Reading.

• At A Year of Reading, Franki shares a story (with link) about her then-6-year-old daughter Ana and her book choices.
• Franki also includes a link to Lisa Koch's article "My Son, Clark Kent" about the impact home reading had on her son. (Choice Literacy)
• At AM Literacy Learning, Ann Marie Corgill interviewed her eight-year-old nephew, Jack, about his reading.
• Sharon Taberski posted "Reading for the Fun of It" @ It's All About Comprehension.
• At Catching Readers Before They Fall, Pat and Katie share "Puppies or NASA?"
• Cathy emphasized book choice in her post Real Reading @ Reflect and Refine.
• Deb Frazier of Primary Perspective demonstrated how VoiceThread can help create lifelong readers in her post "Reading Like Readers -- Naturally."
• At Creative Literacy Katie DiCesare explained the connected learning concept.
• Patrick Allen drew on the season of Lent to show us the impact of his homework in Repent....The Homework Taketh Away..."
• At Educating Alice, Monica has a post about some recent homework that demonstrated a love of reading in "In the Classroom: Book Reviews."
• Carol, at Carol's Corner, talked about reading homework in high school.
• Sarah Mulhern shared Writers Notebooks: Literacy Outside of School at The Reading Zone.
• At Literate Lives, Karen answered the question "What does reading homework look like?"

Then Friday came ... and it was all party and celebration! Elizabeth Dulemba and Sarah Mulhern co-hosted Literacy: The Gift that Keeps on Giving.

Award-winning authors and illustrators, videographers, and more shared how they fell in love with reading, thanked the person who gave them the gift, and offered ideas on how they have "paid it forward."

Sarah Mulhern interviewed authors and illustrators about the gift of literacy @ The Reading Zone.

• Sarah Darer Littman shares a video about when her first son learned to read
• Kathi Appelt shares a love song for librarians in her video blog. and 
• Pamela Voelkel (aka JP Voelkel) shares how the gift of reading has been shared in her family.

@ Dulemba.com Elizabeth Dulemba shared her own story about falling in love with reading, as well as quotes and links to thoughts from nearly 20 other authors and illustrators of literature for children and young adults. They included:

• Jane Yolen,
• Ellen Wittlinger,
• Tony DiTerlizzi (and an interview at 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast)
• James Gurney (here's a post about the map of Dinotopia)
• Deborah Wiles,
• Charles Gigna (go over to Dulemba.com to see Father Goose's original poem)
• Uma Krishnaswami
• Gregory K. Pincus,
• Janice Hardy (be sure to also visit The Other Side of the Story.).
• Sarah Lamstein,
• Kerry Madden (Read the rest of the story about Sister Mary Analise at Mountainmist)
• Marcia Jones,
• Vicky Alvear Shecter (read more at "History With a Twist.")
• Phillis Gershator,
• Loreen Leedy (read the full story at "How I Went to Mars.")
• Sally Keehn,
• Karen Romano Young,
• Tera Elan McVoy (Read more of Terra's journey at The Importance of Sharing a Story.)

There are also a couple of takeaways.

First, Elizabeth Dulemba created ORIGINAL "I love to read" coloring pages for you to download, share, and enjoy. We also created a list of all of the books that people mentioned in their posts, guests offered in comments, or as part of their Writing @ Reading response.

We hope that if you followed along during the week that you found the event fun and walked away with ideas that you can use in your daily life. If this is your first time reading about Share a Story, we hope you mark your calendars ... we'll be back again next year. The Tour will start gearing up in the fall and launch again March 5, 2012.

Share a Story logo created by Elizabeth O. Dulemba. All rights reserved.