Reading Is Fundamental (2010 Read-a-Thon Mini-Challenge)

Scroll down or click here for my Read-a-Thon post, My Brain on Books, intermittently updated like a blog within a blog until the end--of the Thon or my consciousness whichever comes first.

My mother's mother Zoe Bonnette Myers reading to her two eldest grandsons circa 1946. Over ten years before my birth. My Mom was still a teenager. Grandma Zoe had been a school teacher before marriage as was her husband, his sister, my mother and my dad's mother. So reading was fundamental in my family from way back.

The challenge is to create a post celebrating the reading child and to link to the Reading is Fundamental webpage.

Open until 5pm Pacific Coast Time aka end of Hour 12
(several have indicated in comments they believe finished at the end of its first hour so I'm clarifying.)

Suggestions for content:

• post a picture or video of a child or children reading or being read to
• post a picture or video of yourself reading as a child or reading to children
• spend 20 minutes reading to or being read to by a child age 0-15 and post about it
• interview a child about the meaning of reading to them and post the interview in text, audio or video
• relate memories about the meaning of reading in your childhood (text, audio or video)
• post a thank you message to RIF for their efforts on behalf of child literacy (text, audio or video)
• post a thank you message to any adult(s) responsible for turning you on to reading as a child (text, audio or video)
• visit the RIF site and report on one or more of their programs or activities, linking to the page(s) discussing it.
• post about a personal encounter (if any) with RIF--did one of their free books impact your childhood? did you participate as either child or adult in one of their sponsored activities?
  

Those are just suggestions to give you the idea. I imagine there are many creative minds among you who can come up with any number of riffs on the theme: celebrate reading and childhood and link to RIF.

Note: Last year I didn't hold the entrants accountable for not having a link to RIF because I'd visited over half a dozen without making note whether they had or not. Not wanting to waste reading time to re-visit them, I made an executive decision to let it slide for all. I won't repeat that mistake this year so having the RIFF link is MANDATORY. If nothing else just copy/paste the first line of this post (the one below the top picture caption) into your post.

This challenge is open for three hours and I am willing to mail the prize internationally.


Each winner will receive one of my crocheted bookmarks similar to these:




Except that I will custom make them after consulting via email with the winners on their preferred colors and style so they can design a bookmark they know they will love.

Since last October I've increased my stash of ribbon by a few and nearly doubled my selection of thread. I now have over half a dozen variegated and nearly 20 solid colors that can be combined in endless variations.

Besides more thread I've added several new patterns including the narrow band with ribbon pictured in red at top of above picture; the wide tasseled with alternating bands (can be either 7 or 11 bands plus tassel and bands can be solid or variegated) pictured near right edge of above picture and in progress below; and the mini-scarf pictured below in white and pastels which can be in any color combinations desired (ie school colors, holiday colors).




A full length view of that red and black laced one can be viewed along with more examples here.
More examples of the tasseled one can be seen here.

And of course last year's two patterns: the two-toned wide with ribbon and the original twelve row shell stitch with ribbon. Most of the ribbon adorned ones can be either single flat ribbon, doubled over ribbon with bead, button or key ring at top and the doubled over ribbons can be flat or laced like a shoe lace like the blue one on the upper left corner above or the red and black one in the bottom right corner (cut off). A flat braid can be substituted for the ribbon as seen below far right.





Please enter URL of the post in the Mr. Linky below. Leaving a comment also will alert me by email that I have an entry to visit. :) But a comment isn't required. After I have visited each entry to verify it, I will choose 5 winners via random.org.

If you don't have a blog or webpage you can still enter by leaving a comment on this post that conforms to the rules: RIF link plus a paragraph or so on the theme. This option is limited to text only of course. Then leave the link to this post's comments along with your name in Mr. Linky.

Depending on how many entries I need to visit, I will post the winner's sometime between this evening and tomorrow evening right here below this paragraph. Then winners will need to contact me [joystory @ gmail.com] with their contact info to discuss their design.

The 5 Winners:

Michelle~ New Horizon Reviews
Bonnie
Morphidae
infogoddess
debnance at readerbuzz

Fair warning: for some versions if made from scratch it may take several weeks to get them in the mail.

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Reading Is Fundamental (Read-a-Thon Mini-Challenge)

Scroll down or click here for my Read-a-Thon post, My Brain on Books, intermittantly updated until the end--of the Thon or my consciousness whichever comes first.

Joy Renee age 9-ish reading to baby sister and cousin age 2-ish

The challenge is to create a post celebrating the reading child and to link to the Reading is Fundamental webpage.

Suggestions for content:

• post a picture or video of a child or children reading or being read to
• post a picture or video of yourself reading as a child or reading to children
• spend 20 minutes reading to or being read to by a child age 0-15 and post about it
• interview a child about the meaning of reading to them and post the interview in text, audio or video
• relate memories about the meaning of reading in your childhood (text, audio or video)
• post a thank you message to RIF for their efforts on behalf of child literacy (text, audio or video)
• post a thank you message to any adult(s) responsible for turning you on to reading as a child (text, audio or video)
• visit the RIF site and report on one or more of their programs or activities, linking to the page(s) discussing it.
• post about a personal encounter (if any) with RIF--did one of their free books impact your childhood? did you participate as either child or adult in one of their sponsored activities?
  

Those are just suggestions to give you the idea I imagine there are many creative minds among you who can come up with any number of riffs on the theme: celebrate reading and childhood and link to RIF.

This challenge is open for three hours.

Please enter URL of the post in the Mr. Linky below. Leaving a comment also will alert me by email that I have an entry to visit. :) But a comment isn't required. After I have visited each entry to verify it, I will choose 5 winners via random.org.

Each winner will receive one of my crocheted bookmarks similar to these:


Except that I will custom make them after consulting via email with the winners on their preferred colors and style.

The winners are:

Kim (page after page)
NTE Never that Easy
Dangerously Cold Tea
Tif @ Tif Talks Books
Chrissy (book bliss)

I will post the same list in My Brain on Books post below as well. I need these 5 to email me at joystory AT gmail.com with their address and a color scheme preference for their bookmark i.e. a favorite two color combo or 'earth tones' or 'xxx holiday'. Or if they prefer they can email me with a request for a complete list of my selection of thread colors including variegated and a photo of my ribbons including prints and solids.so they can design a bookmark they know they will love.

Thanks to everyone who participated.

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My Brain on Books V

moar funny pictures
<-- click the pic to learn about the Read-a-thon

I am reading for RIF today. I don't have a sponsor but I'm putting this plug at the top in hopes some who stop by will check out their site and see all the great things they do to foster love of reading in kids.


This post will be organized like a blog inside a blog with recent updates stacked atop previous ones.
I will post a notice at Twitter whenever I update this post. Or at least whenever I remember to.

4:44 AM -- End of Event Meme:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? The 3rd cuz waking up is so hard to do.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Anything by Ellen Hopkins or Francine Prose
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? Cheerleaders for the cheerleaders? :D Really can't think of a thing.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? Splitting the cheeleaders up into teams and splitting the list.
5. How many books did you read? Just one cover to cover. My eyes aint what they used to be. Plus I spent six hours on my RIF challenge from prep thru posting winners. And another two on general cheering.
6. What were the names of the books you read? I read Joshua by Joseph Grizone cover to cover and read at random for around 80 min in From Where You Dream by Robert Olen Butler which was actually re-reading for me.
7. Which book did you enjoy most? One was a thought provoking and moving parable-like novel. The other was an old fav writing advice essay. No way to compare.
8. Which did you enjoy least? As I said....
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? Fret less about repitition, grammar, punctuation and word choice and focus on the spirit of the endeavor. i assure you that as a reader that is the spirit in which i receive whatever came my way.
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? If I'm still breathin I'm not leavin. Same as this time--all three--reader, cheerleader and mini-challenge hostess. That last gave me the greatest joy today and that joy will be drawn out as I make and deliver the five prizes over the next several weeks.

Read for joy!

That's it folks. I won't be updating this again. I might see if I can drop a few more cheers before the bell tolls.

3AM -- Finally finished Joshua. Now I'm off to cheer. Probably for duration.

8PM to Midnight -- Before I went back to reading again after wrapping up my mini-challenge I put up the Honoring Dewey post for the one and only mini-challenge I've participated in so far. After that I returned to the novel I started this morning, Joshua by Joseph Grizone. I was pushing to finish it before I updated but I still got 80 pages left and was fading so I thought this might revive me.

Now I'm going to give Joshua another go. I'm fast approaching that un-put-downable stage of the story. If my faculties flag again I shall commence cheering as surfing and commenting seem to ward off the drowse attacks.

3PM to 7:30 -- I spent these hours visiting every participant in my RIF mini-challenge. Here are the 5 winners as selected by random.org:


Kim (page after page)
NTE Never that Easy
Dangerously Cold Tea
Tif @ Tif Talks Books
Chrissy (book bliss)

I will post the same list in the challenge post as well. I need these 5 to email me at joystory AT gmail.com with their address and a color scheme preference for their bookmark i.e. a favorite two color combo or 'earth tones' or 'xxx holiday'. Or if they prefer they can email me with a request for a complete list of my selection of thread colors including variegated and a photo of my ribbons including prints and solids.so they can design a bookmark they know they will love.

OK. As soon as I get the list posted on the challenge post and emailed to Trish, I'm going back to reading again for as long as I can keep my eyes open. I let you know what I pick up next in the next update.

I'm fighting the drowsies right now and a bit of a headache so I hope I can push through that. Had only four hours of sleep this morning before kick-off and that after skipping sleep altogether the previous day to try to flip my hours for this. But my sister called me just as I was laying down (8 hrs before start) to give me an update on the friends who were in that terrible car accident last Sunday. See my post about it here and watch for an update sometime tomorrow.

Noon to 2:30 -- After putting finishing touches on my mini-challenge post and setting it to autopost for a few minutes before 3 (any minute now) I went back to Joshua for a little while but then picked up From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction by Robert Olen Butler. And began to browse at will though it. I've read it before and browsed in it many times since. I'm spending time with it today because it is one of my favorite advice-for-fiction-writers books and I've been refreshing my memory of his technique for NaNoWriMo coming up next weekend. Also it's a library book which was due on Thursday and has to be in the drop box before the library doors open Monday. And I know someone else is waiting for it so I won't see it again before NaNo is over. Sigh. I'm going to have to get my own copy of this someday.

I will be spending the next few minutes reading in this book until the entries of my mini-challenge start coming in and then I'll be visiting them until I've seen them all.

11:55 -- I've spent this entire time with the one book. I reached page 150 something. Had reached page 78 by end of hour two so the last 70 pages took twice as long as the first. Have been fighting eye-fatigue and the drowse since 8am. But am enjoying the story and the thoughts provoked by it.

I'm going to spend the next little while finishing up preparation of my mini-challenge post which is due to begin in three hours--hour 11. Be sure and return to check out the fun. And prizes.

5:05 -- I'm starting off with the novel, Joshua, by Joseph f. Girzone. I first started this several weeks ago but only got a third of the way through before I had to return it to the library. I'm going to start it over though because I can't find my leaving off place. The copy I had before was a large print and this one is not. I may be skimming though until I reach the new scenes.

BTW I was prompted to read this book after watching the movie based on it a couple months ago. At the time I ordered it off the library catalog I also order a memoir by the author, My Struggle with Faith and it is among the books I've set aside to choose from today as the mood strikes. I guess I don't need to reiterate here what/why my strong interest is in all things to do with faith, spirit and religion. Memoir is not quite the right word. Struggle grew out of his attempts to answer questions about his own beliefs after release of the novel Joshua.

Joshua is parable type story about a community impacted by the coming to town of a stranger whose acts and words are startling and somewhat discomfiting especially to those whose role is as a shepherd of one of the many Christian establishments. The story is an attempt to answer the question: What would happen if Jesus lived within a community? How would he act? How would he live? How would the people react to him? Would he be recognized by those who claim to be his followers? Or would he once again be feared and persecuted by those who are challenged by his integrity? Especially those who lay claim to speak and rule others on behalf of THAT which he calls Father?

Grizone's religious upbringing was in the Catholic church. My understanding of what it means to be catholic is about as comprehensive as my understanding of what it means to be French. I'm endlessly fascinated by stories set within a Catholic milieu though as well as with stories by and about those who have struggled to come to terms as an adult with the people and the tenets of the faith community in which they were raised--as I have.

5:00 -- AM Let's get started y'all. (I've set this to autopost at 4:44 AM. if this parenthetical is still here I may not have had time to stop in here before starting. At least I hope it's not because I overslept.)

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Dewey’s Read-a-Thon, Autumn 2009 Edition

The fifth 24 hour Read-a-Thon is scheduled for the weekend of October 24-25, 2009. I'm not sure yet of the starting hour but last April it was Saturday 5AM to Sunday 5AM PST .

I'm looking forward to participating again as both a reader and cheerleader.

Last October I read short stories the whole 24 hours as an exercise to prepare for my NaNoWriMo project which was a novel woven of multiple short stories. This year I plan to use the event to immerse myself in works by and about Flannery O'Connor as my NaNo novel this year features a protagonist who is an ardent Flannery fan.

Some participants have sponsors and collect donations for a charity of their choice as in other fill-in-the-blank a-thons but I don't know anyone who is flush enough to ask to sponsor me but what I can do is plug one of my favorite charities now and on the day: Reading is Fundamental.

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Thursday Thirteen #92

I just realized this is my 777th post. There seems to be something magical about that number. I've always loved the number 7 for some reason. And I especially love numbers that show up as twins, triplets, etc.

OK enough off topic rambling.

This week I'm repeating the theme from my last week's TT. It's another list of the books I've stocked up on for Saturday's 24 Hour Read-a-thon. And this doesn't even exhaust them. I could just about make a third TT list. Can you tell I'm excited about it? Excited? Obsessed!

There is no way I'm expected to read 26+ books in 24 hours. I just wanted a really good selection and the Read-a-thon came up just as I was feeling drawn to a fiction binge. I'm planning to continue the binge in the weeks to come.

I was hoping to knock off 5 or 6 though. That's why I included so many really short ones and so many YA and children's books. But I learned last night that we're expecting a heatwave to move through here Saturday. Temps in the triple digits. Hopefully just a nudge over 100 degrees. There is one triplet digit I'd hate to see: 111 degrees. Shudder. Heat makes me drowsy!! And sweat gets in my eyes.! Ugh!

Haven't heard of the 24 Hour Read-a-thon? Get on over and check it out! You don't have to commit to the whole 24 hours. Or you could be a cheerleader instead of a reader. Or donate prizes for the contests, mini-challenges and drawings. Or sponsor one or more of the readers who are reading for the charity Reading is Fundamental.

In case you missed it, there are links to the Read-a-thon info scatter throughout this post. The TT header itself is one.

If you do sign up let Dewey know you heard it from me. That will give me an extra entry in a major drawing she is holding. Of course you could also enter the drawing. What drawing? Well you'll just have to head on over and check it out. Can't miss it.

Thursday

Thirteen

13 More Books in My Read-a-thon Pool

1. The Reader by Bernard Schlink--218p
2. Ten Little Indians by Sherman Alexie--243p
3. Into the Green by Charles de Lint--249p
4. The Museum of Dr. Moses: Tales of Mystery and Suspense--229p
5. More than Allies by Sandra Schofield--174p. This is a local author and some of the story takes place here in Southern Oregon. I just pulled this off the library shelf Monday.
6. Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman--225p
7. Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman--275p
8. Green Angel by Alie Hoffman--116p
9. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie--302p. I sent for this one because I read a review on a WG participant's post last weekend. I forgot to save the link to the review. Whoever you are, I'm grateful. I may start with either this one or Alice Hoffman's Ice Queen which was on last week's list and which I also discovered through a WG blogger's review the previous week. I have that review to thank for sending me straight to the library's online catalog were I noticed how many of Hoffman's novels were under 250 pages and got the idea to dedicate the Read-a-thon this time to short novels, short stories and children''s stories. And then went nuts ordering them.
10. Still Summer by Jacquelyn Mitchard--307p
11. Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold--328p
12. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory--155p & Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator--165p by Roald Dahl. These two are in a single volume. The first would be a re-read for me. They are both highly illustrated also as is:
13. The Roald Dahl Treasury--444p This book contains 'complete stories, extracts from longer fiction, rhymes, and memoirs, as well as unpublished poetry and letters.' (from the jacket blurb) These last two items are intended for the homestretch--the last three to six hour when I may need lighter weight but still highly engaging material. Plus the fonts are quite readable!!! And the pictures are charming.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It's easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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