Read for the Record Day 2012

    The Jumpstart literacy organization is once again co-sponsoring with the Pearson Foundation the Read for the Record Day! The organization's mission is to help young children have more exposure to books and reading. There are volunteers who participate in reaching out to low-income communities to support families in cultivating a love of reading. The official website for Read for the Record Day reports that there were 2.2 million known participants in the special day! Since the day's inception in 2007, the site reports that they have been able to raise over 7 million dollars to go towards its programs. That is an astonishing feat! The beauty of the day is that when you participate online through the Pearson Foundation's site We Give Books, a book is donated  every time the book is read. That is a win-win situation!  You can check out more about We Give Books through its website, on Facebook, and Twitter.  Jumpstart can also be found on Facebook and Twitter. 

      This year's featured text for Read for the Record Day is Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad  written by Jacky Davis and David Soman (Dial, 2011). It is part of a popular series of books starring a spirited girl named Lulu. The books in the collection are stories that hit a chord with young children because the issues Lulu deals with are very identifiable for kids. Her stories explore themes of compromising, using your imagination, responsibility, and being a good friend.

     If you you need a copy of the book, you can read it online for free courtesy of the Read for the Record Day website. Just click here for Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad. If you have a laptop/projector hookup in your classroom, you'll be all set to share it on the screen with your students. :) 

   There is also a certificate available on the website for children after they read or listen to Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad on the special day of October 4. 

    You can explore the Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy series through their official website. On the site, you can read more about the authors. Other books in the series that you might be interested in exploring include:

• Ladybug Girl and Bingo (Dial, 2012)
• Ladybug Girl at the Beach (Dial, 2010)
• Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy (Dial, 2009)
• Ladybug Girl (Dial, 2008) 

   There are some "just for fun" activities kids can do at home when exploring the kid-friendly website. They can enjoy doing some of the free printables or games, too.  Lulu's sidekick, Bumblebee Boy, has his own site that boys and girls would like to check out as well. Have fun!