Litworld In Kibera: Reunions and Expansion

LitWorld's Executive Director & Chief Storyteller, Pam Allyn, and Fire Starter, Brooke Stone, are visiting our Innovation Hub in Kenya. This trip will be full of reunions with LitClub girls and boys and their wonderful leaders; teacher trainings; sing-a-longs; community read alouds; and plans to expand and grow the work on the ground. Follow us on Facebook for glorious photos and stories from the field. 

Pam Allyn to Speak at African First Ladies Summit, “Investing in Women: Strengthening Africa"

LitWorld's Executive Director, Pam Allyn, has received the great honor of being invited to speak at the African First Ladies Summit in Tanzania on July 2nd. She will share LitWorld Innovations with many high profile attendees including African First Ladies, government officials, private organizations, NGOs and academics. Pam will participate in the education panel, "Critical Interventions in Education: Literacy, Access to Education, and Teacher Training," as a renowned literacy expert.

The summit was featured in the New York Times this week as Former President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama announced their intentions to travel to Tanzania for this important event.

Show your support for effective investments in women in order to achieve greater stability. Download the #investinwomen graphic from the Bush Center to use as your profile picture, twitter avatar or simply post as a picture to make sure your voice heard.

A New LitClub Launches at the LitWorld the Philippines!

Jump for joy, a new Girls LitClub has launched at the LitWorld Innovation Hub in Bulacan, the Philippines! We are thrilled that a new group of girls has a safe community to learn to read and write through the sharing of stories and a LitClub leader who cares about them, listens to them and will accompany them on their journey through childhood. Boys LitClubs will be launching next, stay tuned!

An Inspiration Celebration with The Children's Village Boys LitClub

This week we visited the Dobbs Ferry, NY campus of our longtime partner, The Children's Village, for an end of year Poetry Slam Inspiration Celebration with the Boys LitClub. The LitClub boys decided to serve their guests Skittles and red velvet cupcakes. Each boy presented his favorite poem from his inspiration journal. We heard a poem about Skittles, a poem about a boy losing his mother, a rap (with advanced beats) called "Testify," and the poem below called, "Colors," written by LitClub member Justin.

We are sending deep and profound gratitude to the LitClub boys, and to Erica Mason, who has done a phenomenal job leading the Boys LitClub this year. Each boy has shown tremendous personal growth, and growth as a reader, writer, listener and speaker. It was an honor to take part in this warm Inspiration Celebration!

Colors

When I first came to Children's Village
I had the Golds.
Not the golds that make you smile.
Golds the sorts that make you want to scream.
Golds.

Then when I got used to it for a long time
I had the blues blues.
Not the blues that
makes you want to swim.
The blues that makes you want to EXPLODE!

I don't have the blue.
I have the golds.
Golds.
The golds that make you want to jump out of a plane golds.

Now I have the pinks.
The real pinks.
The pinks that makes you want to thank Children's Village.

Summer Reading Recommendations from the LitWorld Interns

It's that glorious time of year again: the season of summer reading! We asked our summer interns to recommend a favorite book that belongs in your "must read" pile, or in your suitcase to accompany you on a summer adventure.

Eliza Blum, entering her junior year at Kenyon College:

"Caitlin Moran’s memoir How To Be A Woman reads like one hysterically witty rant on all the grievances, both big and small, of being a woman in modern society. Growing up as the oldest of eight children, Caitlin Moran recalls being left to her own devices to maneuver Great Britain in the 1990’s. The story follows her life from the first pangs of adolescence to the difficulties of raising a girl in a world that idolizes “Kim Kardashian instead of Sylvia Plath and Joan of Arc.” If I were to describe Caitlin Moran’s memoir, I’d say it’s a more sassy, British version of Tina Fey’s Bossypants turned modern-day feminist manifesto. It’s awesome."

Aimee Deutsch, spring 2013 graduate of The University of Michigan:

"My summer must-read is called In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner. To be honest, I have not finished it yet. But I am a third of the way through, and it is so hard to put down! The book follows a young girl, Raami, and her family as they struggle through evacuation and other hardships during the Cambodian revolution in the 1970’s. The language is really beautiful, and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking to start a new book!"

Todd Hall, entering his sophomore year at Williams College:

"I highly recommend Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner, a mind-blowing economic analysis of random everyday phenomenon. My hackneyed synopsis will not do the book justice, but here it is. This masterpiece of nonfiction actually evolved as a compilation of economic articles. The authors explore how incentives and rationality govern behavior through a series of case studies. For example, how could leaving bagels out at a large office and expecting people to pay for them be a successful business model? It worked, and the authors explain why. Another study follows a college student into the hierarchical, quasi-corporate underworld of a Chicago gang. One chapter discusses cheating in both education and sumo wrestling. Despite the smorgasbord of ideas, the book comes together nicely. Read this book; you will enjoy it!"

Julia Karant, entering her senior year at Brandeis University:

"I recommend 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The novel takes place in the fictional town of Macondo and tells the story of several generations of the Buendia family, switching back and forth between episodes in the lives of different characters. This book may not be for everyone, considering there is not much of a plot and it's difficult to keep the characters straight (at least half of them have the same name). However, the writing is beautiful and Garcia Marquez's message about the cyclic nature of existence is moving and thought-provoking. If you like a little magic in your summer reading, I encourage you to try it out!"

Amber Lee, entering her junior year at Syracuse University:

"I recommend The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride. This book tells the unlikely story of Ruth McBride Jordan, a Polish Jew who marries two good men and has 12 great children, all of which are black. Ruth's abusive and racist father led her to leave her home, her faith, her handicapped mother and young sister behind in Virginia. She found her true home in the "black world" of New York City, battling racism and poverty to raise her children with much turmoil, including the ex-communication from her own family. By sharing her story along with her son James, we see struggle and triumph through a small window made of racial identity in the 20th century."

Sophie Mortner, entering her senior year at Oberlin College:

"I recommend The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. This is the translated version of Kundera’s French novel that takes place in Prague during the Russian Invasion (1960s and 1970s). It is a disgruntled love story of an infidel husband and his self-conscious wife. This book follows the same poetic European love formula that one could often find in novels by Hemingway with the added perspective of the woman. The fact that I was unable to put this book down while reading it along the Garden Route in South Africa can attest to its amazing-ness!"

Ashlin Orr, entering her senior year at Rice University:

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer is definitely a must read! The book tells the true story of William, a boy growing up in Malawi who refuses to surrender his dream of bringing water and electricity to his community in a time of extreme national poverty and suffering. After having to drop out of school due to the burden of tuition fees, William teaches himself the skills he needs to make his vision a reality. I think this book is a perfect read for the LitWorld community because it shows how one person's passion can transform a community and also sends a powerful message on the importance of literacy."

Najla's Corner: Best Picks for Summer Reading

Hi! My name is Najla and welcome to Najla’s Corner. I am thirteen years old and I worked as an intern at LitWorld this summer for two weeks and I read five very interesting picture books. These books are great for everyone at all ages and have dazzling illustrations. These are my top 5 picture books for the summer!

#5. The Friendly Four

Eloise Greenfield, Jan Spivey Gilchrist

This story told in poem form is about four children named Drum, Dorene, Louis, and Rae who meet one summer and create a close friendship. I love this book because all of the children learn many lessons from making new friends, to overcoming obstacles with maturity and responsibility. This book will warm your heart with the imaginative games that the children play together and the ideas that they bring to life. I recommend this book for people who like to read about friendship and overcoming fears and obstacles.

#4. I Have the Right to Be a Child

Alain Serres, Aurelia Fronty

This book describes the different rights that children have as stated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. I love this book because it explains the types of rights from friendship, to no violence, and the importance of respecting these rights. I particularly enjoy the beautiful illustrations of the diverse children. This diversity lets all kids know that no matter who you are, you have the same rights as others. I recommend this book for all kids who want to learn about their rights.

#3. Pushing Up the Sky

Joseph Bruchac, Teresa Flavin

This book is a collection of seven Native American plays. At the beginning of each play there are a few facts about each tribe, so not only are you reading a great story, but you are learning at the same time. Some of the lessons you can learn from the plays are not bragging and working together. I like how imaginative and lively the stories are, from people looking down from the sky at night, to people and animals on earth pushing up the sky. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy dreaming and believing in unusual things.

#2. Poems to Learn by Heart

Caroline Kennedy, Jon J Muth

This book is a collection of poems that tell many great tales. I love this book because every poem is paired with a dazzling painting. From stories about building with blocks to lessons about disobedience, this book has many different poems that show great emotion and also simple lessons. I would recommend this book to all people who like to read poems with beautiful language and a great lesson to learn.

#1. Infinity and Me

Gabi Swiatkowska, Kate Hosford

This book is about a young girl named Uma who looks at the sky one night and begins to  ponder about the concept of infinity. I like this book because it explores what children think when they wonder about infinity. The theme of the story is, once you realize infinity isn’t as big as you imagined, the thought of such a large number doesn’t seem as big or scary. It also shows that loves goes on forever, unlike physical activities such as recess. With great illustrations and a heartwarming story, this book is definitely one of my favorites. I recommend this book for people who like to think big.

Join LitWorld and Friends for a Summer Reading Block Party