Free Hotel Rooms Filling Fast

First, if you didn't read about free hotel rooms for Sit Stay Read volunteers in our E-newsletter, go to our website and sign-up to get our updates!

Second, we heard from Beth Finke that the free hotel rooms are booking up so she suggests picking a hotel and calling ASAP. Beth can't wait to enjoy her free night at the Blackstone! Check-out Give a Day, Get a Night now.

You'll need to volunteer 8 hours between now and December and get a letter from us to bring to the hotel. If you need more hours, Michele will be happy to get you in the office now for some fun projects and the school program schedule will be out in early September. Lots of opportunities to volunteer!

World's Worst Reading Strategy

Really, it truly is the "World's Worst Reading Strategy".

C'mon, you know what it is, right? The dreaded round robin reading!

Dr. Lanse does a great job on his blog of explaining why it's such a scourge and how to avoid it. It was especially rewarding to read that he recommends the exact strategies we use in Sit Stay Read programs--guided reading, paired reading, and a favorite of mine, echo reading!

A New Young Reader

Couldn't resist sharing this photo of my great-niece, Maddy. She was visiting from Wisconsin and, at only nine months old, she already loves books. Wish we could start this early with the kids in our programs. What fun we'd all have!

Don't you love her top knot of curls? It reminds me of Pebbles.

New Office Pups & Their People

New staff in the office means new pups as well. We're missing Jenn, Elizabeth, and Allison but are so happy to welcome Michele Brignoni, our new volunteer manager, and Kelsey Jones, communications coordinator, plus their pups.

Michele's girl, Prairie (on the left), is a doll and looks forward to her office visits. We can't wait for her to become a SSR dog!

Kelsey's Jack is a little sweetheart. A chihuahua Pomeranian mix who just turned a year old, I think he looks like a Mini Me of my Bandit. Click here for more photos and see if you don't agree.

What a Swell Party It Was!

Sugar's House Party

Sugar and all her canine pals had a fabulous time at the house party she hosted in support of Sit Stay Read. The dogs romped on the beach, people partied, and $3,300 was raised to help kids from Chicago's inner city learn to read! Click on the photo to see all the fun.

A huge thank you to Sugar and her people--Doug and Jim--for all their work to make the first Sit Stay Read house party a terrific success. You're the best!

BTW, if you missed Sugar on the the NBC Nightly News, be sure to check it out here.

If Not Now, When?

”In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other.”

--From Wangari Maathai's Nobel Lecture, delivered in Oslo, 10 December 2004.

World's Best Bookshops!

Here are the best bookshops in the world--according to this article from the Irish Independent.

I'd love to make it to every one of these! Have you been to any?

Many thanks to Norm Sloan for the link!