Why You Should Follow...

@everybodywins on #FollowFriday!

**Update** I originally posted this on June 26th but I wanted to revisit it today (August 21st) as the Everybody Wins online auction is currently going on and I wanted to give them a plug! To check it go here, and bit on some of their items!**

I think their logo pretty much says it all =), but their website says even more! "One mentor, one child, one book at a time" How simple! But we all know how profound an impact one person, one book can have. In fact, why don't you take a quick moment to think about that one person or book that instilled a love of reading in you.

I'll wait.

Got it? Now just imagine you never got that. Everybody Wins works to make sure that every child gets a chance to enjoy books and build a lifetime of reading.

To find out more, please stop by their website, say hello to them on Twitter, and help spread the word that with literacy - Everybody Wins!

So who was it? Tell us who it was that instilled the joy of reading in you? What was the book whose cover was worn with love?

Why You Should #FollowFriday ... @GrammarCops

Grammar police
Originally uploaded by the_munificent_sasquatch

True Story – Until Culturatti Kids staffer Amy (yup, I’m doing true confessions here) was 24, she didn’t know what a preposition was. Go ahead and be appalled. I was. It wasn’t until taking Latin in college (for fun no less) that Amy actually got to learn about prepositions and predicate nominatives and direct objects. You see, in Latin, grammar is very important. I just wish that more people thought that about English! Yes, I do realize that based on the type of Twitter Friends Culturatti Kids has, I’m preaching to the choir.

A round of applause for the Choirmaster! Or should that be the cops coming to warn us for singing too loudly? Either way, this week’s #FollowFriday goes to @GrammarCops for looking out for the integrity of the English Language! Check out their webpage at http://grammarcops.wordpress.com/ for tips, observations, and a kind reminder not to end your sentences with a preposition (now that you know what they are).

PS – I’m fully prepared for @GrammarCops to edit this post and point out any and all of my grammar errors. I’ve been preparing myself all day!

If you only had $2 to give, would it make a difference?

TWO DOLLAR BILL
Originally uploaded by Doublep1

***Update 17 June 2009***
Dani has received such an overwhelming response to her project that she has established a dedicated blog for it here!

******
Would such a small amount really make that much of an impact in the world? Culturatti Kids was recently asked that question by Dani over at Orange Salad and Pecan Dressing. This summer throughout Chicago, she is leaving envelopes with $2 and a note asking people to let her know what they've done with the money. She's already got some wonderful responses that we highly suggest that you check out at her blog and it got us to thinking:

What would $2 mean to Culturatti Kids and supporting literacy?

$2 would buy...

• 64 crayons so that kids could illustrate their own stories
• 400 index cards for kids take notes on books they are reading, use as bookmarks, write down their favorite book to give to another student, etc.
• 2 songs on iTunes that can be licensed on 5 computers to teach youth about poetry, lyric writing, and creative storytelling
• 6 pocket folders for youth store their writing work
• 2 1-subject notebooks to keep as writing journals
• 50 sheets of 11x8-1/2 storytelling paper (blank on top for pictures, lined on the bottom for the story and fold-able to make a book!)
• 3 black and white composition books
• 200 sheets of notebook filler paper for writing of course!
• 100 sheets of copy paper for youth to make their own story books
• 36 #2 pencils because most great books started pencil to paper
• 4 1st class stamps so students can learn the lost art of letter writing
• 1 Teddy Bear that can become the traveling mascot of Culturatti Kids with each classroom he visits adding something to his story
• 30 blank bookmarks that kids can design themselves
• 2 used posters to prompt kids how "A picture is worth 1,000 words"
• 2 cans of coffee to use as time capsules in which students put stories based on how they see the future
• 20 used books at the Salvation Army
• 2 copies of USA today to teach students about journalism
• 1 cup of coffee for a WWII vet who volunteered his time to speak to a class of students who then write his story
  

When you really think about it, $2 can go a long way in changing someone's life! What would $2 mean to you?

Why You Should Follow...

@mitaliperkins on #FollowFriday !

Here at Culturatti Kids, we love a good book. Even better if it touches on important issues for kids. If you look closely enough, you'll even see it in our name... Culture.

Which is why we loved learning about Mitali because she's an author who is passionate about books discussing bridging different cultures. Her books include (information from her blog):

• Secret Keeper (Random House), a novel for teens, and coming next in 2010 is The Bamboo People (Charlesbridge)
• Her first novel, The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen (Little Brown) a story of a California middle-schooler whose traditional Indian grandparents visit for a year, completely upending her typical teenage world. This book was as an ALA Book for Reluctant Readers and the winner of the Christian School’s Association’s Lamplighter Award. Next came
• Monsoon Summer (Random House), featuring a biracial teen who goes back to India for a life-changing summer of romance and realizations. This novel was an ALA Quick Pick, a Bank Street Best Book, a New York Library Book for the Teen Age, and a Texas Library Association TAYSHAS Best Book for Young Adults.
• The First Daughter novels (Dutton), two fast, light reads for teens, explore the campaign experience through the eyes of a candidate’s adopted Pakistani-American daughter.
• She also published Rickshaw Girl (Charlesbridge), a story for younger readers about a young Bangladeshi girl who challenges the traditional female roles in her village. This book won the Jane Addams Honor Award, the Maine Lupine Honor Award, and the Julia Ward Howe Honor Award.

Look forward to some good discussion in her Tweets and thanks to Mitali for supporting literacy!!

P.S. Amy at Culturatti Kids wants to know what part of London you lived in, Mitali! She lived in Notting Hill for 2 years!

Why You Should follow...

Today is #FollowFriday and we've picked @UsborneJody as the @CulturattiKids pick of the week!

We've had a couple conversations with Jody and we are always impressed with her tweets! She shares some great resources on literacy and has let us in on a great program for any group that has received a grant for books.

Usborne Books Literacy for a Lifetime 50% Matching Grant Program

You should check it out at http://www.matchinggrantprogram.com/ and check out her Twitter feed (even better if you follow her) at http://www.twitter.com/UsborneJody

Photo Credit: Twitter profile picture

Twitter Follow Friday

If you don't know by now (and you really should), Culturatti Kids is on Twitter, tweeting away about literacy in 140 characters or less! For those of you who are on Twitter you know that Friday is #FollowFriday where people recommend fellow Tweeps for others to follow. Well, we here at Culturatti Kids want to make #FollowFriday special and more meaningful because here's the real deal -

We would recommend everyone we follow if we could because we've checked out every profile and try to build conversation with everyone!

So, here's how our #FollowFriday works. Culturatti Kids will pick one (yes only one, but that makes you special!) Tweep to profile each week on Friday. Its not just going to be a "Follow this person" type post, but a heartfelt, researched "We love this person, this is why, and we hope you love them too!"

So that's the deal! Hopefully you'll look forward to reading our reasons and find some really cool and interesting people at the same time.

PS If you don't follow us on Twitter already check us out! I promise you'll love it! http://www.twitter.com/culturattikids

Photo Credit: Twitter bird logo icon illustration by Matt Hamm Under Creative Commons License