Spring is officially here! This season of renewal and growth offers an engaging time for young readers to learn all about plants, gardening, and taking care of the world around them.

Don't miss these 13 children's books with Black protagonists all about gardens!

Eight-year-old Isabel is growing the greatest treasure, an oyamel tree. Every autumn, an amazing transformation happens, turning Isabel’s tree into La casa de las maripositas - The House of Butterflies.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama takes an idea, brings it to life, and inspires a nation. Read about how she and others built a big and wonderful garden, in the White House with no prior experience.

Growing food in soil so depleted from years of cotton production had people in rural Alabama struggling to produce. Thanks to the help of Dr. George Washington Carver, some farmers and school children learn how to restore their soil, rediscover the necessary balance of nature, and grow delicious foods for their communities and families.

A dad takes two old potatoes that his daughter finds in their cupboard and tries to grow new ones. As these new potatoes emerge, Dad and daughter adjust to a new life together facing change that is not that easy to deal with - divorce. 

A book of garden poems inspires Lola to build a garden of her own. After choosing her plants from the library, she and her mom buy seeds to  make her garden. They have planted the seeds, now they have to wait for the growth. 

Jayden is set out  to show his mom the nature he sees, in the city. He has the help of his friend Mr. Curtis to plant seeds for a community garden. This garden brings the community, neighbors, and Jayden’s mom together.

Marley comes up with a grand idea to make getting new friends easier for her and her siblings. after a recent move from Jamaica to Delaware. She coordinates an outdoor concert until bad weather disrupts her plans. Read about how her neighbors show up and stand out with their help. 

​Mackenzie is fed up with being taunted by her classmates about her “unruly” hair. She gets help from her neighbor Miss Tillie, who shows her how to care for her care for her beautiful hair.

​Based on a true story, Tony Hillery works with some restless youth at an underfunded school to turn a vacant lot into a beautiful farm. Years later, with support, thousands of fruits and veggies grow a year.

Relive some special moments with Grandma, as she weaves vibrant stories, taking a trip down memory lane in rural Jamaica.

This book provides fun and engaging ways for young readers to learn problem solving skills and concepts. Messy Bessy learns that with the right care, she can take good care of her garden.

​On the best day to plant a garden, peas are planted in the backyard. This book has easy rhyming words to enhance the reading experience and give young students phonemic awareness practice.

Join your Asheville and WNC community to learn more about the literacy crisis and what educators, families, and officials are doing around the country to turn the tide.
 
Free Documentary Screening
The Right to Read
WHEN: Tuesday, Mar 21
TIME: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Arthur R. Edington Center
(133 Livingston St., Asheville 28801)

Please click the button below to RSVP and reserve your spot.
*Light snacks provided*

The Right to Read shares the stories of an activist, a teacher, and two American families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read.

When a child can’t read, their chances of incarceration, homelessness, and unemployment increase. That's why Oakland-based NAACP activist Kareem Weaver believes literacy is one of the greatest civil rights issues of our time and is fighting for better reading instruction. “What good is winning the right to vote if we can’t even read the ballot?” Fed up with the bleak reading scores in his own community, Kareem files a petition with the Oakland Unified School District demanding change.

This free screening is presented by Read to Succeed, UNC Asheville, and Literacy Together, with sponsorship support from Mosaic Realty.

NOTE: Additional screenings will be offered at UNC Asheville on Thursday, Apr 13 at 2 PM & 4 PM (The Grotto, Highsmith Student Union). Click the button above to RSVP for all screening options.

Valentine’s Day is here! While this kid-favorite holiday is typically filled with class parties, gifts, crafts and treats, you can also spark a “love of reading” with fun Valentines-themed literacy activities.

Check out this quick list of five fun Valentine’s Day literacy activities for kids, from Pre-K through elementary school.​

Tap into your child's creative side while practicing essential letter recognition and phonemic awareness skills. The best part? This  Valentine's letter wreath requires only a few simple supplies you can find around the house!

Supplies:

• Heart stickers
• Paper plate
• Permanent Marker
• Scissors
  

Instructions:
For instructions on this activity, visit FunLearningForKids.com

Practice spelling, trick words, and phonics in this treat of a Valentine's word search!

Create themed vocabulary cards based on Valentine’s Day words with your child and practice spelling and defining them. Select vocab words with multiple meanings that help students develop comprehension skills.

Turn your child or student into a super sleuth with these fun and engaging Valentine's Word Scrambles!

Learning the alphabet goes well beyond just reciting a song - learning the lowercase and capital formation of letters PLUS the sounds they make gives Pre-K and Kindergarten students a leg up on learning to read! Check out this fun colorful game for matching uppercase and lowercase letter hearts.

Supplies: 

• Free printable game boards - download HERE
  
• Letter manipulatives (letter tiles, letter magnets, etc.)
  
  

Instructions:

• Students use physical manipulatives, such as letter tiles, alphabet magnets, etc. to match to each letter on the game boards
  

Related Articles:

Celebrate the Love of Reading, Black History Month, and Black Children's Book Week This February
11 Children's Books About Love Featuring Black Characters

February is a triple treat of a month as we celebrate our *love* of reading, Black History Month, and Black Children's Book Week.

Don't miss these four fun ideas for exploring reading and learning with your children in February.

1. Participate in Black Children's Book Week, Feb. 26 - Mar 4, 2023. Celebrate Black children's literature during this dedicated week presented by BlackBabyBooks.com. Dive into fabulous culturally-responsive books featuring Black characters and cultures, attend virtual and in-person family reading events, participate in a Black children's talent showcase and more.

Asheville native and local author Jorge Redmond (possibly joined by his co-author Ali Kamanda!) will join local students in Asheville, NC during BCBW week for special live readings of "Black Boy, Black Boy."

Kicking off Black Children's Book Week at the Chosen PODS After-School at the Arthur R. Edington Center, Redmond and Kamanda will join more than 60 K-4th grade students Monday 2/27 at 3p, followed by visits later in the week to Christine Avery Learning Center and Lonnie D. Burton Child Development Center to read with rising Kindergartners. Finally, Redmond will visit with elementary students at Youthful HAND After-School in the Hillcrest Apartments Community on Friday, 3/3 at 3p!

2. Read, buy and share children's books by Black authors.
Visit your local library and look online for books by Black authors like Ruth Forman, Derrick Barnes, Sharee Miller, Matthew A. Cherry, Grace Byers, Kelly Lyons, Roda Ahmed, Tami Charles, Angela Shanté, Kelly Rowland, Jacqueline Woodson, and more!

Check out Asheville natives and local Black children's book authors too!

• Jorge Redmond - co-author of "Black Boy, Black Boy"
• JP Miller - author of Leaders Like Us and Black Stories Matter series
• Rev. Brent La Prince Edwards - author of "You Can't Bully Me Anymore"
  
  

Live in Buncombe County? Explore Black Legacy Month book recommendations, events and activities from Buncombe County Libraries here.

Also see: 11 Children's Books About Love Featuring Black Characters

3. Support local Black-owned bookstores. Are you in Asheville? Buy culturally-responsive children's books from boutique and gallery Noir Collective AVL at 39 South Market Street, Suite C. And discover more than 100 Black-owned bookstores nationwide in this comprehensive list broken down by state on Oprah Daily.

4. Learn about local Black history. Visit the historic YMI Cultural Center, go on a tour of Black Asheville with Hood Huggers International, or follow the  self-guided Historic James Vester Miller Trail through town. Check out a list of local racial equity training and education programs here.

Are you looking for a beautiful vibrant new children's book to share with your young ones? Read to Succeed recommends "Black Boy, Black Boy - Celebrate the Power of You."

Co-authored by Asheville-based author Jorge Redmond and his longtime friend Ali Kamanda and illustrated by Ken Daly, “Black Boy, Black Boy” is a vibrant rhyming children’s book that celebrates a host of change-makers in Black history from around the world.

Families can use the free printable guide below to dive into discussion questions, extension activities, and illustrations. Click the image to download this free guide.

Extend your child's experience with this diverse children's book through fun and engaging extension activities. Click the image below to download this free printable activity guide.

Related posts:

Fall-Themed Children's Books Featuring Black Characters
10 Back to School Books Featuring Black Characters
5 Ice Cream Inspired Reading Tips & Ideas
11 Children's Books About LOVE Featuring Black Characters
6 Children's Books Celebrating Creativity and Imagination
10 Books About Moving to a New Place Featuring Black Protagonists
10 STEM-inspire Children's books With Black Protagonists

2022 has been a year for the record books at R2S! Check out our quick look back in the video below:

2022 By the Numbers:

• 100+ tutors and community partner staff trained
• Over 750 families participating in family reading and community events
• 2,000+ culturally-responsive children's books distributed
• 150 PreK and elementary students reached by programming weekly
• 10 reading teachers supporting after-school classrooms
• 40+ reading tutors supporting K-4 students twice a week
• 100% of students enrolled in R2S Tutoring Program demonstrating gains in foundational reading skills
• 6 visits with local students by Black children's book authors
• 6 new members added to the R2S Board of Directors
• 2 new full-time staff members added to R2S team
. . . and much more!

Is your family looking for a unique and impactful way to give back this holiday season? Keep reading in mind as you explore fun and charitable ways to spread holiday cheer and support your community.

1. Donated gently used books
Making space for new books and gifts arriving at your house this holiday season? Encourage your entire family to collect gently used items (books, clothes, toys, etc.) for donation. Make sure they are in good condition, clean, and worthy of donation to be enjoyed by another family. Great places to donate gently used books include:

• Charity/thrift stores
• Free Little Libraries
• Local literacy nonprofits

2. Read and feed
What better way to practice reading, writing, and explore new vocabulary together than through food and cooking? Write a grocery list of items with your kids to buy and donate to a local food pantry or read a recipe together and cook a holiday treat for a neighbor or community group. Great places to donate food in Asheville and Buncombe County this holiday season include:

• Local food pantries
• BeLoved Street Pantries
• Haywood Street Congregation

3. Write a holiday letter
Reaching out to loved ones near and far during the holidays can bring a lot of cheer and happiness to others who may find this time of year lonely or challenging. Work with your kids to write and decorate holiday cards and letters filled with encouraging words and love.

4. Read to others
Children can practice reading to others around the holidays in a variety of ways - Zoom Grandma and read her a bedtime story, contact a local animal shelter and see if they let children read to any of their feline residents, record a live story time and share privately with family and friends, the options are endless!

5. Give the gift of literacy
If your family contributes to charitable organizations around the holidays, consider education and literacy nonprofits that are working hard to support students in learning to read. The impact of COVID on learning loss, combined with decades of declining reading growth, especially among elementary students, means that the work of reading tutors and education organizations is more important than ever.

On December 17, 2022, visit Barnes & Noble (Biltmore Town Square) for a unique way to support to Read to Succeed!

Shop for holiday gifts and use the voucher below to make sure a portion of your purchase goes to R2S' community-powered literacy programming.
​
It's easy! Click the flyer with barcode attached below, print, and present it at checkout at Barnes & Noble on Saturday, Dec. 17!

In addition to great holiday shopping, there will also be free games and treats for kids, face painting, prizes, and more!

Even better? Save 10% on one item using the coupon below - click to download and print, and present at checkout on 12/17/22.

Looking for a fun learning activity for your PreK child to enjoy over Winter Break? Don’t miss these five activities, complete with supply lists, directions, and family reading tips!

1. Gingerbread Letters
A student’s ability to recognize and name letters and letter sounds is a fundamental reading skill that helps prepare them for kindergarten. Practice letter name recognition with this delicious cookie-inspired activity.

We based our recipe off of this no-cook recipe from Artful Parent, with an addition of gingerbread cookie spices!

Supplies:

• 1 Cup Flour
• ¼ Cup Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Cream of Tartar
• 1 Tablespoon Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 2 Teaspoons Ginger
• ¼ Teaspoon Cloves
• 1 Cup Boiling Water
• Food Coloring

Gingerbread Dough instructions:

• Mix the dough together either with a stand mixer or knead by hand.
• Mix together the flour, salt, cream of tartar, oil, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
• Add 1 drop of yellow, 2 drops of red food coloring, and 1 drop of green into the hot water.
• Pour the wet mix into the dry mix. Stir well and knead until it is no longer sticky but smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes.
  
  

Activity instructions:

• Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out (about ¼ inch thick).
• Stamp it with letter cookie cutters, or use a clean wet knife to cut out letters of your choosing.
• Encourage your child to stamp out letters of their name or fun holiday words like “hat,” “gift,” “bell,” “elf,” “star,” or snow.”

2. Snowman Letter Match
PreK students being able to identify, read, and write lowercase and uppercase letters is essential to kindergarten readiness. Students can use this activity to learn that uppercase letters have a special job (i.e., on names and places), and lowercase letters are used most often.

Supplies:

• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue or tap
• Markers or crayons

Activity instructions:

• Choose 5 - 10 letters from the alphabet that your child will write for the activity.
• Cut out one small circle and an equal number of medium and large circles from the construction paper for the three mains parts of a snowman.
• Ask your child to draw a snowman’s face on the smallest circle.
• On the medium circles, ask your child to write the uppercase letter.*
• On the large circles, ask your child to write a matching lowercase letter.*
• Practice letter matching by placing a medium circle (uppercase letter) under the snowman face and asking your child to find the large matching circle (lowercase letter)

*Check out this letter formation guide for practicing writing letters.

3. Hot Chocolate Alphabet Match
Turn your crafty cup of cocoa into a fun activity for matching lowercase and uppercase letters – and practicing letter names and sounds!

Check out a supply list and directions over on Toddler Approved - click here.

4. Snowball Letter Fight
Get active while learning with this winter-inspired activity that supports letter recognition skills.

Supplies:

• White construction paper
• Marker
• Tape
• Masking tape

Activity instructions:

• Choose 5 - 10 letters for your child to write
• Write one letter on each piece of construction paper
• Tape them evenly spaced out on the wall
• For the snowball, crumple a couple of pieces of construction paper and wrap them in masking tape to hold it together.
• Encourage your child to say a letter name and then throw their “snowball” at the matching letter on the wall.

5. Finger Painting Fun with Frosting!
In addition to recognizing and naming letters, learning to write letters with the correct letter formation is an important skill for PreK students to be able to learn to read when they get to kindergarten. Use this fun activity to practice letter formation (and enjoy a yummy treat!).

Supplies:

• Icing
• Little candies (M&Ms, sprinkles, crushed candy cane, etc.
• Tray or plate

Activity Instructions:

• Spread icing on a tray or plate into a relatively flat/smooth area
• Encourage your child to trace a letter into the icing with their finger; practice letters that are commonly mixed up, for ex: b and d, m and w, p and q
• Use the little candies to build letters too, or fill in the finger-traced letters.