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Our team at READ USA is already looking forward to our 2024 Peace in the Pages luncheon!
We are honored, humbled, and absolutely thrilled that Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, an iconic leader who has inspired action and success in people across the globe, will graciously serve as our keynote
speaker for next year’s event. An exceptional orator and author, Dr. Cole’s lifetime of accomplishments, accolades, and diverse experiences have encouraged countless people, young and
old, to create a world where, “The more we pull together toward a new day, the less it matters what pushed us apart in the past.” Thank you, Dr. Cole, for joining READ USA to celebrate literacy!
(#ICYMI: Dr. Cole is the subject of our next Jeremy’s Journey book! Read more here.)
And that’s not all!
We want your input: For the first time ever, READ USA is accepting community nominations for our 2024 Peace in the Pages Award Honorees!
Do you know someone who embodies the values of empathy, peace, non-violence, health,education, freedom, leadership, and success – and those values connections’ to literacy? We want to
hear from you!
Save The Date: 2024 Peace in the Pages
- October 2, 2024
- 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- EverBank Stadium
Your Sponsorship, Your Choice
As a READ USA Literacy Partner, you have the opportunity to choose a school and put your name on it!
All sponsorships support READ USA’s delivery of high-interest books and high-quality teaching to elementary students across Duval County. As a benefit, every Literacy Partner and above is recognized as a READ USA Book Fair sponsor at an elementary school of your choosing. Every spring, READ USA hosts free Book Fairs at all DCPS elementary schools, providing every student with the opportunity to choose free books to keep.
You are also entitled to exclusive opportunities to enhance your visibility and support at that school through read-alouds, volunteer opportunities for family or team members, and more.
NOW is the time to sponsor and select the elementary school of your choice!
To discuss your sponsorship with READ USA, please contact CEO Dr. Rob Kelly at rob@readusainc.com.
Welcome Jordyn Coleman to the READ USA Team!
Jordyn Coleman has joined the READ USA team as executive assistant, providing essential administrative support to our leadership team.
While nearly everyone on the READ USA team has a profound love for books and reading, Jordyn just might be our Gold Medal winner: she is a voracious reader-leader who reads 200+ books a year! Jordyn, a Jacksonville native, is also a small business owner in addition to her role at READ USA. Her exceptional relationship building skills and bright personality make her a fantastic addition to our team, and we are beyond happy to have her!
You can read more about Jordyn’s background here.
Children’s Book: Fry Bread, by Kevin Noble Maillard
Illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
Of all the food most associated with the Native American culture, fry bread has been at the center
of the table. Fry bread is a food that was born out of desperation and survival for the Native
American culture and has a complex history. It is a tradition of the Navajo people, the largest
federally recognized Native American tribe in the United States.
When the Navajo tribes lived in Arizona, they were forced off their land, and made a 300-mile walk
to New Mexico where the land could not be farmed with their traditional foods. The United States
government gave the Native Americans flour, sugar, salt, and lard, which was used to make the fry
bread. Fry bread is important to Native American culture because it became a staple in their survival
and food source.
Fry bread is an important symbol in Native American culture. It represents shape, sound, color,
flavor, time, art, history, place, and a nation. The story Fry Bread shows us that food helps bring
people together in good times and in their worst of times. While the story behind the fry bread can
be controversial, it represents survival and perseverance for the Navajo culture. This picture book
resonates the essence of family and invites the reader to take a seat at the table and become a part of
the community.
Submitted by Dr. Barbara Lacey-Allen, Book Programs & Family Engagement Director
Parent Education Corner: Tips for Talking About Books with Your Child (Ages 8-10)
By reading to your child — even after he/she can read on his/her own — and talking about the books you share together, you are sending a signal that reading is important. Like any conversation, talking about books can happen anywhere and at any time — in the car, at the bus stop, or over dinner. Books can elicit strong feelings that need to be shared. A great way to start is to bring up what you have read recently and how it made you feel. Then, invite your child to do the same.
Here are questions to ask your child (recommended for ages 8-10):
- If you could be friends with any character in the book, who would it be and why?
- What was the most exciting part of the book?
- What surprised you most about the story? Why was it surprising?
- What do you think the saddest part of the story was? Why?
- Is there anything in this story that is like something that has happened in your life? What was it and how is it similar?
- What would you do in a situation like the one faced by a character in the story?
- What part of the story made you think it would end the way it did?
- How would you change the book’s ending if you could re-write it?
- How is this book like one you read in the past? Discuss how they are alike and different. (Note: This could be a book by the same author but doesn't have to be.)
Submitted by Kathi Hart, Content Specialist
Do you have any questions or ideas for the Parent Education Corner? Anything you’d like to learn? Let us know here!