May reading activities

May is Get Caught Reading month. Find out how to get involved at the Get Caught Reading site, sponsored by the Association of American Publishers.

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Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated in May. Use our extensive Asian-American book list to celebrate the arrival of the U.S.'s first Japanese immigrants, who reached the States May 7, 1843.

Resources

• Read about Notable Asian-American Poets and Writers.
• Read about Asian Pacific American women who have Girl Power.
• Get readings and cultural lessons through history at the National Register of Historic Places site.

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May 1 is Join Hands Day. On the first Saturday of May each year, organizations are encouraged to form inter-generational partnerships, and then work together as volunteers to improve their communities.  Why not fill those joined hands with books, and make it a day of literary service? The day is sponsored by America's Fraternal Benefit Societies, in partnership with the Points of Light Foundation and the Volunteer Center National Network. An action guide and more information are available at the official Join Hands Day Web site.

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Read to a teacher during May 2-8, Teacher Appreciation Week. Plan for special activities that honor teachers and recognize the lasting contributions they make to our lives on May 4, 2004, National Teacher Day. Materials for celebrating can be found at NEA's Web site.

Resources

• Go to the Family Education Network site for "Celebrate Your Child's Teachers".
• Read stories about and for teachers from the Thank a Teacher Project Book List.

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Reading Is Fun Week is May 16-23, 2004. Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) has set aside a special week to celebrate reading! Visit the Reading Is Fundamental site to find out how you can discover — with others around the country — why reading is out of this world!

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Get a Kick Out of Reading/¡Lee y Marca un Golazo! NEA's partnership with Major League Soccer (MLS) is heating up this summer with a Summer Reading Challenge!

The Summer Reading Challenge invites select children (grades K-6) in MLS team communities to earn the Readers' Shield Certificate:  Over a six week challenge period, children must read (or be read to) 90 minutes a week for fun — not for homework or other incentive programs. Children who meet the Challenge return their completed Scoresheets to be rewarded with Readers' Shield Certificates or other prizes from teams and local sponsors.

If you live in a community with a Major League Soccer team, check with your team to find out what's happening in your community.

If you don't live in a community with a Major League Soccer team, you can still take the challenge! Materials are available for those who would like to inspire summer reading with a soccer-themed summer challenge. Or if you want to read some great soccer-themed titles, check out their booklist.

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 May author birthdays

Discover these literary luminaries for satisfying spring reading:

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It's time to spring into books! Take a look at our booklists to plan your child's spring reading:

• Teachers' Top 100 Books
• Kids' Top 100 Books
• Celebrities' Favorite Books
• Hispanic Books
• Asian-American Books
• 50 Multicultural Books Every Child Should Know
• State-by-State Booklist
• Youth Leaders for Literacy booklist
• Native American booklist