April is National Poetry Month!
“Poetry and language are often at the heartbeat of movements for change.”

- Amanda Gorman
In this newsletter:
  • April Literacy Resources
  • Celebrating the Week of the Young Child with RAR-MA
  • Reminder: Our Dinner With an Author Gala is on May 12th, 2022
  • Author Spotlight: Jeanne Blasberg, Erica Ferencik, Lynne Reeves Griffin
  • Join our team – RAR-MA is hiring!
  • Thank you
April Literacy Resources
April is Autism Awareness Month! Check out these books from our Red Bag rotation program that foster inclusion for all children: 

  • Susan Laughs by Jeanne Willis (Story Time Video) 
  • My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete and Ryan Elizabeth Peete 
  • All My Stripes by Shaina Rudolph and Danielle Royer (Story Time Video) 
Our Family Literacy Calendar is a handy day-by-day resource of simple literacy-building activities and fun that you and your families can easily do at home! Some of our favorites for April include:

  • Tuesday, April 5th: Have a rhyming day! How many words can you rhyme with ‘top?’ ‘Book?’ Try making a rhyming song!
  • Wednesday, April 13th: Talk about what’s on your plate - what’s your favorite thing to eat? Can you make it together?
  • Tuesday, April 19th: Tell your child the story of the day they joined your family.

Click the button below for our full calendar with daily activities!
Saturday, April 2nd - Friday, April 8th:
Celebrate the Week of the Young Child with RAR-MA!
April also means the Week of the Young Child! We hope you’ll enjoy a fun-filled week celebrating early learning, young children, their teachers, families, and communities through reading starting Saturday April 2nd:

  • Saturday, April 2nd - Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young Read Aloud (Zoom - register here!)
  • Monday April 4th - Story Walk with Pete the Cat (11AM walk info // 3PM walk info) 
  • Tuesday April 5th - Craft & Storytime with The Little Red Hen at the Everett Public Library (details)
  • Wednesday April 6th - Story Time: How Long?: Wacky Ways to Compare Length by Jessica S. Gunderson at the Chelsea Public Library (details)
  • Thursday April 7th - Story Time: A Day With No Crayons by Elizabeth Rusch at the Chelsea Public Library (details)
  • Friday April 8th - Story Time! Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn at the Lynn Public Library (details)

For more about our Week of the Young Child events and more RAR-MA family resources, click here.
Raising A Reader MA's celebrated gala event
returns on Thursday, May 12th!
This year we commemorate our Sweet 16 with our gala theme, Tell Your Story, which fits perfectly with a celebration of coming back to connect with one another in person and recognizing the resilience of RAR-MA, its communities, and its families. 
 
The gala will feature a mix and mingle with over two dozen renowned authors, dinner, and drinks, in addition to a live auction and a compelling program with featured honorees, Ben & Tonya Mezrich.
Author Spotlight: Jeanne Blasberg, Erica Ferencik,
and Lynne Reeves Griffin
It’s no mystery, we’re thrilled to have these three fantastic authors join us at our upcoming gala!

Jeanne Blasberg, Erica Ferencik, and Lynne Reeves Griffin have each written gripping, twisting highly-acclaimed novels. 

From the Arctic to the streets of Boston to a shady boarding school, each author crafts dramatic tales sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

We hope you will join Lynne, Erica & Jeanne along with our other acclaimed authors at our Gala May 12th!

Learn more about our esteemed authors and make sure to reserve your seats today!
Join our team – RAR-MA is hiring!
Program Manager

The Program Manager is a vital member of the program team who is primarily responsible for leading efforts to ensure parents and caregivers are exposed to our dual intervention program. 

For details about this role and how to apply, click here.
Thank You For Your Support!
The work we do towards helping young learners cannot be done without the generosity and thoughtfulness of our partners in our mission.

We are grateful to have the support of the PwC Charitable Foundation. We are thrilled to expand our relationship with such a wonderful organization.
Opening Doors By Opening Books - Join Us Today!
A United Way Partner Agency