"This Was a 10!"

Author Hanh Bui stole the show for first and second graders and a small third grade lunch bunch at Crestwood Elementary School (Fairfax) as she read The Yellow Áo Dài. To explain her debut work celebrating family ties and her Vietnamese heritage, author Bui taught the children some hand motions to make every time they heard the word áo dài or lotus or fan dance. After the reading, she engaged them in a story sequencing game using small fans and asked them to share a story about a family tradition with their neighbor. As she handed out books to children queued up to leave the library, one child was heard to say, "This was a 10!"

Hanh Bui's visit was part of the NOVA RIF Authors in Our Schools program, made possible by a grant from author David Baldacci and his wife Michelle Baldacci. Each child was gifted an autographed book, signed by the author with the words, "Go Owls," celebrating the school's mascot. Special thanks to Crestwood librarian Vicki Spino for arranging such an amazing author visit. By the way, Hanh Bui's second book Ahn's New Word was just released! Learn more about the author by clicking here!

Spring Break, RIF of NOVA Style!

No wild beach parties...just books for kids!!! Many NOVA RIF liaisons -- our key partners in the schools we serve -- went into overdrive before spring break to make sure their students had at least one new book to read over the vacation period. A few of the distributions are highlighted below. More will be featured in future RIF RAP editions and on our website -- click here! See the fun happen when children can choose a book to keep!

Reading with My Peeps!

PEEPS! Will they float or will they sink? After reading the book Swim Swim Sink, children at Yorkshire Elementary in Prince William County had a chance to predict what would happen to the little marshmallow candies when placed in a container of water. RIF of NOVA liaison Bethany Drake orchestrated this pre-vacation science- and spring-focused book distribution. As classes arrived, they were greeted by their teachers, dressed in specially made -- and very thematically appropriate -- T-shirts. This fun and special distribution was made possible through a matching grant of funds from RIF of NOVA and the National RIF organization that allowed each student to choose two new books!

When the 5th Graders Speak...

When the 5th graders speak, the younger kids listen! Polk Elementary School in Alexandria held a distribution before spring break, thanks to NOVA RIF liaison Kathy Harrington, so kids could have a chosen NOVA RIF book to read over the break period. The K-4th graders were in for a treat! The older kids -- the 5th graders -- recorded their book recommendations on a video created by librarian Mark Tierney. Clearly, the opinions of the older students mattered! After the video, the younger children raced to the book tables to seek out the suggested books or to find a new favorite of their own! Click here or on any of the Polk pics to see the video. So fun...don't miss it!

All This and a Furry Friend, Too!

At Arlington's Teen Parenting Program, parents and their little ones could enjoy three tables of fun -- one for egg decorating, one for cookie decorating, and the third featuring age-appropriate NOVA RIF books. Not only that ... there was a little furry friend in the room to add to the excitement. Thanks to liaison Nicole Boatwright for helping to start such critical early reading habits! The books were tasty, too!

Shout-out to Two RIF of NOVA Young Ambassadors!

The Little Free Library at Groveton Elementary School -- one of the schools served by RIF of NOVA -- has fallen apart. Young Ambassador Marley Clift decided to launch a fundraiser to help! She is asking for $5.00 Venmo donations from her friends and neighbors. If you'd like to chip in, here's the link: @Rachel-Clift-2. How cool is that!!! Thank you, Marley!

What would you do if you suddenly inherited nearly $47 BILLION dollars? That is the question author Jennifer Lynn Barnes explores in her exciting four-book series, The Inheritance Games. Young Ambassador McKenzie Watt has written a review of the series -- her fourth book review for RIF of NOVA! Find McKenzie's review by clicking here. Way to go and thank you, McKenzie!

Contribute online by Paypal or credit card at: https://donorbox.org/donate-to-rif-of-nova. Donate links can be found on every page of our website, too. Every $4 = one book for one child!

Send a check:

Reading is Fundamental of Northern Virginia, Inc. 

P.O. Box 7012

Arlington, VA 22207-0012

RIF of NOVA is proud to be a top-rated U.S. nonprofit.

Thank you for any donation -- no matter how big or small! And thank you again for being part of the RIF of NOVA community! Books change lives!

RIF of NOVA | rifnova@gmail.com | www.rifnova.org

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