Two at the Zoo

Many Maine families attending their 18 month well child visit will now receive this fabulous board book full of zoo animals and one great grandpa! Originally a hardcover picture book from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Raising Readers asked that it to be published in board book form for durability.

Above is one of our favorite spreads from Two at the Zoo with the boy roaring at the lions and the lions roaring back. We suspect that many Maine 18-month-olds will be roaring at bedtime!

And, of course, many families will receive our previous and equally grand board book, Down on the Farm while supplies last.

Happy Birthday from a Raising Reader Family

Matthew Scholer Reading His Raising Reader Book

My name is Colleen Lunn Scholer and I am a mother of three kids (6, 4, and 1). My step-father, Peter Wood, let me know that Raising Readers is celebrating 10 years this year.

My husband, Aaron, is a pediatrician at Central Maine Pediatrics and we both think very highly of the Raising Readers program. The program actually used a photo of Matthew when he was just a few days old. He was reading with me on our bed.

Mother, Colleen Lunn Scholer reads to Matthew from Raising Reader Book

The story that I share with people is that our family loves to read and, yes, we planned to read to Matthew. But in those first few days, we spent lots of time in our Master bedroom. That wasn't where we had put some of his first books. We didn't realize when we set up his nursery that we'd be in our bedroom so much! But in our room, we had the books that we received from Raising Readers and that was what I reached for. I was amazed at how alert he was and that he was actually enjoying being read to!

Dr. Aaron Scholer Reads to His Children

Today, Matthew is reading everything. He just turned 6 in November and is in Kindergarten. He reads to his sisters, reads the sports section of the newspaper- you name it.

Matthew Reads to Madeline from her 9 month Raising Reader book

I love the program and I will be sad when my daughter, Madeline turns 5 and the program will be over for our family. But I hope we will always be involved.

Peter Wood Reads to His Grandchildren

What To Do With All These Books?

We hope all of our books enable parents to spend time with their children through reading, but raising readers books can also be used in many different ways to help a child grow and develop, and even build their brains!

The Raising Readers website, as well as each book your child receives at a well child visit contains activities you can do with your child using the book and the story inside.

From learning rhythm and rhyme to bringing a character to life through fun craft projects, to developing important literacy skills your child will use his or her whole life, a book is also a great tool for helping you build your child's brain and creating a whole new set of fun things for you to do together!

We believe books go far beyond quiet reading time in a comfy chair, (although that sure sounds like a great place to start) and extend to helping you take an active role in your child's life. Make use of the activities in the back of each raising readers book, and go to your local library to find even more fun things to do, and story hours to enjoy. Books are meant to be read, and so much more!

Thank you from Raising Readers!

Raising Readers Book Celebration

Raising Readers Book Celebration
Friday, November 6th, 2009
5:00 – 7:00 PM

Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine
142 Free Street, Portland, Maine
Free Admission
Open to All Families

Join Raising Readers for an evening celebrating all the great books given to Maine kids at doctor’s offices, hospitals, and healthcare facilities across the state.

Families are invited to meet some of the authors and illustrators whose books have been a part of the Raising Reader program.

Join picture book creator’s David Elliott, Kevin Hawkes, Holly Meade, Scott Nash, and Melissa Sweet for read-alouds, book signings, and fun, book-related activities.

Bring your Raising Reader or other books by these authors and illustrators from home to be autographed. Each one of the guests has a story in Raising Readers: Five Stories for Maine Children, so bring it with you if you have it! Additional books by these creators will be for sale.

Families can also read together in the multicultural Raising Readers Book Nook in the museum, which is sponsored by The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center.

Dr. Belisle Prescribes Books for Feeling Better

Bear is not feeling well and decides to stay home.

"Alone in his cave
as the autumn wind blows,
Bear feels achy
with a stuffed up nose."



His furry friends try to help...but end up with problems of their own. October's Raising Readers Recommends book is Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman (ISBN 978-0689859854).

A companion book to our four-year-old Raising Readers book Bear Snores On, Bear Feels Sick offers a humorous lesson in hygiene.

Germs Are Not for Sharing by Elizabeth Verdick (ISBN 978-1575421964) is another humorous, yet practical, hygiene-related board book. It engages children with questions such as "When do you wash your hands?" Germs Are Not for Sharing is included in our Readers Recommends Great Books: Great Topics brochure, available through Raising Readers.

Here's to a happy, healthy October!

Lisa Belisle, MD, MPH
Medical Advisor, Raising Readers

From Germs Are Not for Sharing.

An Afternoon of Family Fun

MaineHealth
Learning Resource Center
Invites You...

An Afternoon of Family Fun
Sunday, September 13th
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Maine Medical Center’s East Tower
22 Bramhall Street, Portland

An Afternoon of Family Fun celebrates the one year anniversary of the East Tower – home of the Family Birth Center and the MaineHealth Learning Resource Center.

Long after the birth of a baby, the East Tower continues to provide valuable services to parents and families in the greater Portland community.

Through the services of the MaineHealth Learning Resource Center, parents can take a parenting class, browse the lending library or talk with a health educator. Breastfeeding supplies are available through the Boutique. And the Ronald McDonald Family Room offers a loving respite to families of sick children.

Come and meet other young families, find useful health information, enjoy musical activities, experience a story walk and learn how to make a puppet. Children’s author, Cathryn Falwell will read from her book Scoot! and Karen Morgan – Maine’s Funniest Mom – will moderate the East Tower’s first Diaper Derby. All this, great prizes and delicious cupcakes will make this a celebration you won’t want to miss.

DOWNLOAD a flyer to copy and post at your organization and forward along to others.

Hope to see you there!

Space is limited and registration is requested. Please call toll free 1-866-609-5183.

Dr. Belisle Prescribes a Library Book

We've had a soggy Maine summer. June set a rainy day record, in fact. Obviously this has hampered our ability to engage in beach-outings, but all is not lost. Relaxation is still possible no matter the weather: all it takes is a book.

As a bonus, book-related relaxation can be absolutely free--we need look no further than our local library. Most local libraries even offer summer-specific reading programs. Though some require that children need to be able to read independently, many have special activities designed for their littlest patrons.

Want to get your child excited about a library visit? Raising Readers Recommends Wild About Books by Judy Sierra and Illustrated by Marc Brown. In Wild About Books, librarian Molly McGrew accidentally drives the bookmobile to the zoo and--

"By reading aloud from the good Dr. Suess,
She quickly attracted a mink and a moose,
A wombat, an orynx, a lemur, a lynx,
Eight elephant calves and a family of skinks."

The animals get so excited about reading that...well, I'm not going to tell. You'll have to read Wild About Books to find out for yourself.

Wild About Books also helps children with an important early literacy skill: phonological awareness. When children listen to rhymes, they become aware of sounds. This is called phonological awareness.


For more information on phonological awareness and other literacy skills, visit the Raising Readers website. Need more book ideas? Check out the Raising Readers Recommends Great Books: Great Topics brochure, also available on the Raising Readers website .

Here's to hoping for the sun, coping with the rain and becoming "wild about books," regardless of the weather!

Lisa M. Belisle, M.D.,M.P.H.
Medical Advisor, Raising Readers