Ashland students celebrate birthday of children's author Jan Brett

ASHLAND — On Friday, Dec. 1, Ashland Elementary School students from kindergarten through Grade 7 paired up with a book buddy to celebrate Jan Brett’s birthday and her many beloved books. The buddy read was a part of the school’s monthly Children’s Literacy Foundation book giveaway.

Kindergartener Eric Hahn said of the event, “I liked it because we got a free book, and the big kids were reading a story to me!” Classmates Lindsay Salmon and Katie Milton agreed. Tennison Sarty said she “really liked the story.”

The monthly book giveaways are made possible through Ashland Elementary School’s 2017-2018 CLiF Year of the Book sponsorship. This grant provides $25,000 in literacy programs, events, support, and new books to selected schools throughout the school year.

Upcoming CLiF events at the school include a Jan. 5 winter poetry celebration and book giveaway; a Family Literacy Celebration scheduled for Feb. 8; and poet in residence, Ted Scheu, later in February.

CLiF programs for Ashland Elementary School are sponsored by the Cricenti Family Trust, the Rona Jaffe Foundation, the Saul O. Sidore Memorial Foundation, an anonymous foundation, and an anonymous donor.

Ashland Elementary School, winner of the New Hampshire Excellence in Education Award in both 2007 and 2015, serves Ashland children in grades K-8. The mission of the school is "To Prepare Today’s Students for Tomorrow’s World."

CLiF is a non-profit organization founded in 1998. Its mission it to nurture a love of reading and writing among low-income, at-risk, and rural children in New Hampshire and Vermont. Over 19 years, CLiF has inspired nearly 200,000 young readers and writers through literacy program grants and has given away almost $5 million in new, high-quality children’s books. For more information, visit clifonline.org.

Left, Kadyn Smith reads to Mason Wojik. Right, A.J. Corrow and Orson Whitworth are enjoying a book with Christian Poissant. (Courtesy photos)