#ReadUp Tweetup for Family Literacy Day

A huge thank you to Drew and Kate of Tall Tales Books for hosting the #Read Up Tweetup for Family Literacy Day in their store on Saturday January 29th.

Tall Tales Books

What is Family Literacy Day?  Here’s information from the ABC Life Literacy Canada website:

“Family Literacy Day is a national awareness initiative created by ABC Life Literacy Canada in 1999 and held annually on January 27. This special day promotes the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family. Developing early childhood reading and writing skills helps develop the learning skills necessary for good communication skills later in life, and can ultimately contribute to a child’s chances for success. Every year on Family Literacy Day thousands of events take place that are coordinated by literacy providers, schools, libraries and individual families across the country.

In 2011, Canadians will Play for Literacy! Playing games that encourage literacy and numeracy – such as board games, card games and word games – is a great way for parents and children to practice their literacy skills and have fun. Games, and the carefree act of playing, provide a fun outlet in which individuals of all ages can engage in activities that inherently provide new learning opportunities to improve one’s reading, writing, math and comprehension skills.”

The Victoria #ReadUp Tweetup was sparked by a similar one in Nanaimo organized via Twitter by Kim Plumley.

Kim encouraged Victoria’s Twitter community to get involved. I immediately thought of  Tall Tale Books since they have a very active social media presence and had already organized a tweetup among their regular events for families. They were the perfect fit.

Drew and Kate organized a wonderful day for families that included storytellers, a scavenger hunt in keeping with the “Play for Literacy” theme of this year’s Family Literacy Day, activity tables and light refreshments.

Families were asked to bring gently used books for donation to the Read Society, ICA Victoria and the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society.

I popped in for a visit, ran into friends and neighbours, and had a chance to chat with Drew and Kate about favourite children’s books, and the importance of supporting small downtown businesses.

My children are no longer small, but when they were, we spent hours reading such classics as the Narnia series by CS Lewis, Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little by EB White, and even Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Photo by Paul Hami on Flickr

Now there’s a young nephew in my life.  I picked up books by two of my favourite authors – Richard Scarry’s “The Big Word Book” and “Blueberries for Sal” by Robert McCloskey.

Tall Tales Books carries a selection of books in French, and even some in Hebrew.  Special book orders, including adult books, are also possible.They are located at 795 Fort Street in Victoria BC and are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Regular events are scheduled, so be sure to check out their calendar. Of particular interest are the Musical Storytimes organized with the Victoria Conservatory of Music.