Share a Story, Shape a Future

Five bloggers, members of the kidlitosphere, an online community which promotes children's books and reading, had a crazy idea. Why not use their Internet connections (no pun intended) to create an online blog tour that celebrates reading? Their idea blossomed into an Internet-wide event with scores of bloggers lining up to participate. Share a Story/ Shape a Future begins March 9th.
If you have not already seen it on the Web, check out the official press release:

Within the kidlitosphere, the children's literature bloggers comprise and reach a very broad audience. One of the group's greatest assets is its collective, community-minded approach to sharing information and ideas. Through events like blog tours, authors and illustrators have had wonderful opportunities to share their story and their craft. Given the success of tours for "producers," what about an event for and by the people who create and engage their readers: teachers, librarians, parents, and people passionate about literacy?
Voila! Share a Story - Shape a Future is just that event. This is an ensemble effort not only to celebrate reading among those of us who already love books, but to encourage each other to reach beyond ourselves and do it in a way that we are neither judging nor instructing others. This is a venue for communicating practical, useable, everyday ideas.
The event begins March 9, 2009 and lasts one week. Each day we will have a group of bloggers sharing ideas around a specific theme. There are a number of book giveaways and free downloads that will be announced by the various hosts as we get closer to the kickoff. Here is the tour schedule.

Day 1: Raising Readers hosted by Terry Doherty at Scrub-a-Dub-Tub, the Reading Tub blog
Finding Time at Home - Tricia Stohr-Hunt @ The Miss Rumphius Effect
Making Time in the Classroom - Sarah Mulhern @ The Reading Zone
Helping a Reader in Need (remedial readers) - Sandra Stiles guest post on Scrub-a-Dub-Tub
It's Bigger than the Book: Building Strong Readers at any Age with a Daily Dose of Read Aloud - Cathy Miller interview on the Share a Story - Shape a Future blog
Keeping Gifted Readers Engaged - Donalyn Miller @ The Book Whisperer

Day 2: Selecting Reading Materialhosted by Sarah Mulhern at The Reading Zone
The ABCs of Reading: Infants, Toddlers & Preschoolers - Valerie Baartz on The Almost Librarian How to Help Emerging Readers - Anastasia Suen @ Easy to Read blog
Helping Middle Grade Readers - Sarah Mulhern @ The Reading Zone
Booklists and Read Alikes - Sarah Mulhern @ The Reading Zone
Using Non-fiction - Mary Lee Hahn of A Year of Reading, hosted by the Stenhouse blog

Day 3: Reading Aloud - It's Fun, It's Easyhosted by Susan Stephenson at the Book Chook blog
Ten Terrific Tips from Read-aloud Queen, Mem Fox - on the Book Chook blog
Conquering Stage Fright - Interview with Sarah Mulhern/The Reading Zone @ the Book Chook
Reading Aloud With Kids: A Dad's Perspective - hosted by Steven and Brian at Book Dads: Fathers that Read
Using Technology for Read Alouds - Sarah Mulhern @ The Reading Zone
What to Do When the Reading is Done - Aimee Buckner, hosted by the Stenhouse blog
Reading Aloud with Independent Readers - Donalyn Miller @ The Book Whisperer

Day 4: A Visit to the Libraryhosted by Eva Mitnick at Eva's Book Addiction blog
From Cozy to Cool - Library Spaces for Everyone - Eva @ Eva's Book Addiction
Lions and Marble and Books, Oh My - Betsy Bird at A Fuse #8 Production
How to Make the Library Work for YOU - an interview with Adrienne of What Adrienne Thinks About That conducted by Jules at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
The World Beyond the Library's Walls - Melissa @ Librarian by Day

Day 5: Technology and Reading - What the Future Holdshosted by Elizabeth O. Dulemba at Dulemba.com
Audiobooks with Bruce Coville of Full Cast Audio and Mary Burkey of Audiobooker
E-books with Harold Underdown of The Purple Crayon and Sheila Ruth of Hornbook
Podcasts with Andrea Ross of Just One More Book! and Cheryl Rainfield of cherylrainfield.com
A resource of links to audiobooks, e-books, podcasts and webcasts @ Dulemba.com.
Through Share a Story - Shape a Future we hope to build a community of readers, by sharing ideas and encouraging each other. When the event opens on Monday, March 9, 2009, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to join us and share your ideas.