Welcome to Arizona BookPALS! WHAT IS BookPALS? ARIZONA BOOKPALS IS NOW ON FACEBOOK AND YOU TUBE. SEARCH UNDER "ARIZONA BOOKPALS" TO WATCH VIDEO CLIPS OF OUR READERS AND KIDS www.facebook.com and www.youtube.com BookPALS is an all-volunteer literacy program sponsored by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. We put performing artists and trained community volunteers into disadvantaged schools to read to classes of children on a weekly basis. It just takes one hour a week of your time to make a BIG difference in children's lives. Arizona BookPALS is starting the 2011-12 school year; but it's not too late to join in. Just apply on-line and the Arizona Coordinator will call you. Training and bibliographies are provided. Thanks to all our new readers and to our experienced volunteers! You are truly appreciated. Grants and Donations A big thank you to American Express for the $1000 donation to BookPALS for the 2007-08 school year. American Express is a fine corporate citizen and we appreciate their support. The PGA Tour Wives Association made the 2006 holidays bright with their $2,500 donation for Book Basket Libraries for Arizona Schools. The Association donates thousands of dollars annually to child and family related charities. We are pleased they chose to support the literacy efforts of BookPALS in Arizona. Thank you; these women are good! BookPALS received a $10,000 grant from The Starbucks Foundation to fund the " We The Children Writing Program." Sixth grade classes from Madison Park Elementary and 9th grade classes from Metro Tech High School worked with their teachers, BookPALS, Starbucks volunteers, and guest authors and illustrators, to create and publish hard-back autobiographies. The program culminated with an evening of celebration at Starbucks where students, parents, and teachers, as well as volunteers heard the children read their stories aloud. Meetings and trainings were conducted to prepare for this exciting program. A big thank you to Starbucks for being a friend and supporter of BookPALS and literacy. The Arizona's local PGA Tour Players have made a hole in one for Arizona's children! Thanks to Andrew Magee, Gary McCord, Jonathan Kaye and other local tour players who supported the Santa Claus Classic Golf Tournament for several years. This tournament raised thousands of dollars to support local children's charities. BookPALS was the recipient of $10,000 to buy books and conduct programs for needy kids and to supplement classroom libraries. These guys are GOOD! Creative Women of Pinnacle Peak funded a $1000 grant proposal for classroom libraries. Thank you to the committed and caring women of this wonderful organization for supporting worthy causes in their community. In December, 2005, a generous donation came from the Phoenix Thunderbirds. Their gift will allow BookPALS to conduct Family Reading Programs in partnership with Encanto Elementary School. Parents come to learn and practice how to read with their children and then receive books to start a home library. The Thunderbirds sponsor the reknown PGA Tournament, the FBR Open, and donate proceeds to many local charities. A big thank you to the Thunderbirds! Each year Changing Hands Book Store in Tempe donates a gift certificate for $100 worth of books to support BookPALS programs. Saddlebrooke Rotary Club in Tucson funded a grant for classroom libraries. BookStar Books makes BookPALS the recipient of their Holiday Giving Tree. Customers can purchase a book for a BookPALS child while they are making their own purchases. We appreciate the generosity of the public and of BookStar for making this possible. The Little Chapel of All Nations in Tucson allowed us to use their library for our Tucson training and then generously donated $500 for the purchase of books for our Tucson schools. Reading in The Schools Schools in Arizona are on varying schedules. We even have some year-round schools. If you have been reading and wish to return to the same school and classrooms, please call the school or your teacher and arrange a schedule; then let Ellen know. If you are a first time reader, Call Ellen (602) 750-2923 and let her know you're ready to begin. She will set you up with a school and you can call the school coordinator to set up a specific schedule. Teachers usually like to have a few weeks with their new classes before a BookPAL comes in. But it's never too soon or too late to call Ellen to get things rolling. We're looking forward to another GREAT year! Jump to: Supporters of Arizona BookPALS Latest News & Updates:

AZ BookPALS Mourns the passing of Elayne Stein, BookPAL extraordinaire Wednesday, July 01 2009 @ 05:13 PM EDT

Elayne Stein was an inspiration to us all in so many ways. She shared her time and talents freely. Through her selfless dedication to the SAG Foundation BookPALS program (Performing Artists for Literacy in Schools) she touched the lives of thousands of children by reading to them; she also introduced her adult acting students to the joys of reading aloud and suggested they volunteer to be BookPALS.

Performing as a BookPAL for over 10 years, she read aloud to children at Orangewood Elementary School. Their squeals of delight as they saw “Nana” walking down the hall were testament to her great energy, talent, and ability to connect with them.

There is a news clip on this BookPALS website of Elayne in action. It takes a while to load but is well worth the wait: www.bookpals.net (scroll down to find the title: "BookPALS Featured on Arizona Newscast").

Elayne said reading to kids made her “heart smile”. Our hearts will always smile when we think of Elayne. We are honored to have had her in our lives and as part of the Arizona BookPALS program.

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1 comments Most Recent Post: 05/29 06:40AM by Anonymous

Arizona BookPAL of the Year Award presented at BookPALS Year End Party Monday, June 08 2009 @ 07:11 PM EDT

Toni Jourdan and Frank Koerner were selected Arizona PencilPAL and BookPAL of the year respectively for the 2008-09 school year. Both volunteers have gone above and beyond in their service to BookPALS programs and the students. Congratulations, Toni and Frank.


Nikol Merkl was selected as the 2009-10 BookPAL of the Year. Nikol reads during her lunch hour at Children First Academy which serves the homeless population. Nikol also reads for the Gardner's Story Box phone line and helps at many special events. Congratulations, Nikol.

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1 comments Most Recent Post: 07/16 06:10PM by Anonymous

BookPALS Training Workshop Much fun, Much Learning Wednesday, January 30 2008 @ 08:17 PM EST

On Saturday, January 28, 2008, BookPALS held its annual training workshop at Gardner's Book Service in Phoenix. Attendees were treated to three fabulous workshops given by our talented BookPALS. Sue Cohen, gave a workshop on "Choosing Books to Ignite the Imagination". Gene Ganssle entertained us with his presentation, "Giving Books a Voice", teaching us to use different voices for different characters. Rosie Witcher involved everyone in her re-enactment of the Enormous Turnip Folktale by "Augmenting a Story with Music, a technique for telling/reading stories".

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Family Fun Days at the Herberger Theater Tuesday, January 01 2008 @ 06:22 PM EST

Actors Theatre hosted Family Fun Days four Saturdays in December. Many BookPALS volunteered at this festival where the governor, mayor, various local celebrities, and BookPALS read stories to children before the matinee performance of "A Christmas Carol". A book drive was held to benefit BookPALS.

Zoo and science center activities were available to the children. Starbucks donated drinks and snacks and Santa and Mrs. Claus were present to take pictures with the children. American Express and the Arizona Republic Newspaper helped sponsor the event.

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Arizona Celebrates Read Across America Day Tuesday, March 20 2007 @ 03:23 PM EDT

Arizona BookPALS read in their classrooms around the state to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday. Over 600 copies of "Green Eggs and Ham" were distributed by BookPALS thanks to a generous donation from the Phoenix Assistance League who received books from First Book. It takes a village to raise literate children! Thank you to all the volunteers and organizations involved in getting books and stories to students.


Cindy Brown lists rhyming words before reading to her class at Kennedy Elementary School.

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Junior BookPALS Program at Fowler Elementary School in Phoenix Monday, February 05 2007 @ 03:33 PM EST

On Monday, February 5, 2007, twenty-five third graders and twenty five fifth graders at Fowler Elementary School were trained to be Junior BookPALS. They will be reading to Kindergartners and second graders at their own school.


Fifth grade junior BookPALS with their training packets


Third grade junior BookPALS with their certificates of completion


Junior BookPALS Certificates

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Twenty new BookPALS trained from Trinity Christian Fellowship Church Sunday, February 04 2007 @ 03:10 PM EST

Adopt a school?! That's what Trinity Christian Fellowship Church decided to do. They'll be helping the school in many ways. Members had a book drive in which they collected thousands of books for Galveston Elementary School. Twenty people also met on Sunday, February 4, 2007 ( Super Bowl Sunday!) to be trained as BookPALS to read aloud at Galveston. Enthusiastic readers are now ready to be assigned to classrooms by the literacy coordinator at the school. The training was completed in plenty of time to catch the game. Thanks to Don Livesay, regional SAG director, for setting up this community service activity with BookPALS.


Robbie Livesay volunteers to read "Mr. Hatch" to training group


Attentive audience of new BookPALS

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BookPALS End of Year Party and Awards Dinner Friday, June 30 2006 @ 04:59 PM EDT

BookPALS and educators enjoyed a pot-luck end of the year party at coordinator, Ellen Dean's home. Everyone shared stories and ideas and went home with door prizes and full stomachs.

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Arizona Book Festival Tuesday, April 11 2006 @ 12:52 AM EDT

BookPALS hosted a booth on Saturday, April 1, 2006, at the 6th Annual Arizona Book Festival, sponsored by the Arizona Humanities Council. Thousands of visitors enjoyed a beautiful spring day visiting book vendors, literacy organizations' booths, and listening to authors and panel discussions. It was a wonderful day in celebration of literacy. Thanks to our BookPALS volunteers for sharing their time.

Dave Edmunds reads to children at Book Festival

Gene Ganssle entertains kids with his story

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Around the World with Storyline Online Monday, November 28 2005 @ 05:37 PM EST

Dear members of Bookpal Story online,

I am Mieko Tsukamoto. I'm teaching English to Japanese children at home in Japan using English picture books. Thank you for reading good stories and letting me know wonderful picture books.

I'd like to brush up my own English as listening to your good story telling. So your program helps me a lot! I’ve bought some good English picture books that you read for me through my computer.

Especially I love the book called “Thank you Mr. Falker. ” it is my favorite book ! Jane Kaczmarek The narrator is so nice! I love her reading! And I love“My Rotten Redheaded older Brother” read by Melissa Gilbert, She is great! Lou Diamond Phillips, he is the perfect story teller,too!

I appreciate all of you for magnificent service for free!

And I also read Japanese picture books for Japanese children as a volunteer at the elementary school near my house twice a month. I wish all of the children in the world will like reading and get a power of live through reading books. If I could have a chance, I’d like to visit to one of the American elementary schools and read Japanese ”KAMISHIBAI” which are sort of sliding thin board books.(KAMI means paper SHIBAI means Play). Any countries do not have it. Have you ever seen it?

And I'd like to talk with some American reading volunteers about books and children. I really love picture books and children! I have 38 students and more than 3000 English Picture books in my class room! (One class has just about4~ 5students.)

Thank you for reading my poor English. I hope you understand what I want to say.

Sincerely

Mieko Tsukamoto

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