Community corner: PAWS and THINK!

RIF recently caught up with PAWS and THINK! author Miranda Mittleman about her passion for children’s literacy. Read on to learn how Miranda has paired her lifelong love of poetry with her desire to make an impact on children’s literacy.

Miranda was inspired by her lifelong passion for poetry to write a children’s book series which promotes social-emotional learning through the eyes of her rescue pup Weaver. By writing from the perspective of Weaver, Miranda knew she could make important life lessons such as gratitude, equality and confidence relatable and fun for children.

As a children’s author, Miranda wanted to give back to an organization that shares her commitment and passion for children’s literacy. She immediately thought about RIF and pledged to donate a portion of her proceeds from her all books sales between April and June.

Miranda wanted to take her impact to the next level by traveling to schools and communities to promote children’s literacy and host read-alouds and book signings. Between April and June, Miranda attended more than 30 school visits, local library storytimes, book festivals and much more! She loves to shake up story time by incorporating activities, including songs and crafts. Miranda has reached approximately 4,500 kids across Maryland, Virginia and New York through her events in the past few months.

Miranda encourages adults to have fun with reading too, “I think it’s so important to start reading to children at a very young age and have fun with it! She continued, “When a child sees your passion, they can feel it! As adults, we can’t simply expect children to learn how to read. We must encourage them and inspire them!”

Learn how YOU can make local literacy impact by checking out our digital community portal, Literacy Network.