Literacy Continues

National Literacy Month may be over (no more calendar from Shadow Mountain Publishing) but literacy activities still continue...

Like reading while waiting to pick kids up from school.

There's always another book to read, always another activity to do. 

 

You know what also continues? Literacy challenges!

This year is the 25th anniversary of Provo Library being in the academy building. You saw the water bottle I got for finishing the Summer Reading Program this year, right?

I also did an Academy 25th Anniversary Challenge and picked up my prize the end of September.

I got a card, water bottle sticker, and magnet.

Then on October 2, the governor and first lady of Utah encouraged everyone to join a state-wide read-a-thon. Spend an hour reading as a family, school, library, whatever. Lucky's English class was chosen to be one of a few in the state to go to the capitol that morning for a read-a-thon there.

That evening, Orem Library encouraged families to get comfy, bring pillows and blankets, and have a read-a-thon there. Nichole, Jr., Jet, and I went. Jr. Jr. stayed home to read and Lucky already read at the capitol that morning. Jeremy listened to an audiobook on his way home from work.

Don't we love an excuse to go to the library? Jet and I read a few books together, one several times, which we decided to check out when it was time to go home.

Books are awesome. Reading is awesome. Libraries are awesome. Literacy is awesome! 

And there are so many different ways to do it.

National Literacy Month

Jet and I finished up National Literacy Month with Shadow Mountain Publishing's adult and children's calendars. 

 

September 23 Share your reading-journey story

Read somewhere new

 

September 24 Read a chapter before screen time

Talk about your child's favorite character

 

September 25 Follow an author online

Donate a children's book

 

September 26 Visit a bookstore

Read aloud to a sibling

 

September 27 Finish a book

Act out a scene from a book

 

September 28 Reflect on what you've learned while reading

Build a reading fort

 

September 29 Read for personal growth

Read 3 books today

September 30 Celebrate Literacy Month with your next read

Celebrate by choosing a new book together 

 

That was awesome. I'm glad we did it and we really did. We did an item from each of those two calendars every day. Way to go, us. 

Celebrating and Observed

September 20 was National Punch Day, National Pepperoni Pizza Day, National String Cheese Day, National Fried Rice Day, and National Care for Kids Day.

I nicely abandoned my children to work on my literacy activity for the day. I made them make pepperoni pizza while I was gone. Someone may have eaten string cheese that day but for sure the day after. Nobody attempted to make fried rice anytime around that holiday. The kids made punch the next day because they forgot to on the 20th. 

But I did read a book where there was punching happening.

And I did do the literacy activity with Jet.

 

The literacy activities for adult and children's calendars from Shadow Mountain Publishing for National Literacy Month for the few days around that time were:

 

September 20 Read somewhere new

Read before bedtime

 

September 21 Recommend a book to someone

Find a book about adventure

 

September 22 Enter the adult book giveaway!

Let your child "read" the pictures 

 

Part of my abandoning my children was so I could read more of A Lady's Guide to Love and Pirates for a few hours so I could finish it in time for The Proper Romance Book Club event on September 22.

I finished it on the 21st. Woohoo.

I'm grateful I did. September 21 was World Gratitude Day.

I also went around singing, "Do you remember the 21st night of September?"

 

Since A Lady's Guide to Love and Pirates is my favorite book I've read this year (and I've read it twice), I was excited about the book club to learn more from the author, Jennifer Moore. 

It took place on the first day of Fall. We have some Fall colors around, especially up in the mountains.

I had plenty to contribute during book club because I love that book so much. 

Often with this book club, the authors will add little behind the scenes info throughout the month about their book then there is an online event at the end of the month to listen to the author and host discuss things and comment in the chat. Those that comment are added into the drawing for a book. That's how I won When You Rescued Me by Sian Ann Bessey the end of last month.

This month was a little different. Jennifer Moore took us on a treasure hunt with clues to answer throughout the month. I loved it! Those that got them all right were entered to win a special prize.

Guess what. I won! I won the book, Pirateology. I'm excited to explore it with my family.

They also had the regular drawing for a book based on comments throughout the month and from the book club event.

I've been enjoying book clubs this year and reading challenges.

Talk Like a Pirate Day 2026

September 19 was International Talk Like a Pirate Day. We love that holiday.

The day started off with me finishing the audiobook of Wendy's Ever After by Julie Wright. Definitely pirates in that book.

Then the three oldest, my husband, and I watched a little bit of Pirates of the Caribbean movie until the younger kids woke up and we turned it off. I did wear my pirate ship necklace, though. And the lipstick color I put on was called Rum. Hee hee hee.

Some kids set the language to "Pirate" on Minecraft while they were playing.

We continued with National Literacy Month using Shadow Mountain Publishing's calendars of literacy activities (adult and children's calendars). 

 

Donate a book

Share a reading photo on social media (use our #)

 

While donating a book to the library, I checked out a book about pirates to read to my youngest.

I continued my rereading of A Lady's Guide to Love and Pirates by Jennifer Moore.

Jet wanted to get a picture, too. 

While I was out running errands, I listened to the soundtrack of Muppet Treasure Island.

For dinner I told a story about a pirate ship carrying dinosaurs. Then giant squid pup monsters came from the sea and attacked, wrapping around the dinosaurs. There was red fluid everywhere.

One of my dinosaurs got away and my youngest let me know two of his pteranodons attacked and pulled a squid pup.

After dinner a few of us followed the youngest on a treasure hunt with a treasure map he painted. We followed it to where "X marks the spot." We uncovered a treasure chest (mini cooler) filled with treasure. Donettes!

We had fun celebrating Talk Like a Pirate Day. It's nice we had more time that day since it was a Saturday so we were able to do some things we don't always get to. 

Thank You, Agatha Christie's Hat?

September 15 was National Thank You Day. Those words were said in our home, of course.

It was Linguine Day but I didn't have any linguine so I made spaghetti with alfredo.

It was National Double Cheeseburger Day. To go along with Shelftember, I used a tamale casserole from the freezer (it had both hamburger and cheese in it). I made Spanish rice to go with it and homemade bread and applesauce (not homemade).

It was Agatha Christie's Birthday. I checked out an Agatha Christie book from the library.

It was Make a Hat Day. I watched Alice Through the Looking Glass while doing dishes and making dinner.

One of these years, we really need to make an Agatha Christie themed hat.

   

The Shadow Mountain Publishing calendars for National Literacy Month had the following for that day's literacy activities, in order of adult calendar and children's calendar:

 

September 15 Join a discussion online

Read a book about friendship

Parents Day Off? Ha!

September 14 was Parents Day Off. Ha! Too much to do. I even made dinner even though the menu plan said FFY (Fend For Yourself). And Jeremy had to go to work.

I did go for a walk that morning, though.

 

We needed some necessities so among my other errands that day, I went to Costco and bought flour tortillas. I spent a lot less than I normally would at Costco. #shelftember

With the flour tortillas I bought at Costco, I made fajitas with...

green bell peppers and yellow banana peppers from our garden, onions from the shelf, chicken from the freezer, fajita seasoning from the pantry, and sour cream from the fridge for those who wanted sour cream. 

Another errand I went on was to the library to check out a bunch of Terry Pratchett books that all reference a certain card game that some family members wanted to play. It helped for our literacy activity that night. Still going strong following Shadow Mountain Publishing adult and children's calendars for National Literacy Month.

 

September 14 Ready poetry or essays

Have a family reading night

 

Jeremy read us a passage from one of the books that talks about the game, Cripple Mr. Onion, then we played it.  

That was our Family Home Evening activity. Our treat was ice cream. Jet is so independent... sometimes (sometimes when I don't want him to be). He wanted to dish out the ice cream. Cute.

National Literacy Month

We've been continuing with the Shadow Mountain Publishing calendars for National Literacy Month. 

Here are some more literacy activities we've done with the adult and children's calendars (in that order):

 

September 9 Visit the library (Bonus: look for a Shadow Mountain book)

Visit the library (Bonus: look for a Shadow Mountain book)

 

September 10 Unplug and read before bed

Read a rhyming book

 

September 11 Reflect on a book that changed your life

Count how many books you read this week  

 

September 12 Read a Shadow Mountain Publishing book

Read a Shadow Mountain Publishing book 

 

September 13 Post your current read

Ask your child what happens next before turning the page