Welcome to Write Away!
The writing forum for Project Read learners.

We've redesigned our blog so that adult learners working at Project Read can share what they have written with other learners, tutors, and the public. There are a few simple guidelines to be aware of.
  1. This is a moderated site, so submissions and comments will first be reviewed before being approved and published.
  2. Adult learners submitting their writing have the option of using their first name (only) or using "anonymous" for authorship.
  3. We wish to honor the writing efforts of the adult learner/authors, so no major copy editing will be applied, but we may suggest minor corrections in consultation with the author.
  4. Only active Project Read learners are eligible to submit their writing to the Write Away blog and there are two ways of doing this: send submissions via email to projectread@sfpl.org, or stop by the office with a hard copy of your writing.
  5. The views and opinions expressed on this web site are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not represent those of the San Francisco Public Library and/or the City and County of San Francisco.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Continuing Education Class for Tutors - October 23


Reading for Meaning

Understanding what we read is really the whole point of reading. Yet, practicing comprehension can sometimes be the most challenging aspect of literacy tutoring. In this workshop we will take a look at research that shows what reading for meaning entails. Then, we will practice all sorts of comprehension-boosting tutoring strategies you can use with your student. And, we'll have a good time in the process!

Presented by Amy Prevedel, literacy professional and former coordinator of Berkeley Reads.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

6:00—7:30 p.m.

Main Library—Latino-Hispanic Meeting Room—Lower Level

Please call (415) 557-4388 if you plan to attend.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Join the Wednesday Night Rearers Book Club


Here is the schedule of books being read and discussed by Project Read's Wednesday Night Readers book club over the next few months. Look over these titles with your adult learner, pick up your FREE books and audio books, and make plans to attend one of these exciting and rewarding discussions. We make unabridged audio books available so that learners at any reading level can participate in the discussion. Learners do not have to finish the entire book to attend the discussion.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney (
discussed at the October 29 meeting, books/audio books available September 26.)
On a quiet fall evening in a small, peaceful town in northern California, Dr. Miles Bennell discovered an insidious, horrifying plot. Silently, subtly, almost imperceptibly, alien life-forms were taking over the bodies and minds of his neighbors, his friends, his family, the woman he loved – the world as he knew it. First published in 1955, this classic thriller of the ultimate alien invasion and triumph of the human spirit over an invisible enemy inspired three major motion pictures. (216 pages)

For One More Day by Mitch Albom (discussed at the December 3 meeting—one week later because of Thanksgiving—books/audio books available October 30) This is the story of a mother and a son, and a relationship that covers a lifetime and beyond. It explores the question: What would you do if you could spend one more day with a lost loved one? As a child, Charley was told by his father, "You can be a mama's boy or a daddy's boy, but you can't be both." So he chooses his father, only to see the man disappear when Charley is on the verge of adolescence. Decades later, Charley is a broken man. His life has been crumbled by alcohol and regret. He loses his job. He leaves his family. He hits bottom after discovering his only daughter has shut him out of her wedding. After deciding to take his own life, he makes a midnight ride to his small hometown only to discover that his mother--who died eight years earlier–-is still living there, and welcomes him home as if nothing ever happened. (197 pages)

The Shape Shifter by Tony Hillerman (discussed at the January 28 meeting, books/audio books available December 4) In Tony Hillerman's The Shape Shifter, a lot is riding on a little mysterious carpet. Not any old welcome mat, but a precious Navajo tale-teller rug, full of portents, interwoven with bits of bark and feathers. Supposed to have been burned in a fire years before, the priceless artifact turns up in the pages of an interiors magazine, shown on the wall of a rich man named Jason Delos. After it's spotted by Joe Leaphorn, a retired Navajo policeman and an old colleague of his, the story travels through an elaborate investigation of theft and murder. (276 pages)

A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (discussed at the February 25 meeting, books/audio books available January 29) Throughout the 1950s and 60s, the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the Civil Rights movement, inspiring generations and transforming the future of the United States. This collection includes the text of Dr. King’s best-known oration, I Have a Dream, his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize, and Beyond Vietnam, a compelling argument for ending the conflict. (223 pages)

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Library Literacy Funding Alert


Gentle Reader,

As you may know, there have been some difficulties this year in balancing the California State Budget. The Governor’s current proposal includes a 10% cut across the board. This includes Education Code 4.6 California Library Literacy and English Acquisition Services Program 18880-18884, Line Item in 08/09 Proposed Budget 6120-213-0001 which provides funding to programs such as Project Read.

We recently found out that there is a proposal from some members of the State Senate to help balance the budget by suspending all funding to California Library Literacy Services.

Many library literacy staff members, tutors, learners, and other supporters are contacting the proponents of this proposal by phone, post, and / or e-mail to suggest that dismantling these vital, and cost-effective, services is not in the best interest of the State of California.

You can get detailed ongoing information on this matter by clicking on the following links to the California Library Association website http://www.cla-net.org/weblog and http://capwiz.com/ala/ca/issues/alert/?alertid=11904546&type=CU.

All the best, Brian