Ready to Read

Hopefully learning about all these fantastic books and works by local authors makes you want to pick up a book, whether to read on your own or with children. Beyond expanding your knowledge, reading daily has so many proven benefits for your physical and mental health. These include reducing stress; lowering heart rate and blood pressure; fighting depression; improving brain connectivity, concentration, and memory; aiding in sleep readiness; preventing cognitive decline; and contributing to a longer life. This healthy habit is one we should cultivate in ourselves and our children.

Local mom Jen Tabas couldn’t agree more. She founded literacy charity Great Books for Kids in order to equip children with the tools they need to ignite a passion for reading and support their journeys to becoming confident, capable readers. What are those tools? Amazing and engaging books! She shared some valuable advice with EIL about encouraging young readers.

First and foremost, Jen says to prioritize some uninterrupted time each day to read aloud with your child of any age. She also reminds us that it’s important to make books accessible at home. “Have small bins of books around the house in places where your children frequent - the living room, in the car, and even the bathroom - to increase the opportunities for them to reach for a book.” She adds, “Frequently add new books to your home. Encourage your child’s continual interest in reading and support his/her reading skills growth by purchasing a few new, age-appropriate books for your home at least several times a year.” Giving books as gifts for birthdays and holidays is an excellent way to do this.

National statistics continually show a strong correlation between the number of books in a child’s home and the child’s overall interest and success in reading and academics. Statistics also show 61% of children who live in low-income neighborhoods do not have a single age-appropriate book in their homes. When Jen witnessed that reality in her daughter’s class a couple years ago, she stepped in to purchase books for the students monthly. As demand grew for other students too, Jen founded Great Books for Kids, Inc. to further that reach. Last year, Great Books for Kids served 500+ kids in Southeast Georgia and gifted $16,700+ worth of books. Teachers and families have given glowing feedback and expressed their appreciation. Jen says, “It is my goal to continually expand our reach in serving more children, as well as increase the number of books each child receives. We need monetary support to do that and would love our community’s help!”

There are three ways that you can support Great Books for Kids: 1) by making a taxdeductible monetary donation; 2) by becoming an official sponsor with your business; 3) by purchasing high-quality books for your young readers through links on the Great Books for Kids website with book providers that donate up to 25%

OPPOSITE PAGE: Leo Cottingham reaches to catch an apple in this recreation of a scene from Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree, perhaps one of the most endearing stories about unconditional love of all time. Leo’s attire is from the J. Bailey collection at Bailey Boys.

of their purchase to the charity. For more information, visit greatbooksforkids.org.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia operates The Early Literacy Academy at 2102 Albany St. in Brunswick. Its mission is to provide the foundation for all children to have successful academic careers and become lifelong readers through empowering families and communities with individualized instruction and measurable results. Additionally, the Burroughs-Molette Club location has an on-site children’s library that is open to the public and operated by MOG Libraries. Learn more at bgcsega.com/early-literacy.

Through their Books in the Home program, Junior League of the Golden Isles is committed to doing their part to put more books in the hands of Glynn County’s neediest children and to ensure that they are read to regularly. In partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia and the MOG Library System, they host frequent story times for Pre-K through 2nd Grade at the local clubs. At each story time, the children are gifted a book and other goodies to take home. For more information and how you can support, see jlgoldenisles.org.

The Take 5 project recently launched by The Marshes of Glynn Libraries is aimed at early literacy. Its goal is to provide parents and caregivers with information about practices they can use with their children to prepare them for learning to read. For five consecutive weeks, students receive a bag to take home that contains books, toys, and activities grouped according to one of five themes: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing (early literacy practices identified by research for the American Library Association’s Every Child Ready to Read® program). These are easy activities that parents and caregivers can do with their child to prepare them for learning to read. The project, currently in its third phase, has been expanded from all Glynn County Schools pre-kindergarten classrooms to Head Start and private daycares or childcare centers. Read more about Take 5 and how your donations to organizations such as The Literary Guild of St. Simons Island, the Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation, and other community charities and foundations can help at moglibraries.org/take-5.

Let’s get everybody reading!

Bulldawg Books

Because we can’t let football season slip by without some red and black reading recommendations that are perfect to get you in the spirit. They make great holiday gifts for your favorite UGA football fans too!

Top Dawgs: Celebrating a Championship Season for the Georgia Bulldogs. The only championship publication officially licensed by UGA. This book by KCI Sports Publishing is mostly reprints of regular AP game recaps supported by excellent photos.

Top Dawgs: The Georgia Bulldogs’ Remarkable Road to the National Championship. This similarly named publication from Triumph Books opens with a foreword by Loran Smith and shares season coverage by the AtlantaJournal Constitution.

Return to Glory – A History of the Georgia Bulldogs. Why settle for a foreword from Loran Smith when you can get a whole book written by him and a foreword by championship winning head coach Kirby Smart?! Smith takes readers on a journey from the very beginning of the team through the 2021 National Championship in the way only he can. (All of Loran’s books are gems!) Dominant Dawgs: Georgia’s Journey to the 2021 National Championship. If you’re looking for an attractive coffee table book, this offering from Pediment Publishing fits the bill.

Delivered: How the 2021 Georgia Bulldogs Made History and Became National Champions. This one comes straight from the Dawg’s mouth, so to speak, as it was produced by UGA student newspaper source, The Red & Black Publishing Co.

Attack the Day: Kirby Smart and Georgia’s Return to Glory. Released in 2020, Seth Emerson’s book shines a light on the program with Smart at the helm.

University of Georgia Football Vault. This historic look at the program by Whitman Publishing is a classic.

The Road to Georgia: Incredible Twists and Improbable Turns Along the Bulldogs Recruiting Trail. Get an inside look at the recruiting process from Jake Reuse and Patrick Garbin.

Historic Photos of University of Georgia Football. Patrick Garbin also produced this 2010 collection of vintage photographs. Echoes of Georgia Football: The Greatest Stories Ever Told. This 2006 Triumph Press shares fantastic stories and a foreword by Vince Dooley.

Always a Bulldog: Players, Coaches, and Fans Share Their Passion for Georgia Football. This touching compilation of personal reflections from more than 100 former players, coaches, and fans by respected journalist Tony Barnhart is a must for any Dawg fan.

Damn Good Dogs! The Real Story of Uga, the University of Georgia’s Bulldog Mascot. Uga is the star of this 2011 book about the origin and line of succession of the beloved school mascot written by Sonny Seiler and Kent Hannon.

Vince Dooley’s Garden: The Horticultural Journey of a Football Coach. This book takes the reader between a different set of hedges, the home garden tended by Vince Dooley. This spotlight on the former coach’s passion for gardening is illustrated with brilliant colorful paintings by renowned artist and UGA alumnus Steve Penley.

100 Things Bulldog Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die by Jon Nelson. The title is selfexplanatory.

GO DAWGS!

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Stories For the

Spooky Season

Beyond the monster classics like Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, creepy tales by Edgar Allen Poe, or horror from the King of the genre, here are some seasonal selections for all ages.

Books for Adults/Young Adults: The Haunting of Hill House. First published by Shirley Jackson in 1959, this is considered by many to be the greatest haunted house story ever written.

The Exorcist. William Peter Blatty’s 1979 book is even scarier than the movie.

The House of Salt and Sorrows. Erin Craig’s New York Times bestseller has been called equal parts gothic romance and familiar fairytale, with a bit of whodunit too.

The Hour of the Witch. Set in Boston, 1662, Chris Bohjalian’s 2021 New York Times bestseller is historical fiction at its finest.

Blood and Salt. In her Young Adult debut, Kim Leggett has penned a sweeping, scary, and entertaining paranormal read. The House Next Door. Anne Rivers Siddons offers a new Southern gothic haunted house tale in the vein of Flannery O’Conner and William Faulkner.

The Year of the Witching. Alexis Henderson has been called a master at creating enthralling fear. This 2020 debut and her September release House of Hunger are both sure to thrill and terrify.

The Bone Houses. If for nothing other than the zombie goat, Emily Lloyd-Jones’ Young Adult fantasy is worth a read this season.

Books for Kids: Halloween is Coming. This fun, rhyme-along picture book by Cal Everett is great for young readers and may become a holiday tradition.

Big Pumpkin. Erica Silverman’s cute tale features not-so-spooky characters trying to figure out how to move a huge pumpkin. The Graveyard Book. First published in 2010, Neil Gaiman’s story of Bod, the boy being raised by ghosts after his parents were murdered won both the Newberry and Carnegie medals.

Ten Timid Ghosts. This fun counting book by Jennifer O’Connell is perfect for the season.

Pete the Cat: Trick or Pete. Our littlest readers love Kimberly & James Dean’s lift the flap Halloween adventure of spooky surprises for this beloved cat.

Skulls! Blair Thornburgh and awardwinning illustrator Scott Campbell have created a smart, skull-positive story that cheerfully dispels any fears kids might have about this essential part of our bodies.

How to Make Friends with a Ghost. Rebecca Green’s debut picture book imbues the timeless theme of friendship with offbeat humor, quirky and sweet illustrations.

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Fall for Books Epilogue

As always, photographer Annaliese Kondo of Studio Pixel Pop deserves a great big thank you for bringing the bookinspired fashion and literary theme to life beautifully on the page. She went over and above to capture this wide variety of faces and spaces, complemented by fashion from our local boutiques. Special thanks to EIL staffer Molly Duckworth who spent three days being bossed around, but never lost her smile, while lending a hand on some of these 14 separate photo shoots..

Extra gratitude to everyone who helped us stage our crazy ideas, especially Judie and Ken Mattie for allowing us to shoot some of these photos at your gorgeous home. To Hesper Montfort at the St. Simons Public Library for keeping the doors open so we could shoot amidst the stacks. To Delaine Haulbrook and the Planters Exchange staff who created the tea party setting for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. To Paige King and her staff at Allie Harper Boutique for jumping in first with this idea to allow us to capture both Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Beloved Invader.

Additional thanks to Tabitha at Sweet T’s Cakes for that incredible Alice in Wonderlandthemed cake. (You can find Sweet T’s on Facebook & Instagram or call 912.230.0828 to order your own sweet treats!) To Amy Lovin for being Sexy Monkey’s chauffer while he performed his very important role as Cheshire cat. We always appreciate Patty Rogers and her son Kyle at A Courtyard Florist for coming through with whatever floral creations we can think up. To Andy Jones for the use of the plane and Jerry Latvala for staging the plane perfectly and waiting patiently while the sun was setting. To Mallory Sailors from Coastal Glam, for making everyone feel safe, comfortable, and beautiful. And finally, to all the models who rearranged their schedules and got into their “book” roles – we couldn’t have done it without you.

Thank you!