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(CHICAGO) On June 1, 2010, the Black Caucus of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (BCALA), an ethnic affiliate of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA), will kick off Reading is Grand! Reading is Grand! promotes intergenerational literacy and is targeted at grandparents raising grandchildren.

This inaugural event will be held at the Whitney Young Branch of the Chicago Public Library. Renowned author, storyteller and historian Irene Smalls will read from her books, notably “My Nana and Me” and “My Pop Pop and Me,” and discuss the importance of sharing stories across generations. Grand-families will receive a free children’s book.

BC¾«¶«´«Ã½encourages libraries across the United States to participate in Reading is Grand! by hosting similar programs on June 1, 2010 and throughout year. BC¾«¶«´«Ã½has developed a toolkit to help libraries of all kinds plan and implement literature-based family literacy programs.

According to the United States Department for Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, 5.7 million grandparents are living with grandchildren, and 42 percent of these grandparents are primary caregivers. Additionally, 51.7 percent of African-American children live with grandparents.

Reading is Grand! is generously supported by the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ as part of ¾«¶«´«Ã½2009-2010 President Camila Alire’s Family Literacy Focus Initiative.

For more information, including programming ideas, please visit or contact Karen Lemmons, camaraife@aol.com; Tamela Chambers-James, tjames@chipublib.org; or

Claudette McLinn: cmclinn@aol.com.