By Lourdes C., 2026 CLEL Bells Committee Member Names are unique to each person. They have meanings, tell stories, and can even be songs. Names are conversation starters. Needless to say, names are important to everyone. What’s Your Name? by Bethanie Deeney Murguia was one of the titles that made it to the TALK category …
By Ali Kubeny (she/her), Children’s Services Librarian – Bellingham Public Library 2026 CLEL Bell Committee Member One of my favorite ways to integrate the SING practice into storytime is to find books that have opportunities to squeeze a song in or can be set to a tune in their entirety. I always get excited to …
By: Kristin Jardien Like most people, I love moments of serendipity! When I learned that I am lucky enough to live near Denise Vega, author of Adela’s Mariachi Band, I knew I couldn’t ignore the message the universe was sending me. That message was “bring her to your library!” So, I did. However, if you’ve …
By: Justine Ferrara, Union (NJ) Public Library Do you want to incorporate CLEL Bell books into your storytimes? Are you looking for some caregiver tips, rhymes, songs, and activities to freshen up an existing storytime? Read on for some ideas to plan and execute an engaging storytime all about reading! CLEL Bell Award Winners & …
By: Holly Van Hoy Are you lucky enough to have caregivers and/or community members offering to volunteer at your library during storytime, but feeling unsure how to include them? Here are a few ways that I have been able to welcome caregivers and community members as creative partners in my storytime sessions. Hand Them a …
By: Mary Ann Lawler In a previous post, we talked about using CLEL Bell Award winners along with their Activity Sheets for teaching early literacy to staff. These activity sheets are written to help caregivers too, and they are an easy-add to boosting your collection. Here are some ideas. Early Literacy Kits At my library, …
By: Mary Ann Lawler How do you teach new staff about early literacy quickly? Get hands-on as soon as possible. Here’s a way to do that using the CLEL Bell winners’ Activity Sheets, found on the CLEL Bells website. I recently co-led a 45-minute workshop at an early childhood educators’ conference focused on teaching the …
If you’re interested in lively, collaborative, in-depth discussions about early literacy, CLEL Bells is the place for you! Be part of advocating for quality children’s books that support early literacy. The English CLEL Bells Committee is recruiting new members for the 2026 award season! What are the CLEL Bells? One of the two early literacy …
We are pleased to announce the shortlist titles for the annual CLEL Bell Awards. The 2025 year was historic in its submissions, representation, and unique expression of early literacy. The CLEL Bell Awards are an annual recognition of five high-quality children’s books that provide excellent support of early literacy development in children ages 0-5. This …
Hi! My name is Holly, and I have been on the CLEL Bell Awards committee for two years. I am excited to stay on for a third year as a co-co-chair. (Yes, I meant to put two “co”s there.) Now, I am normally not the type to volunteer myself to take on more responsibilities. I’m …
