The 7th year of the Michigan Reads! One State, One Children's Book Program
Frequently Asked Questions about Michigan Reads!

Order Michigan Reads! products from Cafe Press. Enjoy sporting the Michigan Reads! logo on everything from T-shirts and sweat shirts to hats and mugs.

A little girl, angry with her grandfather for making her work in the garden, thinks about running away. That night on the porch swing he tells her a story of a night when the vegetables left their beds to roam far and wide. She is able to reflect quietly on responsibility and gain a greater appreciation of the garden and her grandfather.

The theme reflects First Lady Michelle Obama's initiative, Let's Move: America's Move to Raise a Healthier Generation of Kids, to provide better food and more activity for America's kids. Learn more about healthy foods from the USDA's Food Pyramid site for kids.

Press release: Library of Michigan Hopes to Harvest Michigan's Young Readers with "The Runaway Garden"

Listen to Library of Michigan staff member Karren Reish talk with WGVU Radio's Shelley Irwin about the Michigan Reads! program.

There are many activities that have already been created for use with this book.

• Michigan Reads! Programming Guide. A content-rich 60-page guide specific to The Runaway Garden for those who work with young children. Contains activities including songs and dances, information on literacy for birth through age 5, age-appropriate nutrition information to use with children, and additional resources.
• The Mitten Press Activity Guide
• ChildFun... where play and learning go hand in hand

Are you interested in urban gardening or even just a few pots of tomato plants? Check out some of these resources:

• American Community Gardening Association - Gardening with Children
• KidsGardening.com
• Urban Gardener Magazine

Check out a great list of Early Literacy resources.

The information and program ideas on this site have been developed by librarians from across Michigan to help further the goals of Michigan Reads!:

• to promote the value and benefits of reading early and often to preschoolers
• to increase awareness and usage of Michigan's libraries