WRAD15 Blogging Challenge Week 3-Walter the Farting Dog and Me!

World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words and creates a community of readers taking action to show the world that the right to literacy belongs to all people. By raising our voices together on this day we show the world’s children that we support their futures: that they have the right to read, to write, and to share their stories.

The World Read Aloud Day “Speak Your Story” Blogging Challenge, created by Matthew Winner begins February 9 and runs through March 8. If you choose to take the challenge, each week you will be asked to write a post in response to a prompt or question, for a total of 4 posts counting down to World Read Aloud Day on March 3.

Week 3: February 23 – March 1

Find a puppet, stuffed animal, or image of your favorite kid lit character. Next, take a selfie with the character. You now have a picture with your WRAD companion. He or she can travel with you wherever you go and whenever you speak up about World Read Aloud Day. Post the image as your profile picture on all of your most-used social media venues (Skype, Facebook, Google+, and Twitter).

My computer is not cooperating, so the image of Walter and me, although adorable, is currently not available to post. Here he is flying solo…

My computer relented and allowed me to post my Walter and Me selfie…

For extra credit, try to get three of your friends (in school or on social media) to do the same. In no time we’ll be in some terrific company. Nothing like an awesome profile partner when it comes to spreading the good word about reading aloud!

When you’ve finished, post the photo to your week 3 blogging challenge post. Below the photo share a short narrative explaining why this book character is meaningful to you.

I chose Walter the Farting Dog for my companion. Why? Well, farts are funny, and Walter is a hero. I also chose it because I was inspired by the author’s admission that although he had written the screenplay for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, his Walter the Farting Dog manuscript was rejected for 5 solid years before it was published. I figured if rejection was good enough for the man who brought us E.T., I could sure give it a shot! My first children’s picture book was published in November 2014.

If you choose to take up the WRAD Speak Your Story blogging challenge, make sure to tweet your weekly posts to @litworldsays and use the hashtag #WRAD15 so that we can retweet your wonderful read aloud stories!

Happy blogging!