Leo Power
Leo is a generous leader and a confident communicator. She is strong in nature, and was born under the blazing sun. A fire sign, Leo passionately loves life – and feels happiest when helping others enjoy it, too. This month, embrace the Leo’s excellent communication skills and enthusiasm for life by sharing one of summer’s greatest pleasures: a good book. School is out, so give some time to literacy* projects in your community.

According to Project Literacy U.S., the average adult in the US reads at only an 8th grade level, and 25% of Americans cannot properly address an envelope. An adult’s ability to read matters for kids, too: the Family Literacy Alliance reports that parents who are illiterate* are twice as likely to raise kids who are unable to read themselves.

How can you make a difference? During the summer, many libraries welcome volunteers to read to small groups of kids. Call your local library for more information. You can also help Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic* by recording a book on tape at one of their nationwide recording centers (details here).

Want another way to get involved? Read books to the elderly or visually impaired at your local nursing home or hospital. Find opportunities in your area by checking out these websites: http://www.famlit.org/site/c.gtJWJdMQIsE/b.1205565/k.8DDF/Find_a_Program/apps/kb/cs/contactsearch.asp or http://www.volunteermatch.org.

You can also exemplify Leo’s giving spirit by organizing a book drive in your neighborhood. Begin by setting a goal, such as three bags of books or 100 paperbacks. Next, clean out your personal library and ask others to do the same. Be sure to tell friends, family and neighbors that you’d love their help! When you’ve reached your goal, donate the books to a local library, a non-profit organization such as BooksFirst! or a thrift shop, such as Goodwill.

You could also jump-start your own social life this summer by starting a book club with friends - it’s a surefire way to share ideas and laughs over your favorite summer stories. These sites will get you started: http://girlsinc.org/gc/page.php?id=3 and http://www.bookmooch.com. Not sure what books to read? Check out our Arts & Culture reviews for ideas!

* Literacy: a person’s ability to read and write.
* Illiterate: unable to read and write.
* Dyslexia: a learning disability that causes the brain to reverse letters or words and makes it difficult to read.

Resources:
www.projectplus.org
www.famlit.org
www.rfbd.org
www.bookfirst.org
www.goodwill.org
www.girlsinc.org
www.bookmooch.com