Breakthrough Greater Boston hosted its annual gala last week, and I felt fortunate to be one of the over 400 individuals in attendance. Founded in Cambridge, Breakthrough has been providing year-round educational services to low-income middle and high school students since 1992. For these students, the rigorous six-year (yes, six!) and tuition-free (yes, free!) out-of-school program makes all the difference in achieving academic success and attending college.
The evening was abuzz with mingling, tasting of local eats, and making of bouncy balls (a science demo led by Breakthrough students). Former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick was presented with the inaugural Breakthrough Spirit Award in recognition of his efforts to address educational inequity. All of this unfolded against the expansive views of the Boston Harbor. Even so the main event was listening to the students.
Current and former students spoke with eloquence beyond their years about their time at Breakthrough and the personal impact it has had. I didn't have to be convinced of Breakthrough's impressive work but the students' stories put a face on how such programming transforms lives. Kate and I are honored to play an ever-so-small role by donating notebooks to be used as part of the gala's giveaway and would like to thank the Breakthrough team and its students for a wonderful night. Not surprisingly, it an enormous success (I encourage you to read their recap here)!
Teaming up with 
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Every now and then, you meet a young person who makes you believe that the future's in good hands. We recently teamed up with Ana Agarwal, a local seventh grader, on a project for her non-profit organization. That's right—a seventh grader with a non-profit. Impressive, right? Ana co-founded 
I still remember the day I got my first library card. In my wide eyes, that small laminated rectangle was a passport to so many enchanting places—Narnia, Marlinspike Hall, River Heights and Sweet Valley just to name a few. My love for children’s literature and armchair traveling has only grown since then, and I often get asked for recommendations. In celebration of International Children’s Book Day (and Hans Christian Andersen´s birthday), here are a few of my favorite books to inspire budding bookworms. And if you need ideas for baby shower or birthday gifts, they make a wonderful edition to any library.
My all-time favorite read aloud is "We’re Going on a Bear Hunt" by Michael Rosen. After all, who can resist these opening lines?
Another great read aloud is "Owl Moon," a story about a young girl who goes out owling with her father late one night. Unlike the noisy romp of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, this is a quiet adventure.
As children, my three siblings and I read and re-read "The Adventures of Tintin," a comic series featuring the famous boy reporter who does a shockingly small amount of reporting but a whole lot of stumbling into mysteries of every kind. Tintin fueled my love of mysteries, both as a young reader (I know I’m not the only one who wanted to be Nancy Drew!) and as an adult (I can’t get enough of Kate Atkinson, Tana French and Craig Johnson to name a few).
This past Saturday, we spent the afternoon at 
The day was a wonderful opportunity to educate letterpress enthusiasts as well as connect with the design and printing community in Boston. Margaret's demo was quite the hit, and most everyone left with a postcard which they had printed themselves. 