A pioneering action
Read With Me is a story of more than 30 years, initiated by Juliette Campagne within North Safeguarding Association.
At the origin of the Read With Me adventure, there is a survey initiated in 1988 by a regional cooperation agency (“Access” agency, which aimed to make libraries work, think and act together). It was a question of knowing the place of the book in the places of early childhood in the former Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. This survey was conducted by Juliette Campagne, then responsible for the creation and animation of reading places in the city of Roubaix, in conjunction with the municipal library.
This survey showed the needs in this region. Based on this observation and the great interest of professionals and elected politicians, Juliette Campagne has developed aa project around the awakening of the toddler through books, which will become Read With Me, and which will be carried out by ADNSEA (Departmental Association of the North for the Safeguarding of Children to Adults, now known as North Safeguard Association). Pierre de Saintignon, then general manager, had the will to develop prevention initiatives in favor of toddlers and their families.
Juliette Campagne,
founder of Read With Me
Juliette Campagne
Founder of Read With Me
“Read With Me, sweet imperative as I often say.
It is not: Read With Me! It is: Read With Me…
And I think it’s pretty, a nice find. »
Juliette Campagne created Read With Me within North Safeguarding Association and directed it until 2011. Retired since then, she has lost none of her enthusiasm for shared readings. She is still a volunteer reader at Read with me.
She has always been a devourer of books, and is keen to share books from an early age and to involve parents. Driven by the idea that “culture helps us to breathe“, she has managed to anchor the values of Read with me and the profession of professional reader over time.
Driven by the pleasure of writing and the importance of witnessing the beneficial effects of shared reading, Juliette has contributed to several articles and publications for Read with me for the Agency when books bind and for the journal Spirale [Spiral] – Baby’s big adventure, edited by the French publisher Érès.
Readings everywhere, for the little ones, the older ones and the even older ones!
Faced with growing interest and requests, a team of reader-trainers, and even reader-trainers, was formed in 1989. It has grown over the years. There, the approach of Read with me is experimented with and theorized at the same time.
Initially centered on early childhood, the places of intervention have diversified, broadening the ages and types of people met, with notable results that inspire field actors and professionals. The team of salaried readers has gradually grown and now numbers more than fifteen professionals.
Read With Me - 1997 IBBY-ASAHI Award Winner
On April 10, 1997, Read with Me received, at the International Children’s Book Fair in Bologna, Italy, the IBBY-Asahi International Prize for the Promotion of Reading – 1997, awarded by the association IBBY (International Board on Books for Young people), recognizing the originality and interest of this project.
And since the adventure continues more beautiful...
In 2008, Read with me celebrated its 20th anniversary, with a study day “parents, children, books” and an eponymous film.
In 2019, it is 3 times ten years celebrated with three conferences to testify to our meetings with people.
In 2019, Read With Me celebrates its 30th anniversary
The thousand facets of Read With Me. 30 years !
Happy Birthday to Read With Me,
with The Agency when books connect – November 30, 2018
March 15 – Lille
- Meeting with Corinne Dreyfuss, author and illustrator (in particular of Pomme pomme pomme and Caché! at Thierry Magnier editions)
“I am not a children’s literature author. I’ve always been a juggler. » - Rhythms, onomatopoeias and verbal games in the reading of albums with Emmanuel Julien and Rafaële Rudent, readers at Read With Me.
June 14 – Arras
- Meeting with Jeanne Ashbé, author and illustrator, creator of albums for toddlers (in particular “Bon…” and “Ton histoire” at Pastel editions).
“A journey in images and words through the enigmatic lands of babies’ lives. » - Looks of parents with Maureen Vasseur de Read With Me.
November 15 – Lomme
- Meeting with Dominique Rateau, president of the Agency when books connect.
“Reading children’s books throughout life…” or “how and why reading children’s books at any age of life would be a necessary art to cultivate the living in us and develop our ability to say I”.