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Students wrap up school year excited, ready to read

By Kristen LeFevers

Students at four schools received some new, special books to enjoy over the summer while they are away from the classroom.

This year, Read Aloud West Virginia offered its Summer Book Binge to schools in Greenbrier, Jackson, and Kanawha counties. The program is based on a Tennessee study showing that giving children about half a dozen freely chosen, high-interest books prevents summer learning loss better than summer school.

A Crichton Elementary student receives his “Binge on Books” tote bag filled with books to read over the summer.

In Greenbrier County, Crichton Elementary students from preschool through fifth grade browsed a sample set of books this spring. Teachers were encouraged to help students find books they would enjoy. Students were able to hold and examine the books before filling out their order forms.

Students received their books at a Memorial Day assembly after a ceremony to honor students’ accomplishments and local veterans.

“It was a moving and reverent ceremony recognizing veterans in the Quinwood community,” said Read Aloud Executive Director Dawn Miller. “The parents’ and grandparents’ presence really shows students that the time they spend reading is important and valued. And it is always good for adults to be reminded what an important influence they are.”

Students walked up one at a time and received a blue Read Aloud tote bag containing their specially chosen books, each plated with the child’s name, an important feature of the project stressing book ownership.

The process was repeated in other schools. In Jackson County that same week, the Jackson County Community Foundation, which funded the project, dressed the Gilmore Elementary School assembly room with festive beach accessories, highlighting the fun, buoyant atmosphere of summer reading.

Jackson County Community Foundation Executive Director Misty Hamon put together a colorful balloon arch for students to walk through as their names were called to receive their personalized Read Aloud book bags.

About 150 third- through fifth-graders at Gilmore and Cottageville Elementary, like their peers in the other counties, browsed sample books ahead of time and chose six books they wanted for the summer, then walked up one at a time to receive their special order.

“We’ve had so much support from the Community Foundation,” said Read Aloud of Jackson County Chapter President Janet McCauley.

“The Foundation really made this book distribution into a special event for these kids,” Miller added, “exactly the message kids need to get from the adults around them.”

A festive balloon arch and beach-themed decorations courtesy of the Jackson Community Foundation for the Book Binge assembly at Gilmore Elementary.

“‘I got all the books I wanted!’” McCauley recalled hearing more than one student say. “The kids were so excited and pleased to get their books. It was so, so personalized for them. If they choose their own books, they’re more likely to read them.”

The summer reading fun didn’t stop there, however.

“The state office [Read Aloud West Virginia] are very frugal and are able to order some of their books from their distributors for cheaper than they expected, and get extra copies,” McCauley shared. In this instance, that frugality led to “leftovers,” or extra copies that McCauley was able to present at other schools throughout Jackson County.

“All of the leftover books have been distributed in the county,” McCauley said. “I guess you could call it a book tasting or a mini book binge.”

McCauley distributed the leftover copies at elementary schools in Fairplain, Evans, Kenna, and Ripley. Students were able to pick three books of their own.

“Read Aloud is so good at stretching their money, and other students were able to benefit from the leftovers,” McCauley said.

At Chesapeake Elementary School in Kanawha County, preschoolers through fifth grade followed a similar process, thanks to a grant from the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation. At an assembly at the end of the school year, students applauded each child as their name was called to receive their books. That distribution is part of a larger project with Chesapeake that will include another book give away in the fall.

By preventing summer learning loss, Read Aloud helps students to succeed in school and throughout life. Researchers have documented that children who are not exposed to enjoyable books and other summer learning opportunities will lose reading skill during the summer. They gain again when they go back to school, but over time these losses accumulate, so that by 12th grade, children can be a year or more behind their peers and their potential in reading skill, which affects everything else – including school and job prospects.

Giving children books that they are motivated to read during the summer prevents this summer learning loss. As children spend time with books, they practice skills they learned in school. They also build vocabulary and background knowledge, an important ingredient in reading comprehension at any age. They also discover that they enjoy it.

Read Aloud’s first Summer Book Binge was held at Crichton Elementary School in 2016, and within two years, reading scores there rose noticeably, exactly as the Tennessee research predicted.

Read Aloud West Virginia will be looking for opportunities to introduce the Summer Book Binge into other schools across the state in the coming year.

Kristen LeFevers is a graduate of Marshall University and lives in Huntington.

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Book Tasting: Special event links reading, summer book plans for East Bank Middle students

By Kristen LeFevers

Sixth graders filed into their first-period English class in East Bank Middle School’s library one morning near the end of the school year.

“I’m your barista today!” called Renita Cook, a reading specialist with Kanawha County Schools. “Coffee or hot chocolate?”

At first hesitantly, and then eagerly, students balanced cups of decaf or cocoa and maneuvered to one of the many high-top tables stacked with Descendants novels, Julius Lester, Rick Riordan, and other volumes.

Cook and fellow Kanawha County English Language Arts Specialist Amy Thompson had put together a special cafe-themed book tasting for students, an opportunity to browse books, sample excerpts, and swap recommendations in a relaxed atmosphere.

They called it Starbooks.

The Starbooks Café at East Bank Middle School’s book tasting.

Thompson reached out to Read Aloud West Virginia a couple months earlier about hosting a book tasting at East Bank Middle after hearing about a colleague who had held a virtual book tasting with Read Aloud Executive Director Dawn Miller.

Like many schools, East Bank is dealing with a shortage of teachers and substitutes. Vacancies are difficult to fill. Teachers are teaching outside their areas of expertise. Recent years have been especially stressful, for both faculty and students.

Thompson and Cook chose to play on coffee chain Starbucks to create an environment of literacy and good reading habits. When forming their own habits, developing readers need good models to look up to.

“We were looking to lifelong readers for examples – how do they behave and interact with other readers? We wanted to make reading fun,” said Miller. “We knew we wanted a recreational atmosphere for them.”

“Amy took this idea and called it ‘Starbooks,’ and made hot chocolate and decaf coffee for the students.”

She and Cook covered the tables and added centerpieces and placemats. Black bulletin board paper became a chalkboard menu sign, tempting students with different “flavors” – mystery, biography, non-fiction, and realistic fiction.

A local Starbucks donated cups and supplies. A “Starbooks Cafe” banner hung from the ceiling.

Read Aloud supplied the books, a wide selection casually spread around the tables for students to browse.

“The kids loved it,” said Thompson. “The event helped us to model lifelong behaviors [of good readers]. It was something practical we could do.”

Miller and Thompson each did a couple book talks for the four English classes that rotated in throughout the morning. The rest of the class period, adults and students mingled and chatted about what they had read, and what they were interested in reading.

“We know that students who read for pleasure over the summer prevent summer learning loss,” Miller said. “They can even gain skill. We also know that lifelong readers make plans about what they are reading next. They also share what they are reading with friends. We saw students do that at the book tasting.”

At first, the event was more structured to prevent behavior problems. But as the morning went by and it became clear that students would engage with the books, Thompson said, they let students move about as they wished, as readers do in an actual bookstore or coffee shop.

“They became more relaxed, and conversations became more natural,” Thompson said. “It worked out so nicely.”

“Students were so appreciative,” Miller added. “It was lovely. I had conversations with students about books, careers, and college plans. A couple students even commented on their own behavior. They seemed surprised that their classmates were so well behaved.”

By the end of class, each student was able to choose two books to take home. 

“I look forward to doing it again,” said Thompson. “I’m really grateful for our partnership with Read Aloud and what they do for our schools and teachers and students.”

Kristen LeFevers is a graduate of Marshall University and lives in Huntington, West Virginia.

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Backpacks stocked with books and food help Randolph County kids

by Dr. Mary Boyd, Randolph County Chapter President

Since 2018, Read Aloud Randolph County has been putting brand new books in backpacks for children who qualify for the food program that works out of First United Methodist Church in Elkins.  Kids get the backpacks once a week, and the books are put in the backpacks once a month. 

Mary Boyd sorting books in May 2022 at First United Methodist Church.

We started this program back in 2018 when I went to a Read Aloud West Virginia conference where many ideas are shared by other counties. Jackson County has a very active Read Aloud program, and they had been putting books in backpacks. I brought the idea back to our board, and it just seemed to resonate with the other folks on the board, so we started looking for ways to pay for it.

With lots of help from Read Aloud West Virginia, we got grants from both the Tucker Community Foundation and the Snowshoe Foundation to get us started. The state people thought getting grants locally was a good idea, and it worked. The money helped us get brand new books with nameplates, so the kids can take ownership of the books. Also, the kids get to choose the books, so they can get what they are interested in.

The program was put on hold in 2020, but in late 2021, the church started the food program back again, so the kids got books in February, March, April, and May of 2022. Since the county chapter did not apply for grants while the program was on hold, Read Aloud West Virginia provided the books from their stock made possible by community contributions and support. Participating schools have been Jennings Randolph, Midland, North, Third Ward, Elkins Middle and High School, Coalton, George Ward, Tygarts Valley, and Harman. 

Randolph volunteer Judie Smith’s vehicle filled with books that she transported from Charleston.

Read Aloud West Virginia started in Kanawha County in 1986 with the mission of motivating children to read for fun, helping them become better readers. For many years, the organization was led by Mary Kay Bond as Executive Director. Currently, it operates in 46 counties, with 29 local volunteer chapters. The state Read Aloud office is based in Charleston, where current Executive Director Dawn Miller and other Read Aloud staff make possible projects like this one across the state.

Read Aloud WV did not shut down during the pandemic – it evolved to continue serving students! Over 26,800 books were given out in 2021, a new organizational record for annual book distribution. Read Aloud is on track to break 100,000 books given by the end of 2022, and the Randolph County backpack program will be part of that achievement.

“We hope we can continue with this wonderful program.  We love putting books into the hands of kids and ideas into their heads,” says Dr. Boyd.

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Bedtime Book Club carries on Snuggle and Read tradition

By Suzette Lowe

The phrase ‘the book will find the child’ holds true for the partnership of Jackson County Early Explorers and Read Aloud of Jackson County.

Cheryl Miller, a longtime Read Aloud volunteer and force behind the county’s Snuggle and Read program, has seen firsthand how impactful the experience can be for young readers.

A Jackson County student visits the Read, Play, Grow station at Cedar Lakes to get an Early Explorers book bag.

“When we were able to have that type of story time, the children picked out the book that appealed to them, one that ‘found’ them that they could take home, along with a blanket provided by Constellium,” she said. “It was so precious seeing that connection.”

It was frustrating not being able to have that family reading time with children and their parents during the pandemic. Miller, who co-founded Jackson County Early Explorers with Jessica Isner, also saw the hugely popular Early Explorers program for young children struggling to be active during COVID-19.

“One day, I had a preschooler come up to me, out of the blue, and beg me to read him a story,” said Miller. “I knew right then, and Jessica agreed, that we had to do something to meet this need.”

A natural collaboration between the county’s Read Aloud program and Early Explorers was formed, initially with books that were left over from a past Snuggle and Read. These, along with a blanket, would be put in book bags for children to find at the Read, Play, and Grow station at Cedar Lakes.

“With our mission and knowing how popular Early Explorers past book bag distributions were,” said Janet McCauley, president of the local Read Aloud board, “it was a win-win partnership.”

McCauley said the concern that children would not get ‘their’ book was quickly dispelled.

“The very first child who picked up a packet said ‘oh that’s just what I wanted’, so we knew we’d done our job,” she said.

But still for Miller there was something missing.

“I had another child come up and grab me by the legs and beg for a story,” she said. “It hurt my heart that I couldn’t do that.”

Miller said she couldn’t get the idea of children not getting their bedtime story out of her mind.

“In this pandemic, we forget that children are hurting and feeling stressed,” she said. “They need a time to settle down and feel loved and safe.”

That child hungering for a story planted the seed for Bedtime Book Club.

Each Monday at 6 pm, Miller posts a story time on Facebook. It can be accessed at any time by going on to the Jackson County Early Explorers or Read Aloud Jackson County page.

“First we get the wiggles out, then settle down for three stories.” Miller said.

The “Story Lady” as Miller has been dubbed, has already gotten a large following, including a grumpy cat who comes out of hiding every time he hears her voice.

Knowing that children look forward to each week’s story means so much to Miller.

“I had a little girl come up to me just to share how much she loved the little duck story I read the other night,” she said. McCauley said parents have also expressed their appreciation for the efforts of both Early Explorers and Read Aloud.

“They tell us that their children are hurrying in from outside play to read their books,” she said. “Several have said they hear their children singing or reciting phrases from their favorite stories.”

For Miller and McCauley, that’s what it’s all about, connecting children to books and instilling a love that can last a lifetime.

Suzette Lowe serves on the Read Aloud of Jackson County board

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Energy Express has always held a special spot in my heart

By Bob Johnson

Energy Express has always held a special spot in my heart. Several years ago, the local WVU Extension agent told me about the need for Read Aloud volunteers during the six-weeks-long reading and nutrition program (with two meals served daily) held during summers. The whole process clicked with me. Since I am a part-time teacher, my summers were free. Why not volunteer to read with kids?

Bob Johnson reads to Energy Express students at Cherry River Elementary in Nicholas County.

My first opportunity coincidentally came at my alma mater elementary school. I had spent grades one through eight there. Yes, that dates me, but I fondly and clearly remember the teachers who had taken the effort to read aloud with my classes. There was a warmth in those classrooms, where teachers said, in effect: “I have a beautiful story that I want to share with you.” In my mind’s eye, that is effective instruction.

Over the summers since my first readings, I have subsequently been able to read in three more locations in four sessions with Energy Express. I often use the classic stories of Seuss, since each one holds a nugget of morality which students need to hear from an adult. Sometimes, the readings are supplied by the Energy Express site. While that is convenient, there is no time to rehearse the reading selection, one of my personal rules of reading aloud. Sitting with students is the expectation of many Energy Express locations, but I prefer reading while standing at a music stand or other platform at a convenient height, so my old eyes can easily focus on the reading. It is also the only way I have found to ensure that inflection is heard, and gestures, body language, and expressions are easily seen by listeners.

Energy Express and Read Aloud WV share some common goals: 1) Get valuable books into the hands of students, and/or 2) into the ears of listeners by reading aloud. I am privileged to know the directors of both programs. Mark Swiger heads Energy Express with West Virginia University, while Dawn Miller is at the helm of Read Aloud WV. Both leaders have only one thing in mind, which is reaching readers at many grade levels with enriching opportunities that expand interest in books.

Adult volunteers are an essential part of both reading efforts. Please consider sharing your reading skills with students at every opportunity.

To learn more about Energy Express, go to: extension.wvu.edu/youth-family/youth-education/energy-express

Bob Johnson is a member of the Read Aloud WV of Nicholas County Chapter Board and teaches in a Save the Children US, after-school program at Cherry River Elementary School in Richwood

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10 to Try: Black History Month

Read Aloud teamed up with the YWCA Charleston Racial Justice Program to bring you ten children’s books to try for Black History Month. Whether you’re a classroom reader, a teacher, or a parent, these books are a great way to celebrate the rich culture of America and the lasting impact of leaders of color! We encourage you to not only use titles like this in honor of Black History Month, but to incorporate texts with diverse characters into your reading all twelve months of the year!

A huge thanks to the YWCA for pulling this compelling list of titles together.


If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks by Faith Ringgold (Grades K -5)

Marcie, a young black girl on her way to school, gets picked up by a strange bus. She later finds out this is the famous “Rosa Parks bus”. This bus ride with Marcie will leave listeners interested and engaged in the rich history behind civil rights leader, Rosa Parks.


Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterfly (Grades PreK – 3)

Hidden Figures shares the story of four African American, female mathematicians working at NASA. While facing racial and gender bias, they prevailed by participating in some of NASA’s greatest achievements. This book features a local legend Katherine Goble Johnson, a native of West Virginia and a West Virginia State University alumna.


Be A King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream and You by Carole Boston Weatherford (Grades PreK – 3)

This dual narrative shares moments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, while also sharing the strong principles of equality he stood by. Students, performing a Dr. King inspired school project, learn about the adversity Dr. King faced and his hope for an equal society. This book encourages children to enact the principles of Dr. King’s legacy into their own lives.


Firebird by Misty Copeland (Grades PreK – 3)

Firebird showcases the story of a young dancer who is questioning her own ability. Misty Copeland, the first African American woman to become a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, uplifts this young protagonist by sharing her experiences.


What Color is My World: The Lost History of African American Inventors by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld (Grades 3-7)

This book uplifts the stories of little-known African American inventors. What Color is My World honors the ingenuity and determination shown by these inventors to make our world a better place.


Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford (Grades 1-3)

Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom is a poetic tribute to the strength and devotion of Harriet Tubman. Through prayerful dialogue, Harriet Tubman shows determination and perseverance to free her people.


Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o (Grades 1-3)

Sulwe is a heartwarming story that inspires children to see their own unique beauty. Sulwe has trouble accepting her darker skin, but she’s reminded that her skin is just as beautiful and valuable as lighter skin tones.


I Love My Hair by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley (Grades K and Up)

I Love My Hair is a story about a African American girl celebrating her beautiful natural hair. This imaginative book highlights the significance and versatility of African American Hair.


Mixed Me by Taye Diggs (Grades 1-3)

The main character, Mike, learns to embrace and celebrate his mixed racial heritage. This delightful, textured, fun-filled picture book takes on the questions children of mixed races face with humor and offers a strong, positive message of self-love. 


Same Difference by Calida Garcia Rawles (Grades 4-6)

This charming, upbeat books begs to be read aloud! Two cousins find themselves at odds over their physical appearance. This book reminds us that you can find beauty in any shade of brown and that we are much more alike after all.


Message from the YWCA Charleston Racial Justice Program

We hope that you love these books as much as we do! Thank you to Read Aloud West Virginia for this amazing opportunity. We would also like to thank our amazing Racial Justice Committee Members for suggesting such good reads. We hope that these books share important pieces of Black History and highlight the beauty of the black experience.

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A Doctor’s Advice on Reading

Parents want to do what’s best for their children, but there is confusion about what is best. Dr. John S. Hutton recommends:

  • Read picture books for at least 15 minutes a day with your child. Longer is fine.
  • Start shortly after birth. With infants, reading is not about learning the ABCs or even understanding the story. It is about establishing the routine and starting a dialogue.
  • Keep children away from phones, tablets and other screens, including TV, before age 2. The one exception is video chatting with loved ones who are far away, but not until 18 months.
  • Phone and tablet apps are easy to carry and to use, and marketers promise learning benefits. But those apps have not been studied and shown to work. “Reading, by contrast, has been well studied,” Hutton said. “We know it works, but it is just kind of oldfashioned.”
  • For toddlers, limit screen time to an hour a day.
  • Keep reading with children even after they start school and after they can read themselves.
  • Don’t use screens to pacify children. Children are learning to handle their emotions and control their reactions. “They need practice, and if they’re constantly soothed with devices, they are short-circuiting this process and their ability to handle their own stuff. They don’t learn to regulate their behavior,” Hutton said.
  • Keep screens out of the bedroom, where they tend to lead to later bedtimes and disrupt sleep, homework and reading. “That’s one of worst places for screens to be. Anything that disrupts sleep causes all kinds of trouble.”
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How Accelerated Reader turned my daughter off books

By Lynn Kessler

I’ve been reading to my daughter, who is now 12, since she was born. She always loved it. At 6 months old, she would sit for long stretches on my lap while we read Go, Dog. Go! and Bear Snores On. Her first full sentence, at 18 months, was “Read Dog Go.” I knew then she was destined to be a great reader.

Through preschool and kindergarten, her reading skills and scores were always above expectations for her age. We snuggled up and read together every night before bed.

When she started first grade and began using the Accelerated Reader (AR) program, she did well on the tests, scored a lot of points, and looked forward to taking tests and receiving rewards and recognition for her achievements.

I recall a conversation around this time with a friend in education who was not a fan of AR. The program, she said, was detrimental to the intrinsic motivation that is critical to develop lifelong, avid readers.

“I don’t know,” I responded. “She seems very motivated.”

Cut to the beginning of summer vacation. My 7-year-old is bored.

“Why don’t you read a book?” I suggest.

Then, the reply I never expected: “No way! School is out. I don’t have to read!”

After I collected my jaw and my heart from the floor, I called my AR-averse friend to say, “You were right.”

Accelerated Reader, commonly known as AR, is a computer-based program that seeks to encourage kids to read more independently, improve student comprehension and reading skills, and provide a tool for teachers to evaluate student progress and adjust instruction and interventions accordingly.

Renaissance, the for-profit company that owns and sells AR to schools, says on its website:

“Every student can become their most amazing self and discover a lifelong love of reading with the guidance of an expert teacher. Designed based on years of careful research to help teachers introduce students to the magic of books and reading, Accelerated Reader products are the most widely used K–12 reading practice programs.”

I was not able to find pricing information on the Renaissance website, but my general research found that it can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 a year to implement and maintain the AR program, depending on the size of the school and the package selected.

Renaissance offers plenty of research to support their product, and it seems that the company has attempted to improve upon areas that have received critical feedback. However, there are many literacy experts who feel the program undermines intrinsic motivation and the development of a genuine love of reading.

A report from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) found only two studies that met the agency’s research design standards and evaluated those results. The Institute concluded: “Accelerated Reader was found to have mixed effects on comprehension and no discernible effects on reading fluency for beginning readers.”

The research above focused on measurable academic outcomes — changes for which students can be tested. But what about motivation?

Studies examining intrinsic and extrinsic motivation have shown that rewarding children for a certain behavior can produce immediate results, but then backfire. After an initial period of improvement, students begin to perceive the activity they are completing for a reward as a chore. It is something to be done so they can move on to something they enjoy.

That research is parallel with my personal experience with Accelerated Reader. I believe that this program — now a part of students’ grade calculations in our elementary and middle school — inflicted significant damage upon the years of success I had in encouraging a love of reading in my daughter.

That does not mean, of course, that this will be the case for every child. My younger daughter, a voracious reader, excelled in the AR program until third grade when she struggled to get enough points. That challenge has continued in fourth grade. It concerns me that the goals set for students by the program, and the requirements for grading, become more difficult just as children reach the critical age in third to fourth grade that is widely acknowledged in education as a make-or-break point for reading skills.

I was a Read Aloud volunteer in my 9-yearold daughter’s class. We finished reading The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. The kids thoroughly enjoyed it. They were engaged in the story and always excited to recap each week, discuss the book, and read more. They were gratified by the ending. After considerable sorrow and hard times for Ivan and his friends, the kids were delighted that the characters found peace and happiness.

Then they reached for their tablets and asked if they could take the AR test.


Lynn Kessler, former Read Aloud staffer, is a reader, writer, mother of two and a Read Aloud volunteer in Kanawha County.

Kwame Alexander: Maybe kids aren't so much "reluctant readers" as they haven't found the right book yet.

Newbery winner to speak at West Virginia Book Festival Oct. 27, 2018

Newbery winner Kwame Alexander will appear at the West Virginia Book Festival.

By Kaitlyn Guynn

The West Virginia Book Festival is returning to the Charleston Civic Center on October 26 and 27 with Newbery Award-winning children’s author Kwame Alexander.

His series The Crossover is about a boy and his brother who love basketball, but face challenges together much deeper than who wins a game of one-on-one.

Alexander and singer-songwriter Randy Preston will perform “A Literary Concert with Kwame Alexander and Randy Preston,” from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27 in Conference Rooms 202-205.

One of Alexander’s latest novels, Rebound, is a prequel to The Crossover, which is about brothers, loss of a father and becoming a man. Another novel, Solo, is a poetic verse novel about a 17-year old girl who learns that the life of a rockstar isn’t all the glamour it seemed.

Alexander has also published picture books and poetry books.

Leading up to the festival, Harvard history professor and New Yorker staff writer Jill Lepore will give the annual McCreight Lecture in the Humanities at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24 in Riggleman Hall at the University of Charleston.

Among her many books, Lepore wrote Book of Ages, a biography of Benjamin Franklin’s little-known sister, and The Secret History of Wonder Woman, which won the American History Book Prize. Her new book, These Truths: A History of the United States, was published in September.

Also appearing at this year’s Book Festival schedule are:

— Debbie Macomber, author of the popular Cedar Cove and Rose Harbor series.

— Dennis Lehane, staff writer of the HBO series “The Wire” and author of many bestsellers including Mystic River and Gone, Baby, Gone.

— John Scalzi, award-winning science fiction writer and blogger, author of Redshirts, among many others.

— David Grann, another New Yorker writer and author of The Lost City of Z, whose stories frequently make it to the screen.

The festival is free to the public. For more information about the schedule, writing workshops or other events visit wvbookfestival.org.

Kaitlyn Guynn is a senior at the University of Charleston.

 

The Great American Read

PBS has launched an eight-part online and television series to find America’s favorite book! The special project, targeted to adult readers, began on May 22, 2018 and will continue through the summer and fall.

Viewers will vote on their favorite books throughout the series and the list of 100 diverse books will be narrowed down to one. Celebrities, athletes, experts, authors and everyday Americans will participate in the series, alongside host  Meredith Vieira. The multi-platform campaign will encompass online and community engagement, including cooperation with local libraries in West Virginia.

The grand finale will air on October 23, 2018 at 8:00 pm. Viewers can follow the Great American Read Facebook page and use the hashtag #GreatReadPBS. This project offers an opportunity for families to discuss their own favorites and explore new titles.