Imagination Library

BULLETIN 1: Maryann Wakefield posted a true story on her blog today about a young woman she knows who is getting her life back together. Here’s the link. http://maryannwakefield.com/myblog/who-will-write-this-story-first-you-or-me .

BULLETIN 2: Did anybody know that today is National Talk Like a Pirate Day? I mean, we’re talking argh and yo-ho-ho! Thanks, Jane Heitman Healy, for the timely reminder. Too bad they couldn’t have delayed the celebration a day or two for the National Book Fair. My book PIRATES will be there representing Missouri so the whole gang could be singing sea chanties and hoisting grog! I guess technically chugging grog is not a form of speech, but it can do funny things to it.

Hi everyone,

This weekend is the annual Cider Days event in Springfield on the block of Walnut Street between John Q. Hammons Parkway and National Avenue. Thousands will attend. http://www.itsalldowntown.com/event/ciderdays .

The Imagination Library committee will be there with a booth and we expect to sign up a lot of parents. If you don’t know how it works, Imagination Library is Dolly Parton’s idea and it’s free to parents who sign up for their children under five. Each month until the child turns five, he or she receives a free book in the mail. It’s a wonderful way to encourage children to love books and reading. http://usa.imaginationlibrary.com

I attempted to get Imagination Library started in Springfield eleven years ago and failed. This time the right people got together to support the idea and the United Way is leading the way. I’m chair of the group but Jennifer Kennally is doing the work along with a strong committee of excellent people. So far we have 554 children signed up and getting their monthly books. We’re just getting started and eventually will expand the program throughout Greene County. We’ll add many more children’s names this weekend at Cider Days. Hope to see you there. And please tell friends who have young children to not miss this chance to have some fun and enroll their children in Imagination Library.

David