Kids Need to Read Presents Build-a-Book Workshop to Inspire Creativity at Six Schools

Mesa, AZ, February 18, 2016 --(PR.com)-- Kids Need to Read wanted to get local students excited about spending time reading with their families. To do this, Kids Need to Read asked author and illustrator Steven Riley to bring his Build-a-Book program to six Phoenix/Mesa area schools participating in the READ Together program: Children First Academy Phoenix, Guerrero Elementary School, J. B. Sutton Elementary School, Lowell Elementary School, Mesa Arts Academy, and Palomino Primary School.

Through the interactive Build-a-Book workshop, Steven Riley walks children through every step of creating a book. By the end of the program, participating students were delighted to realize that they were more than capable of creating their own stories, and were inspired to create their own wonderfully imaginative tales after being shown how writing and illustrating come together. Participating students received signed hardcover copies of Steven Riley’s Little Ty Cooney and the Grand Canyon Tour Company, in addition to Highlights High Five magazines to keep and read with their families. Each participating teacher was given a uKloo Early Reader Treasure Hunt Game as a supplemental literacy tool.

“I thought the presentation by Steven Riley for our kindergarten students was outstanding!” said Margaret Codina, Reading Interventionist at J. B. Sutton Elementary School. “Kindergarten is a hard age to keep engaged, and he had our 150 kindergarteners engaged and enjoying themselves throughout the presentation. What’s even more amazing is that he incorporated teaching standards for literature while entertaining our kids. I couldn’t recommend this presentation more highly.”

READ Together partners with schools and other literacy organizations to encourage adult caregivers to read every day with their children. The program utilizes a wealth of leveled books, educational resources, reading buddies, tips for caregivers on the go, and inspiration, all designed to increase at-home reading activities on a daily basis. Through a consistent, effective approach, young students will develop vital reading skills that will serve them throughout their educational years and beyond.

Kids Need to Read looks forward to continue working together with Steven Riley, as well as other authors and illustrators to inspire generations of creative minds.

Kids Need to Read

Founded with a passion to improve the lives of disadvantaged children by providing inspiring book collections and engaging literacy programs to underfunded schools, libraries, and organizations across the nation, Kids Need to Read aspires to empower and embolden every last child through a culture of reading. For many of the children it serves, Kids Need to Read represents a crucial link to a strong literacy education, and its programs help build and nurture support systems that these children may be lacking elsewhere in their lives. By immersing children in an integrated world of literary experiences that teaches them, firsthand, the impact of reading on every aspect of life, imagination is ignited and confidence is built for a prosperous future, regardless of race, economic status, or personal capabilities.