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Eastern to host 4 award-winning authors for children's literacy event

Event will 'cultivate a love of literacy'

Willimantic, CT (09/06/2024) — Eastern Connecticut State University invites local children, families and educators to develop their love of literacy on Sept. 17 during an evening featuring four award-winning children's book creators. Titled "Read a Book, Love a Book: Developing Literacy," the event will occur from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at Eastern's Child and Family Development Resource Center (CFDRC). The event is free and open to the public, with parking available in the garages.

The event will feature children's book authors and illustrators Winsome Bingham, Kyle Lukoff, Juana Martinez-Neal and Barbara McClintock, who will read and sign books. Books by the creators and other high-quality books for youth will be distributed to families and educators while available.

Additionally, Eastern students who are training to become teachers will lead literacy activities and share reading resources with attendees. The Willimantic Public Library will provide library card registration information as well.

"Four well-known and award-winning book creators will be on campus to help families, educators, teacher candidates and the campus/local communities ignite, delight and cultivate a love for literacy," said education Professor Susannah Richards, event organizer. Richards added that the event coincides with the publication date of Bingham's newest book, "The Table," cowritten with Wiley Blevins and illustrated by Jason Griffin.

The event is a collaboration with the Connecticut Association of School Librarians (CASL) with partial funding from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. Additional sponsors include the Connecticut Department of Education and River Bend Bookshop.

The Book Creators

Winsome Bingham is an author and literacy advocate for reading and authentic representation of children and communities in children's literature. Her book, "The Table," co-written with Wiley Blevins and illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Jason Griffin, has already received three starred reviews and is a Junior Library Guild Selection. She is a connoisseur of soul food and a master cook. She is a teacher by trade and a disabled military veteran by circumstance. She received both bachelor's and master's degrees in education and technology, and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Visit her website at https://binghamwrites.com/ .

Kyle Lukoff is the author of many books for young readers. His debut middle-grade novel, "Too Bright to See," received a Newbery honor and the Stonewall award and was a National Book Award finalist. His picture book "When Aidan Became a Brother" also won the Stonewall, and his book "Call Me Max" has been banned in schools across the country. Lukoff has written about queer history, unicycles, breakups and many other topics. While becoming a writer, he worked as a bookseller for 10 years and as a school librarian for nine. Visit his website at https://www.kylelukoff.com/ .

Juana Martinez-Neal is a Peruvian-born daughter and granddaughter of painters. Her debut as an author/illustrator, "Alma and How She Got Her Name," was awarded a Caldecott Honor and was published in Spanish as "Alma y como obtuvo su nombre." She also illustrated "La Princesa and the Pea" by Susan Middleton Elya, for which she won a Pura Belpre Illustrator Award, and "Fry Bread: a Native American Family Story" by Kevin Noble Maillard, which won a Robert F. Sibert Medal. Martinez-Neal was born in Lima, the capital of Peru. Now she lives in the woods in Eastern Connecticut with her husband, two sons, daughter. Visit her website at https://juanamartinezneal.com/ .

Barbara McClintock is an American illustrator who is the author of more than 40 children's books. Among other accolades, her books have received five New York Times Best Illustrated Picture Book Awards, four ALA Notable Book Citations, a Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Award, a China Times Best Illustrated Books Award and a British Fantasy Award. One of her books is a bestseller in Japan. She has spoken about her work globally and teaches classes on composition of children's books at Wesleyan University. She has served on the board of directors of the Eric Carle Museum and as chair at the Original Art Show at the Society of Illustrators. Originally from New Jersey and North Dakota, she now lives in northeastern Connecticut with her partner, the illustrator David Johnson. Visit her website at https://barbaramcclintockbooks.com/ .

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving upwards of 4,000 students annually on its Willimantic campus. In addition to attracting students from 160 of Connecticut's 169 towns, Eastern also draws students from 30 states and eight countries. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 68 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal arts foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 20 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2022-23 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 14 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.

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