The Tucson Festival of Books is celebrating a milestone Sunday — exceeding more than $1 million in donations to local literacy programs in five years.
At the festival’s prologue event for the 2015 book fair, organizers will present their latest check for $150,000 that will be divided among its three recipients — Literacy Connects, Reading Seed and the UA Literacy Outreach Programs, said Marcy Euler, the book festival’s executive director.
Among the work this year’s literacy beneficiaries do are:
- Literacy Connects has a program in which reading coaches volunteer to work with kindergarten to third-grade students to improve their reading skills.
- Reading Seed literacy coaches work with elementary school children who are reading below grade level, and emphasize reading as a positive experience.
- University of Arizona Literacy Outreach Programs have several programs, including helping low-income, minority families get their children to college.
People are also reading…
Sunday’s preview event is from 2 to 4 p.m. at the University of Arizona Main BookStore, 1209 E. University Blvd. The reservation deadline for the event has passed, but walk-ins will be welcome. Registration starts at 1 p.m.
The celebration will also announce the top presenting authors of each literary genre at the 2015 book festival, to be held March 14-15 on the UA campus.
Those authors include Mitch Albom, “Tuesdays With Morrie”; humorist Dave Barry, “You Can Date Boys When You’re Forty”; Gail Sheehy, “Passages”; Scott Turow, “Presumed Innocent”; Amy Tan, “The Joy Luck Club”; and Craig Johnson, “Longmire” mystery series.
Book discounts and complimentary gift wrap will be available at the bookstore during the preview event.
The festival supports education and literacy and is focused on providing young people with a brighter future, Euler said. She estimated that one-third of festival participants are age 18 and younger.
Authors visit schools, and field trips to the festival have enabled more than 3,500 students to attend the event, according to the festival’s website.
“The festival has put Tucson on the map as far as the importance of literacy and education in our community,” Euler said. She said it is the fourth-largest book festival in the country.
Free books are given to youths and families during the festival, and the upcoming festival is expected to attract more than 130,000 people, according to organizers.
The festival will feature nearly 350 presenters, more than 150 exhibitors and dozens of activities and presentations for children and teens, Euler said.
Among the festival’s co-founders are the University of Arizona and the Arizona Daily Star. For more information, go to tucsonfestivalofbooks.org
