Vermont Reads Day Welcomes National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature

Montpelier ~ Vermont author and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Katherine Paterson will speak about the importance of reading in child development in a talk at McCarthy Arts Center at Saint Michael’s College on Thursday, October 7. Her talk, “The Child Left Behind,” takes place at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

Paterson will focus on the role reading plays in the development of individuals and in the health of the society in which they live, work, and raise families. She will be introduced by John Cole, director of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. A reception follows the talk.

Paterson’s talk is the culmination of Vermont Reads Day at St. Michael’s College. Vermont Reads is the Vermont Humanities Council’s statewide, one-book community reading program. The Day of the Pelican, Paterson’s latest book, is the 2010 Vermont Reads pick.

A two-time winner of the National Book Award and the Newbery Medal, Paterson was named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature in January by Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. She has chosen “Read for Your Life” as the theme of her two-year appointment.

Paterson’s talk is presented by the Vermont Humanities Council, Saint Michael’s College, and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

For more information about Vermont Reads, visit vermontreads.org or call 802.262.2626 x306.

The Vermont Humanities Council is a private nonprofit working to bring the power and the pleasure of the humanities to all Vermonters — of every background and in every community. VHC strives to make Vermont a state in which every individual reads, participates in public affairs, and continues to learn throughout life. To learn more about the Vermont Humanities Council, visit www.vermonthumanities.org or call 802.262.2626.