This Friday, Sept. 28, Larchmont bookstore, the Voarcious Reader, will team up with Room to Read Westchester to host author Patricia McCormick.
Here’s news from the Voracious Reader:
Teens are all too often cast as self-absorbed and disinterested in world affairs. Convinced otherwise that “teens and tweens can change the world,” Larchmont bookstore, The Voracious Reader, in partnership with Westchester Chapter of Room to Read, a global non-profit literacy organization, will host a book reading and signing with award-winning, teen author and social change catalyst Patricia McCormick at the bookstore on Friday, September 28th at 6:30pm.
McCormick will transport teens and tweens to the starkly different world of Cambodia during the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s through her most recent novel, “Never Fall Down,” based on the real-life story of 11-year old boy soldier Arn Chorn-Pond, who survived the atrocities by playing music. McCormick was a National Book Award finalist in 2007 for “Sold” and also authored acclaimed books “Cut,” “My Brother’s Keeper,” and “Purple Heart.” 10% of all book sales from the evening will be donated to Room to Read.
“Teens and tweens want to be part of their world and working for change,” said Francine Lucidon, owner of The Voracious Reader, a bookstore with an adjoining teashop in Larchmont. Lucidon paired McCormick with Room to Read for this teen author event and call to action because McCormick is “on the leading edge of bringing harsh facts of the world to young people and motivating them to act” and Room to Read is “the gold standard for non-profit organizations” in its record and work building literacy skills and supporting girls education in the developing world.
“I wanted to make a difference, which is why I joined Room to Read,” said Carlee Palmer, senior student from New Rochelle High School, who volunteers with the Westchester Chapter of Room to Read. Palmer and classmate, Alexandra Williams, both helped to write Westchester Chapter’s first newsletter in June 2011. Both have also been actively recruiting other teens to volunteer and attend the author event on September 28.
“We’re hoping to connect local teens and tweens to Room to Read’s ‘Students Helping Students’ global youth movement to take action supporting global literacy,” said Karen Regan, co-leader of the Westchester Chapter of Room to Read. An example of a popular initiative launched by “Students Helping Students” is its user-friendly Read-a-thon kit. This has been used by students to improve their own literacy skills while raising funds in their community for Room to Read.
Since it started in Fall 2010, the Westchester Chapter of Room to Read has raised awareness and money for Room Read through a variety of community events. It organized a Rally for Reading luncheon with Room to Read’s CEO Erin Ganju and award-winning author, Julie Orringer, of “The Invisible Bridge” in November 2011. The chapter also brought Kall Kann, a survivor of Cambodia’s killing fields and Room to Read’s Country Director in Cambodia, as a guest speaker at the Rye Reading Room in May 2011.
Coming up on November 16, 2011, Westchester Chapter will hold an exclusive screening at the Pelham Picture House of “Half the Sky” a new documentary from The New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof and his wife Sheryl WuDunn, based on their best-selling book. Room to Read Founder and Board Co-Chair, John Wood, will be there to talk about the film segment which features the stories of three girls from Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program in Vietnam as they work to create a better life for themselves and their families.
About Room to Read and Room to Read Westchester Chapter
Room to Read (www.roomtoread.org) is a global organization seeking to transform the lives of millions of children in the developing world by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Founded on the belief that “World Change Starts with Educated Children,” Room to Read works in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children and to ensure girls have the skills and support needed to complete their secondary education. Since 2000, Room to Read has impacted the lives of more than 6 million children in Asia and Africa and aims to reach 10 million children by 2015.
The Westchester Chapter of Room to Read was founded in November 2010 by Carine Verschueren who returned to Westchester after 4 years in Japan where she was an active member of the Room to Read Tokyo Chapter. For further information about the Westchester Chapter of Room to Read, visit www.roomtoread.org/westchester.
