We provide programs and services that encourage a passion for reading among children living on Maine’s islands. We bring authors and illustrators, as well as other friends, along with books, to the islands’ schools and libraries. The visitors connect with the children directly: reading, discussing, writing, drawing, and reviewing what they read. The result is an enriched enthusiasm for books, the people who make them, the doors they open, and the learning they rouse. The two programs currently in place are Island Book and Author and Friends Over Books.
Why focus on Maine's islands? Because island children live in remote places and don't get many visitors, especially visitors who are there just for them. These children may be sophisticated internet users but may have had limited personal contact with people who lived in Afghanistan or heard an author tell how he researched his book by looking at old-time Sears catalogues. Our visits expand the kids' imaginations and talents through books and closely related activities, led by experienced and caring outsiders, who offer a bridge to worlds beyond their island coasts.