“Unbridled Readers” to be recognized at annual Reading Celebration

Students and their families are invited to participate in a night of “Unbridled Reading” at the 2011 Knox County Reading Celebration set for Tuesday, May 17, at Knox Central High School.   Student awards, reading theme rooms, guest authors, and community exhibits are a few of the activities planned.  The event is sponsored by the Knox County Literacy Council.

The annual county-wide celebration will begin by recognizing hundreds of top student readers from Knox County at 6pm.   Students will be individually recognized and presented with a certificate of achievement for exceeding their reading goals.

Students will once again be able to participate in reading-theme rooms throughout the hallways of Knox Central.  Each school will decorate a room around the theme of a book and provide related activities and games.  This year’s reading theme rooms include:

  • Barbourville, The Winner’s Circle by Lauraine Snelling, Room 110
  • Central Elementary, The Black Stallion Shipwrecked with a Wild Stallion by Walter Farley, Room 108
  • Dewitt Elementary, Dreamer by Cathy Hapka, Room 109
  • Flat Lick Elementary, B is for Bluegrass, A Kentucky Alphabet by Mary Ann McCabe Riehle, Room 111
  • Girdler Elementary,  Mama is a Miner by George Ella Lyon, Room 105
  • Hampton Elementary, Derby Day by Pamela Pease, Room 106
  • Lay Elementary, Little Freddy Goes to the Kentucky Derb by Kathryn Cocquyt, Room 104
  • Knox Central, The Kentucky Thoroughbred by Kent Hollingsworth, Library
  • Knox Co. Middle, Man O’War by Walter Farley, Room 123
  • Lynn Camp Schools, White Diamond’s Run for the Roses by Aimee Aryal, Room 122

 

Each year the Literacy Council holds a logo design contest centered around the year’s theme.  Mary Mills, a student at Knox Central, placed first for her artwork depicting a girl engaged in unbridled reading.  Mills’ artwork will be used in decorations and print publications at the celebration.   Honorable mention in the contest was Linda Brooks, student at Knox Central, and Marcus Todd, student at Barbourville.

The celebration will also include several local and regional authors that will be selling and signing copies of their books.

  • Regina Bargo, author of Jonas Wept
  • Nancy Kelly Allen, author of On The Banks of The Amazon, Happy Birthday, The Munched-Up Flower Garden, and Trouble in Troublesome Creek
  • Susan Henson & Pam Mashburn, authors of The Adventures of Flemming

 

Financial support for the annual Reading Celebration is made possible by donations from local individuals, businesses, and organizations.   This year’s donors include Rex and Judy Carnes, Mary Alice Lay, Whitaker Bank, Union College, Charley Greene Dixon, Sonny’s Sporting Goods, Knox Family Medicine PSC, Forcht Bank, Finley’s Fun Center, Cash Express, CTA Acoustics, Evans, Mills & Warriner, Jack & Jill Daycare, Truseal Technologies, Barbourville Jr. Woman’s Study Club, Teco Coal, Mountain Advocate, Kids Being Kids, and Books-A-Million.