New Hampshire author and illustrator Marty Kelley chatting with students at Mount Pleasant Elementary School on Sept. 19, during the Year of the Book kick-off event. Courtesy photo/Nashua School District

NASHUA – Bringing laughter and fun to spark the creative storytelling process, New Hampshire children’s author and illustrator Marty Kelley kicked off a school-wide year devoted to reading books and being creative at Mount Pleasant Elementary School.

“Be curious and take time to play,” said Kelley.

The Year of the Book is sponsored by the Children’s Literacy Foundation in Waterbury Center, Vt. Since its inception in 1998, the nonprofit organization has been dedicated to inspiring a love of reading and writing among children in low-income, at-risk and rural environments across Vermont and New Hampshire.

Mount Pleasant is a recipient of a $25,000 CLiF Year of the Book grant for the 2023-2024 school year. The grant provides the school with frequent author visits, special programs, and ten free books for each student as part of the program. The grant also includes $1,000 to purchase new books for the Mount Pleasant Library and Nashua Public Library.

Jacqueline Okonak, principal at Mount Pleasant, said the Year of the Book grant has brought excitement and a special focus on literacy to the school.

“The Year of the Book kickoff with Marty Kelley was a wonderful introduction for our students to see what this year with CLiF will bring,” she said. “For each of our students to pick out not one but two books to bring home with them today was incredible. To think they will have not one but four more opportunities this year to select books of their interest to help develop that passion for reading for information and for pleasure is remarkable. It is going to be an exciting year here at Mount P. thanks to CLiF.”

Additional literacy events and book giveaways will continue at Mount Pleasant Elementary through the school year.

“CLiF is thrilled to partner with the Mount Pleasant School through our Year of the Book program this year,” said CLiF Executive Director Laura Rice. “As with our previous Nashua School District partnerships, CLiF knows that this shared commitment will expand the many opportunities that come when students wholeheartedly engage with reading and writing.”