We converted our usual in-person spring fundraising event Read-A-Palooza to a COVID-safe poster to both raise money and serve the mission. The Read Around West Virginia poster features books set in or written by authors from the Mountain State alongside our 31 sponsors, listed below. A celebration of West Virginia literacy, culture, and art, the poster was hand-drawn by Charleston-based artist Brenda Pinnell of HepCatz Design.
Posters will be shared with enrolled schools and community partners this winter onward. They will be sold in Charleston’s Taylor Books and Lewisburg’s A New Chapter, as well as other potential vendors.
Email stateoffice@readaloudwv.org if you’re interested in offering Read Around WV posters in your business.
This Ten to Try includes a sample of children’s books featured in the poster, and why we think they’re great.
The Star Fisher
by Laurence Yep | Ages 8 and up
Set in Clarksburg in 1927, fifteen-year-old Chinese-American protagonist Joan Lee, shares an emotionally complex story of prejudice and the immigrant experience in Appalachia, weaving a traditional Chinese myth about the half-bird, half-human starfisher throughout.
Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Put Astronauts on the Moon
Written by Helaine Becker, illustrated by Dow Phumiruk | Ages 5 and up
The true story of Katherine Johnson, a Black mathematician and White Sulphur Springs native, and how she went from a curious, gifted student to a prominent contributor to the NASA space race, saving lives and making history with her calculations.
Golden Delicious: A Cinderella Apple Story
Written by Anna Egan Smucker, illustrated by Kathleen Kemly | Ages 4 and up
The true story of how a Clay County farmer – Anderson Mullins – discovers a tree of Golden Delicious apples on his farm and collaborates with the Missouri-based Stark brothers to make them a staple of the apple world.
Mothman Learns the ABCs
Written by Michael Schang, illustrated by Danner Seyffer-Sprague | Ages 0 and up
An ABC book starring West Virginia’s most famous cryptid, Mothman, who travels the Mountain State on a quest for knowledge.
More Than Anything Else
Written by Marie Bradby, illustrated by Chris K. Soentpiet | Ages 8 and up
A fictional account of nine-year-old Booker T. Washington living in a West Virginia settlement after emancipation, working in the salt works, and longing to learn to read.
The Boys Start the War
By Phyllis Reynolds Naylor | Ages 8 and up
A prank war between the four Hatford boys and the three Malloy girls is started when the Hatfords attempt to antagonize their unwanted new neighbors into leaving West Virginia and returning to Ohio.
Passing the Music Down
Written by Sarah Sullivan, illustrated by Barry Root | Ages 5 and up
A tale told in lyrical free verse and inspired by the lives of renowned fiddlers Melvin Wine and Jake Krack, this book follows a young boy who learns from an old-time fiddle player, joining a tradition of passing the music down.
Up Molasses Mountain
By Julie Baker | Ages 10 and up
Set in Clay, WV in 1953, two young narrators tell the story of a divided mining town. Elizabeth, whose father and brother are opposed on unionization, and her classmate Clarence, who is shunned for his cleft-palate, face turmoil and heartache together, weaving a narrative of empowering friendship amongst adversity.
The Relatives Came
Written by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Stephen Gammell | Ages 2 and up
In a time when big family get-togethers are much rarer than they used to be, who wouldn’t enjoy this sunny story about a long and boisterous visit from the relatives?
Venola the Vegetarian
By Cheryl Ware | Ages 8 and up
Seventh grader Venola Cutright isn’t afraid of a challenge. In a world where hotdog eating contests are the norm, she decides to become a vegetarian, attempting to convert her family, friends, and the unsmiling cafeteria lady along the way.
Thank you to our sponsors!
The Becker Family
Andy Richardson
William Maxwell Davis
John T. Gibson, DDS, PLLC
Tom Heywood and Melody Simpson
