Salve Regina presenting “March Into Reading” children’s book festival

For the 12th consecutive year, local children and their families will be participating in “March Into Reading,” a two-day festival that celebrates reading by bringing together children’s book authors and elementary school students on Aquidneck Island. This year’s event will be held Friday and Saturday, March 20-21.

Presented by the Aquidneck Collaborative for Education and Salve Regina, this year’s reading festival, “Traveling Through Time with Books,” will feature participation from six local authors and illustrators, including Jarrett Krosoczka, Gregory Mone, Ralph Masiello, Padma Venkatraman, Nancy Cote and Laura Backman.

The authors and illustrators will visit Aquidneck Island elementary school classrooms on Friday to read books, demonstrate how books are illustrated and talk with children about their love of reading and writing.

The festivities continue at Salve Regina on Saturday with author and illustrator presentations, book sales and signings, special exhibits and the very popular discovery rooms designed by education majors. The event will run from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the O’Hare Academic Center.

March into Reading promotes reading as a community value. In supplying schools with quality children’s books, the program engages students in preschools, elementary and middle schools in common reading. In addition, teachers and librarians in classrooms and school libraries throughout Aquidneck Island guide students in author and book studies of March Into Reading’s featured authors and illustrators.