Seven young artists are showcasing their talent through bookmarks that will be distributed throughout the community in the coming weeks as part of Lacey Loves to Read.
Now in its 23rd year, the popular community literacy initiative aims to encourage reading and bring the community together around a different award winning author every year.
This year’s author is Renée Watson, a New York Times bestseller who will attend various Lacey Loves to Read events Feb. 10-13.
The initiative is a partnership between North Thurston Public Schools, the City of Lacey and the Lacey Timberland Regional Library, and other community sponsors.
An effort to get kids excited about the program and combine art with literacy, the Lacey Loves to Read Bookmark Contest has grown in popularity in recent years, with over 3,000 entries submitted this year.
A total of 24 winners, one for each school in the North Thurston Public Schools district plus private school and homeschool categories, were selected. Seven of those winners were awarded the grand prize — which includes having their bookmarks printed and distributed at local schools, sponsor locations and the Lacey Timberland Regional Library, and meeting the mayor and members of Lacey City Council.
“The competition was tough and the artwork was simply amazing,” Erika Scott-Small of Lacey Parks, Culture & Recreation said during a Lacey City Council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 20, where the grand prize bookmark contest winners were celebrated. “It’s quite amazing to see them all spread out and it’s just an amazing part of our events.”
Lacey Loves to Read also puts on a Teen Writing and Art Contest, with the winning entries published in a book that will be available at the Lacey Timberland Library and online at TRL.org.
The committee is currently going through the judging process, Scott-Small said, noting that that contest also has a record number of entries this year.
“The numbers keep going up and up every year, and the quality, too. It’s really great.”
One of Lacey Loves to Read’s hallmark events, Read Around Lacey, runs Jan. 26 to Feb. 6.
Kids in grades K-5 are invited to join in an “interactive reading adventure” by visiting six participating businesses around Lacey, reading a snippet of a favorite book or their own writing, and talking to business representatives about how reading is important in their industry.
Lacey Loves to Read will conclude its event calendar for the year with a community celebration and book signing with Watson on Feb. 12.
The event runs from 6-8 p.m. at North Thurston High School’s Koval Center and is free to attend.
For more information about Lacey Loves to Read events and contest winners, visit https://trl.org/blogs/post/lacey-loves-to-read/ and https://www.ntps.org/community/lacey-loves-to-read.
