Following 14 years of successful SBF@Schools visits in the Savannah Chatham

County Public School System (SCCPSS) middle, high-school classrooms, the Savannah Book

Festival (SBF) is piloting an SBF@Schools program in our local elementary schools.

SBF@Schools brings nationally recognized, award-winning, and debut authors alike into local

classrooms to discuss “the life of a writer” encouraging the art of writing and a love of reading.

The SCCPSS Literacy Effectiveness Officer, Cherie Goldman and the Director of Instructional

Technology and Media Services, Samantha King, recommended SBF test the pilot during

Literacy Week (October 15 – 18, 2024).

“SBF is supporting SCCPSS as they set their sights on developing all students into proficient

readers. Our experience over the 14 years of our middle/high school SBF@Schools program

shows that hosting an author in classrooms has the power to inspire students to read and write.

We believe that inspiration can be achieved at the elementary level as well,” said Tara Setter,

Executive Director of the Savannah Book Festival.

SBF is spearheading the pilot program, hosting two authors in four local Title 1 schools (schools

with high percentage of students from low-income families), focusing on second grade

students.

SBF has identified two authors, whose work reflects the ethnic diversity of the students in these

schools, fostering a connection between the literature and the cultural experiences of the

students. Elizabeth M. Adams and her book Little Miss. Minnesota and Her Six Brothers is

scheduled to visit second graders at Gadsen Elementary on Tuesday October 15 and Brock and

Haven elementary schools on Wednesday, October 16.

Nury Castillo Crawford is scheduled to visit second graders at Garden City Elementary on Friday,

October 18, 2024, with her bilingual Spanish/English children’s book Sofia and Vivi: Big Sister.

SBF has partnered with the Savannah Repertory Theatre (SRT) to bring Teaching Artists into the

program. A Teaching Artist has worked with the author on a lesson plan for the classroom and

created a fun activity sheet for the student which includes information for the parents about

the authors’ visit.SBF will provide copies of the authors’ book for the students participating in the program,

which the author will sign.

To learn more about the force for improving literacy across our county, SCCPSS is hosting a free

Community Partner event “Awareness, Alignment, Assistance” with Kareem Weaver Tuesday,

October 15 at 6:30 PM at the Lucas Theatre.