This year, the Knowlton Literary Festival will expand its activities to include the literacy development of infants and pre-school children. Called “Tales for Tots”, or “Les ’tits trésors”, the new project will begin with a book-drive to supply books to the infants and small children in our local daycares.

“Few things are so economically and spiritually disabling as not being able to read.” said Wendy Seys of the Yamaska Literacy Council, “The early years are our best chance.”

“Children’s comfort with books, and so with reading, is set before they first attend school,” said Erica Cousens, Educational and Technical Support Consultant to the CPE La Passerelle des mousses daycare in Knowlton.

“From infancy to five, most children of working mothers spend their days in daycare,” said Alexandra Roy, ED of CPE La Passerelle des mousses, the largest daycare in the area. “Here we can read to kids and kids can be surrounded with books.”

“We intend to start our work in a simple way,” said Judith Duncanson, a founding board member of the Festival. “This year, we will ask the grandparents in our community to bring in the books that their own grandchildren have outgrown. CPE La Passerelle des mousses will then help us distribute books to as many other daycares as possible.”

“As we talked to many people about our plans to have a book drive for daycares, we discovered many organizations and people that are passionate about this cause,” said Founding Chairman, Philip Lanthier. “We will be working with these organizations to foster reading among the children of the Knowlton community. If we start kids at a young age, they’re more likely to become good readers and good students later.”

Organizations involved with the Knowlton Literary Festival include: Knowlton Academy; Pettes Memorial Library, Yamaska Literacy Council; Mother Goose, a program of the Eastern Townships School Board; CPE Passerelle des mousses; Village Reads, a reading program at Knowlton Academy run by Arlene and Bill McKellar and the Townshippers Association.

For more information: Robert Paterson 450 204 5780 or robert.paterson@gmail.com