The Friends & Volunteers and local community members gathered at the Primary School on Monday, March 3rd, to celebrate Read Across America 2025 with PreK to 3rd grade students. Read Across America is an initiative on reading, created by the National Education Association in 1997, with the goal of having an annual day to celebrate the joys of reading.

After a warm welcome from principal, Dr. Cathy Smith, volunteers spread throughout the school, armed with favorite children’s books to read aloud in each classroom. The Friends & Volunteers, who have sponsored this event for many years, gifted various books by author Beth Ferry to each Primary School student and teacher.

This year the Friends & Volunteers are pleased to have collaborated with Taimi Kelley, OCPL children’s librarian, to highlight New Jersey children’s book author, Beth Ferry. The author will give a presentation on Wednesday, March 11th at 6:30 in the library lecture hall. It is our hope that many Primary School students will attend the presentation and have their book signed by the author.

A huge thank you to our F & V and community members who give their time, year after year, to organize the books and to read aloud in classrooms at the Primary School. We hope you know how much you are appreciated.

Author Beth Ferry and F & V member Kathleen Woodring at the author book signing.