Written by Denise Gary
Photograph © American Library Association
Kids Need to Read (KNTR) has arranged for actor Nathan Fillion to appear on an upcoming American Library Association (ALA) celebrity READ poster. Currently starring in the ABC hit television show Castle, Fillion is a founder of KNTR. The poster pays tribute to the actor’s science fiction cult status, resulting from his past role as Captain Malcolm Reynolds on the television show Firefly and motion picture Serenity. Even more exciting, the actor’s book of choice for the poster is The Softwire: Awakening on Orbis 4, which is the fourth novel in a young adult science fiction series written by KNTR Founder PJ Haarsma. The art design focuses on outer space and the Rings of Orbis, which is the setting of The Softwire Series. It is a double-whammy of KNTR founder sci-fi geekiness and is so very beautiful!
You will be able to get your own copy of the poster at the ALA online store when it is released in mid-July. [Edit: The poster is now available here.] The product description will feature information about Kids Need to Read. Past celebrities who have appeared on the series of posters include Denzel Washington, Alan Rickman, Anthony Hopkins, Hilary Swank, Ewan McGregor, William H. Macy, Dakota Fanning, Colin Farrell, Hugh Laurie, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Eva Mendes, Salma Hayak, Julia Stiles, Ethan Hawk, John Leguizamo, Ice Cube, Bill Gates, Stephan Hawking, and many sports stars. The READ posters promote libraries, literacy, lifelong learning, and reading, and are sold to support the mission of the ALA.
The ALA is generously providing KNTR with copies of the poster for the recipients of our book donations. They will be a wonderful inspiration to children lacking in reading mentors. Thank you to everyone at the American Library Association and to our founders, PJ Haarsma and Nathan Fillion, for promoting literacy through this project.
