Studies have shown that fostering an early love for reading sets children up for academic success. As student literacy rates decline statewide, the Massachusetts Center for the Book is teaming up with schools, libraries and authors to spark that passion across western Massachusetts.
The third annual Kids Lit Fest will return on May 3 for a weeklong celebration of stories with events across Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden and Berkshire counties. The festival will include storytimes, writing workshops, open mics, book fairs and more.
“With reading scores continuing to fall, and with fewer and fewer kids picking up books in their free time, this is a critical moment to spark excitement around reading,” Courtney Andree, executive director of the Massachusetts Center for the Book, said.
According to Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) data, in 2025, 7% of students across grades 3-8 exceeded expectations in English Language Arts (ELA), and only 34% of students met expectations. Eight years ago, in 2017, the number of students statewide exceeding expectations was 10%, and 42% of students met expectations.
Legacy MCAS tests were scored differently from the current exams, but according to data from 2005, 62% of third graders across the state had “proficient” scores in ELA. Of the older, 10th-grade students, 43% were proficient in ELA, and 23% were advanced.
“Studies have shown that regardless of what they’re reading, reading helps students improve in all subjects and supports social-emotional learning,” Amherst author and publisher Hannah Moushabeck said. “Whenever you have an outsider come visit, it sparks a buzz in the schools.”
Moushabeck will be making a visit to Colrain Central School as part of the festivities, for a reading and discussion on her first book, ‘Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine.’ The book is memoir telling the tale of three little girls learning about their family history by listening to stories told by their dad.
She said the book is about intergenerational storytelling, and she hopes her visit encourages them not only to learn more about their family history and background but also to be inspired to read more stories. All students will be receiving a copy of ‘Homeland’ as part of the Kids Lit Fest celebration.
“I think books are so important,” Moushabeck said. “As books are continued to be banned across the nation, ensuring students have access to a variety of stories and ideas is so important.”
South Hadley Children’s Librarian Jenny Arch emphasized that “the freedom to read is more important now than ever,” and she hopes the Kids Lit Fest events will help introduce kids and families to new stories. The South Hadley Library will be hosting its first-ever Picture Book Fair on May 9 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., featuring seven authors, including one author/illustrator, and is partnering with the Odyssey Bookshop to have picture books available for sale at the event.
She noted that the library regularly hosts storytimes and author visits. By bringing in multiple authors at once, she hopes to introduce even more children to new stories.
“We frequently have authors come to our regular storytime, and PJ storytime, and I was just thinking if we brought in a bunch of authors and combined it with the Kids Lit Fest we might get a lot of people to come,” Arch said. “For some kids, it might be the first time they’ve met an author.”
Ellen Lavoie, head of children’s services at the Greenfield Public Library, said that while the Greenfield Public Library is not hosting any public events as part of Kids Lit Fest, it is partnering with Greenfield Middle School to bring author Christina Uss for a visit. Author visits can not only introduce students to new stories but also the idea of authors and get them thinking about what goes into creating a book.
“At the middle school level sometimes you see kids dropping off pleasure reading and we want to keep kids excited about stories,” Lavoie said. “Author visits can help get them excited about stories and also show them that being an author is a career choice.”
One way kids can learn more about the process of storytelling is by attending the writing workshop with author Taylor Tyng at Easthampton Public Library at 4 p.m. on May 8. Tyng, who has written three books for middle school-aged readers, will lead attendees through the process of developing a character.
“One of the things I try to do with school visits and other events is try to make them as interactive as possible,” Tyng said. “We’re gonna talk about stories and what drives stories, and then we’re going to explore characters and what stories they need to go on.”
He said it starts with a name, and then he encourages attendees to develop an age, character traits and the story of that character, and whether they need a sidekick or villain as well. Toward the end of the workshop, attendees will then write and share the first paragraph of their story.
Tyng, who describes himself as “an accidental author,” said his first book evolved from a bedtime story he told his daughter, and his latest book, “Sprout,” was developed in collaboration with his daughter. He said the main character was inspired by a sketch his daughter drew of a girl who had antlers growing out of her head. She faces challenges and eventually meets and befriends a boy who has his own hidden struggles.
He said what he likes about writing stories and doing author visits is making stories accessible and encouraging people to read or even listen to stories via audiobooks.
“Yesterday was the book fair at the school where I teach, and in that moment, I realized how exciting a new book is. Students who are typically running around and playing were all leaning against their backpacks, reading … Great stories take us places,” Tyng said. “For me, it’s about giving access to books. It’s about getting people to love stories. Any way you can captivate someone and get them absorbed into a story is great.”
Other events on the Kids Lit Fest calendar include:
- An open mic night inviting kids to read and share some of their work on May 3 at 4:30 p.m. at Sip413 in Florence.
- A storytime with author Scott Magoon and his book ‘There’s No Place Like Gnome” at the Sunderland Public Library on May 6 at 3:30 p.m. Following a reading, Magoon will lead a drawing activity.
- A storytime with author Brian Lies and his book “Cat Nap” on May 5 at 4 p.m. at the Forbes Library in Northampton. The event will include cat-themed crafts and activities.
For more information and a complete list of events, visit makidslitfest.org.
