CREATING READING RAINBOW - MODEST BEGINNINGS TO TRANSFORMING LITERACY & TELEVISION

Join us as Barbara Irwin, Tony Buttino, Sr., and Pam Johnson share the story of Creating Reading Rainbow, one of the most successful PBS children’s series in television history. Reading Rainbow is very much a story of humble beginnings and enormous perseverance.

Over five summers, Tony Buttino Sr. and his colleagues at WNED-TV in Buffalo, New York, worked in collaboration with educators and librarians to experiment with summer reading programs. But after trialing these programs, the WNED team realized there was a big need for a new children's literacy series and believed they could create a new show with local and national collaborators and friends.

After fits and starts, and enough twists and turns to fill a children’s book, Reading Rainbow premiered in the summer of 1983 and captured the attention of 6.5 million young viewers.

P. KNUCKLE JONES AND CLASSROOM CURRICULUM - THE WRITE KELLYS

The Write Kellys are an award-winning author and illustrator duo who have published four children’s books with many more (always!) in the works. The married couple (parents, creatives and professors in their day jobs) turn into their alter ego mystery writer, P. Knuckle Jones when it’s time to write, because—let's face it—that name is just way cooler than Rebecca and Kevin Kelly. 

Their books offer to parents, teachers and librarians opportunities to help young readers learn along with the characters through comprehension support and other fun activities.