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Kids meet beloved author Rosemary Wells at Stambaugh Auditorium
By Billy Ludt
YOUNGSTOWN
Author and illustrator Rosemary Wells said she purposefully placed her beloved rabbit characters Max and Ruby in stories absent from parents to let them discover the world on their own terms.
On Friday morning at Stambaugh Auditorium, Wells recognized a room full of hundreds of children willing to spend their summer reading and learning about their own and other worlds as well.
The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County brought Wells to Youngstown to celebrate area children who completed the library’s Summer Discovery program’s reading requirements.
Wells, the creator of the Max & Ruby children’s book series, has worked on more than 130 books, including historical novels, nursery rhymes and other children’s literature.
“These kids are total winners because they’ve done their summer reading,” Wells said. “They will be readers, and succeeders and leaders.”
Wells has given talks and taken part in similar programs in Japan, Russia, Singapore, Myanmar and South Korea.
The focus of her talk Friday was on the value of reading to children and encouraging them to develop reading habits once they’re able.
Wells cited studies that showed months worth of learning and skills are dropped when a child doesn’t read in the summertime.
“Youngstown is so lucky,” she said. “They have the most wonderful library program. If children are read to for 20 minutes a day, they will benefit from it greatly.”
Wells said accessibility to public libraries and persistent reading could help children transcend socioeconomic hardships.
“I’ve been doing this for 40 years, and I’m still so excited that Rosemary Wells comes to Youngstown, Ohio,” said the library’s director of youth services Josephine Nolfi.
Summer Discovery set reading requirements with incentives for participants. Free books, gifts card drawings and author events such as Wells’ were in the mix.
An adult category in Summer Discovery is also available.