Book Trivia

Just because you love to read doesn’t mean you love to write. Obviously, the advantages of reading are many – opening new worlds of thought and meaning, providing entertainment and refuge, expanding our horizons. But here’s a plus to reading we often overlook: How about helping us become better writers? Our first guest – Educator and writer, Mary Bigler confirms this. Books (from picture books to novels) can actually become a child’s mentor – giving them opportunities to imitate an author as they are learning how to write. Once a pre-school teacher and now a professor, Mary Bigler has spent her life promoting literacy and celebrating the joys of teaching. She’s an award-winning professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Eastern Michigan University and, author of Lessons Learned.

Next, Rachel welcomes fellow-librarian Gene Nelson, Director of the Provo City Library, who has an expansive vision of what a library can be – offering not only the printed word, but digital resources and centers for community. Gene Nelson has participated on many local, regional, and national committees including the Caldecott committee in 2000 and in 2010. He also teaches children’s literature classes at BYU.