Author visits Carp Literacy Camp

CARP – A camp focusing on literacy and the love of reading got a special treat last Tuesday (July 18) when children’s author Meghan Cook and her two young illustrators dropped by to read from their lullaby.

Carp Village Tutoring’s Summer Literacy Camp gives children in Grades 1 to 3 an opportunity to focus on their literacy skills while fostering a love of reading.

The camp is in its second year, and this year, camp operator Sarah Reid partnered with children’s author and former West Carleton resident Meghan Cook.

Late last year, Cook published her first children’s book My Bedtime Song, with her two daughters Cadence and Elara Deschamp as illustrators.

During the camp. Reid used My Bedtime Stories as a teaching tool and the focus of the literacy element of the camp. One day each of the three camp sessions, Cook and her two daughters dropped by the camp to read the story to the campers.

“This whole journey has been a dream come true,” Cook told West Carleton Online Friday, July 21). “Merging my love of reading and being creative with teaching and engaging our youth. All three weeks of summer camps were filled with amazing and inquisitive little minds, and it was even more special to have my daughters, and the book’s illustrators, Cadence and Elara, there with me. The small groups were perfect to have discussions on how to become an author, talk about what book idea they would want to each create themselves, and we had fun completing some of my activities.”

The campers were rapt, when Cook started to read her story and were excited they got to bring the story home with them after camp.

“My favorite part of any author event is seeing the attentive twinkle and excitement in the children’s eyes as I read and sing my inclusive children’s lullaby book to them,” Cook said. “I am thrilled that these children get to take a copy of my book home and read it with their family and friends.”

Reid says the book can help kids learn a lot of important reading skills at a young age.

“Some of the things we work on during summer camp are short vowel sounds, phonemic awareness skills, history of the English language and building letter-sound and sound-letter knowledge,” Reid said. “These are all key skills to develop when learning how to read.”

Cook says the partnership worked out better than expected.

“A giant thank you to Sarah for this amazing collaboration,” Cook said. “I’m so thankful for our connection and the impact we’re having within our community. I look forward to our future endeavors.”

To get your own copy of My Bedtime Song, click here. Copies are now also available at The Hive in Carp.