In celebration of Right to Read Week, Lexington’s Western Elementary School received a visit from children’s author Conrad Storad on Tuesday. Known for his unique ability of creating educational, yet entertaining, science and nature books, Storad gripped the children’s attention during the reading of one of his books, “Fang and Stinger: An Arachnid Tale.”
Storad said that he’s visited 1,377 schools and 965,000 children. “My goal is to read to one million kids,” he said.
Storad praised the value of storytelling, especially in regard to the genre of stories he writes. “I’m trying to promote science literacy through stories, and one of the best ways to teach anything is if you put it in story format because the brain retains the information better than just memorizing facts,” he said.
In addition to Storad’s visit, Lexington educators will hold other special activities centered on reading to help the students understand the value of reading throughout the week, Teacher Margaret Martin said.
She said this year’s theme for Right to Read Week is “Saddle Up and Read.” Fittingly, students and teachers were decked out in western wear. They voiced their appreciation to Storad by giving him a “Yeehaw!” at the end of his visit.
Storad, a native of Barberton, Ohio, has authored 48 science and nature books. Prior to writing children’s books, Storad served as editor for “ASU Research Magazine” for more than 24 years. To learn more about him, visit http://www.fivestarpublications.net/conradstorad/about.
