First Lady Crissy Haslam Promotes the First Lady’s Read20 Family Book Club with Military Families at Fort Campbell Military Installation

Promotional reading event at Fort Campbell Military Installation to encourage military family participation

NASHVILLE – First Lady Crissy Haslam visited military families and children at Fort Campbell Military Installation today to encourage their participation in the First Lady’s Read20 Family Book Club. 
 
Approximately 125 military personnel, family members and children were present to participate in the First Lady’s Read20 Family Book Club event.  Mrs. Haslam visited with families, read to the children, and distributed free copies of July’s Book of the Month, Judy Moody Declares Independence by Megan McDonald.

“Military and their families make incredible sacrifices.  In addition to the emotional struggle of being separated from a deployed parent, military children bravely deal with issues in education such as mobility, family separation, and transition,” said Mrs. Haslam.  “I am honored to spend time with this group today to recognize their service and sacrifice, and to encourage their involvement with the Read20 Family Book Club.”

As part of her early literacy initiative, the First Lady launched her Read20 Family Book Club last month to highlight the importance of reading and parental engagement in children’s academic lives, encouraging Tennessee families to read together for at least 20 minutes each day.  Mrs. Haslam has promoted her book club through delivering books to children and visiting with families throughout the state this summer.  During the month of July, Mrs. Haslam will visit Tennessee military installations to encourage military families and children to participate in the program.   

 “I am excited to feature Judy Moody Declares Independence for the month of July.  It is a very fun and patriotic book that includes a lot of character-building and history, too,” said Mrs. Haslam.  “I hope that lots of families will participate in the program this month and that the conversation around the importance of early literacy and parental engagement in children’s academic lives continues.”

For more information about the Read20 Family Book Club visit www.tn.gov/read20, www.facebook.com/CrissyHaslam, follow @Read20TN on Twitter, or go to your local public library.