Cover to Cover Reading Festival

Sapphire to Visit

The Fayetteville Public Library will kick off its fourth annual Cover to Cover Reading Festival from 1 to 4 p.m. Feb. 6 with a party in the library lobby. The event will feature a photo booth, a gift for participants and the opportunity to pick up the 2010 “community read book.”

Participants can visit the photo booth to have thier photos made to personalize their reading logs or take a picture with their favorite book.

This will also be the first chance to check out copies of “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer.

The 12-week reading festival will include community discussions of “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” in March and “Push” by Sapphire in April. Sapphire will give a free lecture at the library on April 20.

Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, Africa and dreamed of building a windmill that would bring electricity and water to his village. Using scrap metal and tractor and bicycle parts he built a windmill that powered four lights and two radios.

‘Push” is the first novel by New York performance poet, Sapphire. The New York Times bestseller was the inspiration for the film, “Precious,” which has won Golden Globe and SAG awards for actress Mo’Nique. It is the story of a poor, overweight, pregnant and abused teen who grows up in Harlem and eventually escapes from the horrors of her world by learning to read.

The Cover to Cover Reading Festival is for those 18 and older. Participants can choose to read fiction, non-fiction and biographies or listen to audio books. Sign up will continue throughout the 12-week program. There will be weekly prizes and three grand prizes will be given when the program concludes on April 30.

For information call 856-7250.