FeFe Handy: “Page Turners Make Great Learners”

On February 23 members of the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville heard FeFe Handy speak about her non-profit literary organization Page Turners Make Great Learners. This group’s mission is “to expand children’s knowledge and understanding of the world, themselves and their unique possibilities through a love of reading.” The group grew out of her concern for her nine-year-old daughter, who didn’t like to read, and has grown by word of mouth into a multi-school and community program. They sponsor an after school book club which gives children in the 3rd-5th grades five books and one field trip. They host readathons, mostly in Title I elementary schools, where volunteers go into classes, talk about their professions and the value of reading, and read a book to the children. She characterized the experience as “bringing the dream to the child.” Emphasis is placed on the fun of reading and on the difference being a good reader makes in life.