Helping hands: Mid-State Literacy Council to hold 10th annual Barnes & Noble Book Fair

Resilience (n): An ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change (Merriam-Webster).

As a community, we are stronger together. Support from friends, family and mentors builds resilience. Lifelong learning builds resilience. The ability to safely make mistakes and try again builds resilience.

This fall has been a season of resilience at Mid-State Literacy Council (MSLC). Executive Director Amy Wilson’s retirement brought big changes after 15 years of leadership. As the new director, I remind myself, “change is hard.” Our adult literacy students can relate. Change for students means living in a new country and speaking a new language, navigating evolving technology, and expanding skillsets. Change is hard, yet they continue to achieve their goals. Their resilience inspires us daily.

Wanda Mertick, committee chair of MSLC’s upcoming Barnes & Noble book fair, reflects, “As I gaze at the myriad books on my shelves, I realize many contain excellent examples of resilience. Fiction, non-fiction, it doesn’t matter. Books reveal diverse ways one can be formed and transformed by what happens in a day, a year, or a lifetime. Frodo and Samwise in ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ Santiago in ‘The Alchemist,’ Elie Wiesel in ‘Night,’ Anne Shirley in ‘Anne of Green Gables’ — each person or character has a story that illustrates resilience.”

From Nov. 22-24, at Mid-State Literacy Council’s 10th Annual Barnes & Noble Book Fair on Benner Pike, you will have the opportunity to listen to a range of presentations on the theme of resilience. You will hear messages of growth, opportunity and hope. Mertick invites you to, “Learn about gems of resilience. If you purchase books for yourself or others, you, and they, can find inspiration for resilience while supporting Mid-State Literacy Council, raise awareness for literacy, put books in the hands of people we serve, and allow us to purchase much-needed resources.”

We hope to see you there!

Friday, Nov. 22

7 p.m. - Home, Belonging and Migration: The Road to the Salt Sea - Sam Kolawole

Saturday, Nov. 23

10 a.m. - Lessons from the Underground Railroad in Central PA - Matt Maris

11 a.m. - Prose Poetry: Window Over the Sink - Charley Springer

noon - 75th National Book Award Reading - Ashley Kraige

12:30 p.m. - Children’s Drum Circle - Jennifer Bittner

1 p.m. - Ruth Kistler Award: Honoring Katie O’Toole - Cupcakes for All!

2 p.m. - Graphic Novels Inspiring Empathy, Determination & Joy - Kendra Boileau

3 p.m. - Nature Through Story: Legacy of Jean Craighead George - Jeni Zerphy

4 p.m. - Suzuki Musicians from Suzuki Friends - Leslie Beers

Sunday, Nov. 24

1 p.m. - Poets: A Hope for Our World - Cheyla Ramirez-Crawford

2 p.m. - From Start to Finish: Resiliency for Racing - Josh Cone, Eric Engelbarts, Steve Klebacha, John Dillon

3 p.m. - Just Jump: An Inspirational Message - Tammy Miller

4 p.m. - Performance by The Music Academy Suzuki players - Trevor Thompson