REAL’s Annual Little Free Library Crawl Set for March 19

Families with early readers are invited to embark on an adventure in literacy at The REAL Program’s Annual Little Free Library Crawl: A Celebration of Literacy at Lynn Museum, Lynn, MA on Sunday, March 19, from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Registration will be at the Lynn Museum, at 12:30 p.m. The price is $5 per child, $20 max per family.

Together, children and adults will enjoy searching for clues on a literacy-based scavenger hunt beginning at Lynn Museum at 12:30 pm. Teams will receive a passport, map, and clues at the Museum before continuing onto the neighboring Neal Rantoul Vault Theatre. Teams will search for clues hidden throughout The Vault’s black box studios and art galleries where children will find clues inside REAL’s Little Free Libraries and Lynn Arts exhibits and murals. Sponsoring Lynn family organizations will be on-site to offer free crafts and activities for children and share information about their services with parents and caregivers.

Celebrated local author Sheila Duncan will inspire both children and adults to spread kindness with a reading of her latest children’s book, Where There’s Trouble, There’s Hope on stage at the Neal Rantoul Vault Theatre at 1:30 pm. Beloved REAL educator Mrs. Brown will lead children in a group reading of the Elephant and Piggie Books aloud at the Lynn Museum at 2:00 p.m.

Free books, scavenger hunt, children’s crafts, family service organizations, author visit with sheila duncan, music, and refreshments will be provided.

Following the scavenger hunt, book readings, and activities REAL Travelers will return to Lynn Museum, where community police and Lynn Community TV will award certificates and prizes, and guests will enjoy refreshments and music.

The REAL (Reading and Educational Assistance for Learning) Program in Lynn, MA, provides early readers free one-on-one literacy skills and access to books to help build a foundation for a lifetime of reading and ESL classes for REAL parents and other adults.

The partnership between The REAL Program and the world’s largest book-sharing nonprofit Little Free Library® began after REAL’s Executive Director Jan Plourde learned

of the closure of all of Lynn’s annex libraries and saw a concerning drop in the city’s literacy scores. Plourde and the REAL team are determined to write a new narrative for the city, making Lynn a City of Readers. The REAL team rallied Lynn city leaders to help address this literacy crisis as part of REAL’s mission, to improve literacy in Lynn. With the support of the city and sponsors, volunteers were able to create a plan to build, decorate, and install REAL Little Free Libraries throughout Lynn’s neighborhoods.  Together REAL volunteers, educators, and local artists set a goal of installing 250 REAL Little Free Libraries to act as neighborhood annex libraries throughout the city. To date, REAL volunteers and local sponsoring businesses have built, decorated, and installed over 60 REAL Little Free Libraries in Lynn neighborhoods and public spaces and an additional 121 libraries are ready to be installed this winter and spring.

There is no better way to put literacy first than to join The REAL Little Free Library® Crawl as a Traveler, Ambassador, or Sponsor!

To join in this celebration of literacy, visit www.therealprogram.org or contact Jan Plourde,

The REAL Program Executive Director, at 978.993.4425, [email protected].

All Travelers must pre-register at www.therealprogram.org to walk the Crawl ($5 per child 4-10+ years of age and $20 per family.)

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