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READING REVOLUTION at St. Francois Girls College, Belmont, Trinidad





At St. Francois Girls School in Belmont, Island Fiction seres editor, Joanne Johnson and Trinidadian authors Lisa Allen Agostini (The Chalice Project), and Francis Escayg (Escpae from Silk Cotton Forest) took the Reading Revolution to the tweens -
and they loved it!

Courtesy the school and with the support of principal and visionary Mrs. Pat Mc Intosh, each student received
her own Island Fiction tween novella. All six titles were made available and each girl from the three Forms 3, one hundred and thirty-five in all, took one home, with a few remainders going to he school library, which now carries the entire Island Fiction series.

The girls were encouraged to swap with friends so they could read the series, not just one book
and to meet their favorite authors online via the Island Fiction community. Some expressed an interest
in purchasing all the books in the series and were directed to RIK stores throughout Trinidad or to Amazon online.

Having the author himself, Francis Escayg read excerpts from Escape from Silk Cotton Forest was a world class
opportunity. The students were introduced to his hero, the young goan Domino,
and his sly mongoose partner Peenuts, whose 'extempo' singing in Market Square brought the house down.

Lisa Allen Agostini followed up with a power point presentation on Creative Writing which drew on the relevance
of the Island Fiction series and her title The Chalice Project. Students and teachers alike were inspired
by the ideas and insights of this prolific, local author, poet and journalist.

Series editor, Joanne Johnson was sure to stand proxy for the other authors who do not live in Trinidad and so were not present. She read from Time Swimmer, Night of the Indigo, Delroy and the Marog Kingdom and Legend of the Swan Children.
Book Trailers for Indigo and Delroy, now on YOU TUBE delighted and excited the girls who gave the local authors
their rapt attention. The value of these trailers was very evident and worth the authors' efforts based on the buzz worthy response from this group.

It is intended that other school visit opportunities will become available in the coming school year, and may include
visits from the other (non Trini) Island Fiction crew.
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