The police finally caught up with me ...

You'll remember when the RCMP told me to get out of town. Well, now the police have finally caught up with me! I'll be participating in a literacy program called It's a Crime Not to Read.

It's a partnership between the Calgary Public Library, Calgary Police and Rotary. It's an early literacy program for students in grades two and three. It connects students with books, reading, libraries, and presents the police as a positive role model. Once a month a police officer will visit a participating school and read to the students (I hope they make them sit on really small stools). Kids are encouraged to set reading goals and see the importance of literacy skills for everyone. Students take a field trip to a library, get a library card and learn about all a library has to offer. I'll be participating as a local author. I will visit four schools over two days and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm also going to get them writing because it's fun and it's never to early to start writing stories. It's a Crime Not to Read won the 2007 Marshall Cavendish Excellence in Library Programming Award which recognizes a school or public library that demonstrates excellence by providing programs which have a community impact and respond to community needs. This was the first time a Canadian library system was honoured with this award. I just hope I can slip out the side door before the police get there... but I'm conflicted because I heard there would be snacks. If I don't get arrested for tickling the students' funny bone, I might have to make a citizen's arrest if anyone tries to slip a cliche by me ... you know how I get about cliches.