- April 11, 2025
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Flagler County Public Library's Christina Naves and Penny Gerlach gave out free books at Flagler Reads. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Buddy Taylor Middle School librarian Stacy Anderson (right) and her husband, Paul Anderson, take their turn at a table at Flagler Reads. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Palm Coast student Mackenzie Wheat holds up her mystery novel, "Kala." Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Palm Coast High School student Caleb Hathaway holds up his published book, "The Gunrunner's Gambit." Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas High School student Abbigail L. Standish holds up her book, "The Prophesy of Times End," an adventure fantasy published last year. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Colt Ackerman and Corian Billek look through books. Photo by Brent Woronoff
From left, Margaret Reiter (Wadsworth Elementary), Adela Rodriguez (Belle Terre Elementary), Laila Gray (Indian Trail Middle School), Victoria Rivera (Bunnell Elementary) and Logan Glover (Old Kings Elementary) took part in an authors' panel at Flagler Reads. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Buddy Taylor Middle School student Luke Reiter makes balloon animals for kids at Flagler Reads. Reiter has been shaping balloons at parties and events for two to three years. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Lily Vandercook and younger sister Ella have fun at Flagler Reads. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Schools Teaching and Learning Specialist Heidi Alves shows a student a book about Jackie Robinson at the district's free book table. Photo by Brent Woronoff
A Story walk at Flagler Reads. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore talks to students at Flagler Reads. Photo by Brent Woronoff
The Old Kings Elementary School Owl surveys the activities at Flagler Reads. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Children enjoy the petting zoo at Flagler Reads. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Finding a free book at Flagler Reads. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Children enjoy the petting zoo at Flagler Reads. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Palm Coast resident Gaston King talked to students at Flagler Reads about his young adult sci-fi action-adventure novel, "The Connection Forging Steel." King volunteers at the St. Augustine Wildlife Reserve," and animals play a major role in his novel. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Teal Russell accompanies fellow Buddy Taylor Middle School student Georgia Clemons, wearing the school mascot Eagle suit. Photo by Brent Woronoff
A story walk follows the path at Flagler Reads. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Participants at the second annual Flagler Reads event included student readers and student authors.
Children of all ages flipped through books looking for the perfect read at the free-book tables. Other activities at the March 6 event at Central Park in Town Center included story walks along the paved paths, the Noah's Ark Petting Zoo, panel discussions with two groups of student authors, balloon animals, student artwork and crafts and games.
Buddy Taylor Middle School student Luke Reiter twisted balloons into animal shapes for kids. It's a skill he has been practicing for two to three years, he said
"I watched videos on how to do it. Then I got balloons and different pumps," he said. "I've been doing it at parties and other events. It's cool to show people."
The first panel discussion included four Flagler County students who have published books: Caleb Hathaway and Mackenzie Wheat of Flagler Palm Coast High School, Abbigail L. Standish of Matanzas High School and Bella Gregory of Buddy Taylor.
Hathaway said his historical novel, "The Gunrunner's Gambit," begins in St. Augustine and the Flagler County area in 1836 at the start of the second Seminole War and advances into Jupiter and the Florida Keys.
Wheat's novel, "Kala," is about a group of friends trying to solve a mystery, she said. Standish's "The Prophesy of Times End," is an adventure fantasy.
The second panel included four Josh Crews Writing Project authors — Adela Rodriguez (Belle Terre Elementary School), Victoria Rivera (Bunnell Elementary), Logan Glover (Old Kings Elementary) and Laila Gray (Indian Trails Middle School) — and Margaret Reiter (Wadsworth Elementary), who placed second in a Marine Magafauna Foundation creative writing contest and got to name a manta ray. She named it "Neptune."
"I love that we had the opportunity to spotlight amazing authors in our district," said Celeste Ackerman, Flagler Schools teaching and learning specialist for English Language Arts.
Flagler Reads was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Flagler County and the Flagler County Education Foundation.
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