Thanks to the West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (WePAC), 13 local schools that lost their librarian due to budget cuts, now have a library run by volunteers. On Monday, one of these schools, Morton McMichael school in the Mantua section of West Philadelphia, hosted well-known local children’s author and illustrator Andy Myer. WePAC arranged the visit.

Myer spoke with a group of fourth grade students about his life as a writer and illustrator and the process to move from concept to published book.

“The children were mesmerized, and they were especially excited to each get a copy of Myer’s latest book [Henry Hubble’s Book of Troubles] signed by the author himself,” writes Heather Farber, WePAC Interim Executive Director. 

The organization, which moved last year to 5070 Parkside Ave., currently staffs and operates libraries in the following schools, most of them in West Philadelphia:

Add B. Anderson School
Rudolph Blankenburg School
Lewis Cassidy School
Cook-Wissahickon School
Samuel Gompers School
Andrew Hamilton School
Edward Heston School
Samuel B. Huey School
Henry Lea School
William Longstreth School
Morton McMichael School
Samuel Powel School
James Rhoads School

The organization is filling a large void in childhood literacy in Philadelphia schools, and without WePAC, these schools would have no library.

For more information about WePAC or if you want to get involved with this non-profit organization, visit: wepac.org.

(Photos courtesy of WePAC)