First Lady Crissy Haslam Promotes Her Read20 Family Book Club with Military Families in Knoxville

Reading event at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base to encourage military family participation

NASHVILLE – First Lady Crissy Haslam visited with approximately 100 military personnel, family members and children at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base today to encourage their participation in the First Lady’s Read20 Family Book Club.  During the month of July, Mrs. Haslam has been visiting military families throughout the state to recognize their service and sacrifice, and to encourage their participation in her Read20 Family Book Club.

“I have really enjoyed meeting some of our Tennessee military and their families this month. This group makes incredible sacrifices to serve our state and our country,” said Mrs. Haslam. “Military children face the emotional struggle of being separated from a deployed parent and bravely deal with issues in education such as mobility, family separation, and transition. I hope that the Read20 Family Book Club will provide another opportunity to for these families to spend fun quality time together.”

Mrs. Haslam visited with families, read to the children, and distributed free copies of July’s Book of the Month, Judy Moody Declares Independence by Megan McDonald. The families in attendance also participated in other activities, including an aircrew flight equipment demonstration and fire department truck tour. 

“Judy Moody Declares Independence is a great book to read during the month of July, because it is a very fun, patriotic book that includes a lot of character-building and history,” said Mrs. Haslam. “I hope that lots of families will participate in the program this month and that we all continue to work together to promote early literacy and parent engagement.”

The First Lady launched her Read20 Family Book Club earlier this summer to highlight the importance of reading and parental engagement in children’s academic lives, by encouraging Tennessee families to read together for at least 20 minutes each day.

For more information about the Read20 Family Book Club visit www.tn.gov/read20, www.facebook.com/CrissyHaslam, follow @Read20TN on Twitter, or go to your local public library.