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SPRINGFIELD, MA – Wednesday, March 5, 2025 – On Friday, February 28, 2025, Link to Libraries brought two children’s book authors, Kari Allen and Carrie Kruck, to share their work and passion for books and reading with students at Sumner Avenue Elementary in Springfield and Lambert-Lavoie Elementary in Chicopee. In addition to sharing stories about their journey to becoming authors, Allen read a book from her Maddie and Mabel early chapter book series and Carrie Kruck shared her debut picture book Iggy Who Breathes Fire. One student at Sumner Avenue Elementary was so inspired by the author visit, she immediately went back to her classroom and wrote and illustrated her own book. Both authors generously donated their time, and Link to Libraries donated a signed copy of their book to every student attending the presentations. “There is no better way to bring books to life for children than to introduce them to the authors who created them,” said Laurie Flynn, President & Chief Executive Officer of Link to Libraries. “We are so grateful to Kari and Carrie for so generously volunteering their time and making this extraordinary day possible. Hundreds of students were captivated by their presentations. You could literally see their eyes light up with excitement and inspiration. That is exactly how we create young readers.” Author Carrie Kruck stated, “The books I read as a child sparked my imagination and introduced me to new ideas and new places. They also inspired me to become a writer, and I’m discovering that my favorite part of being a writer is actually READING – reading with kids, sharing my stories, and hearing their thoughts about books and themselves! Link to Libraries has been igniting that same curiosity, empathy and imagination for over 15 years with their incredible gift of over one million new books to children, and it’s an incredible honor to be working with them to inspire the next generation of readers and writers!” "I have long admired the work that Link for Libraries does in Western Massachusetts,” said author Kari Allen. “Being able to spend the day at these schools and share my love of words with students is such an honor. As a writer who is also a teacher, I see firsthand the impact that books have on children every day. There is nothing more rewarding than witnessing the joy and discovery that takes place as children are learning to read. I love watching them light up when they find a book or story they love and connect with." About Link to Libraries Link to Libraries is proud to be the largest regional distributor of books to underserved youth across Western Massachusetts. The new books that Link to Libraries provides are gifts that enable children, many of whom have never owned a book before, to begin building a home library. To date, Link to Libraries has more than 1,000,000 new books to local children and school libraries. Link to Libraries sponsors 75 schools in need throughout Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut.