First Book and One Word at a Time to Host Kwame Alexander’s National Literacy Pep Rally on September 16

Free Virtual Event for Children, Families, and Educators Celebrates National Literacy Month

Washington, D.C. – Sept. 10, 2025 – The nonprofits First Book and One Word at a Time are joining forces to host a high-energy, nationwide virtual Literacy Pep Rally on Tuesday, September 16 at 1:00 p.m. ET, led by New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Award winner Kwame Alexander.

This free, 30-minute virtual event for upper-elementary and middle-grade students and their educators is designed to celebrate reading and enable students to interact with beloved children’s book authors. Alexander will be joined by special guests, fellow authors Jerry Craft, Kate DiCamillo, and Shifa Safadi,for a lively session of storytelling, conversation, games, and real-time student interaction.

“Events like these create unforgettable moments where kids feel seen, inspired, and connected to books and reading in a whole new way,” said Kyle Zimmer, president, CEO and co-founder of First Book. “We are proud to partner with Kwame and One Word at a Time to bring authors directly into classrooms and help foster a culture of reading.”

During the Literacy Pep Rally, Alexander will read from his celebrated novel The Crossover, then welcome each guest author for a quick conversation about their latest work. The authors will also take part in a fun trivia-style “Battle of the Books” game, giving students a chance to see their favorite writers in a more playful, personal light.

“Our goal is simple: get kids excited about reading and writing for the year ahead,” said Tori Bachman, executive director of One Word at a Time. “When kids are excited about reading, they read more – and when they read more, their school engagement and achievement improve – as does their overall well-being. We’re thrilled to partner with an organization like First Book, which has been so crucial in connecting kids with books for decades.”

Classrooms across the country will be able to join live, ask questions via chat, and participate in the celebration. An ASL interpreter will also be available to ensure accessibility.

The event will close with Alexander announcing the forthcoming Author Study series of virtual author visits, which will take place throughout the 2025-2026 school year and feature outstanding authors Erin Entrada Kelly, Alan Gratz, Karyn Parsons and Andrea Pinkney, and R.L.Toalson and Grace Lin.

Event Details

• Date & Time: Tues., September 16, 2025, from 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. ET
• Cost:  Free
• Where: Online (link provided upon registration)
• Registration: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/literacy-pep-rally
• Who: Open to classrooms, educators, librarians, and families nationwide

About One Word at a Time

One Word at a Time is a nonprofit organization founded by Kwame Alexander to inspire a deep love of reading by connecting students with authors through authentic, accessible, and engaging events. With a mission to make reading feel like a celebration, One Word organizes interactive author-led events that reach thousands of classrooms across the country. Learn more at onewordcommunity.org.

About First Book

Education transforms lives. First Book is building a world where every child has access to a quality education. It works to remove barriers to education and level the playing field for kids in need. At the heart of its work are the 600,000+ members of the First Book Network, the largest online community of individual educators, professionals and volunteers dedicated to supporting children living in low-income communities across North America. This Network is the key to creating lasting change. Through its research arm, First Book Research & Insights, it conducts studies that aggregate the voices of the Network to identify challenges, needs, and solutions. To address their needs, it provides free and low-cost books, resources and access to leading experts through the First Book Marketplace, which uses aggregated buying power to support their work. Founded in Washington D.C. in 1992 as a nonprofit social enterprise, First Book is dedicated to eliminating barriers to learning and inspiring young minds. Learn more at firstbook.org and visit the award-winning eCommerce website at fbmarketplace.org.