Neal

LAHAINA – Top-selling Maui author Toby Neal has collaborated with Read Aloud America for a book signing and keiki story time event to be held on Sunday, April 3, at Barnes and Noble Booksellers, Lahaina. The event will run from 2 to 4 p.m.

Neal is the local author of the best-selling Lei Crime Series. This series of 11 books follows the bumpy career and love life of a complicated heroine, Lei Texeira. Neal has co-authored with ten authors of Hawaii mysteries for “Paradise, Passion, Murder: 10 Tales of Mystery from Hawai’i,” with royalties from sales going directly to Read Aloud America, a Hawaii nonprofit dedicated to improving family literacy in Hawaii.

This charity project is the end result of nearly two years of preparation and work. Neal will be available to sign this anthology from 2 to 4 p.m.

According to Jed Gaines, founder and president of Read Aloud America, “Schools have been trying to engage parents for generations. The Read Aloud America program does that. Attendance figures gathered since 1999 show the Read Aloud America Program has served over 337,000 adults and children at 90 Hawaii public schools. It has become the largest and most effective family literacy program in America.”

Read Aloud America has held programs at every school in Maui County and will be offering nine programs a year at Hana School as part of the 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant program. Pending future funding, programs will continue to be offered at Maui County schools.

As part of this book-signing event at 2 p.m., Joanne and Larry Laird, program directors for the Read Aloud America Program, will offer Keiki Story Time. This 30-minute story time is geared for children ages pre-kindergarten through second grade and will feature popular Hawaii-themed children’s picture books. There will be healthy snacks for the children, and at the conclusion of the read-aloud session, each child will be able to select a brand new book from the Read Aloud America library to take home. There will also be drawings for door prizes for every child. A parent or caregiver must accompany all children.

According to the Lairds, “This collaboration with Read Aloud America, Toby Neal and Barnes and Noble Booksellers, Lahaina is a ‘win-win’ for the people of Maui. Bring the keiki to see and hear popular children’s stories… meet best-selling local author Toby Neal and help to support family literacy on Maui.”

For more information, contact Joanne Laird at joannelaird@readaloudamerica.org.