As part of their ongoing mission to promote a new generation of lifelong, enthusiastic readers, Bocas Lit Fest, in partnership with Let’s Read TT, is taking the popular Family Reading Circle (FRC) on a road trip to the St. Helena Community Library, from 10 am to 12 noon on Saturday 28 June, 2025.
Promoting a love of reading in youngsters is a constant work in progress at the Bocas Lit Fest, achieved through a year-round programme of activities dedicated to developing young readers and writers.
Over the last two years, Bocas Lit Fest, in partnership with early literacy advocacy NGO Let’s Read TT, has hosted Family Reading Circles at The Writers Centre and at the annual Bocas Lit Fest Children’s Festival in Port of Spain. The Family Reading Circle initiative fosters a love of reading by encouraging parents and caregivers to start reading with their children from early ages.
These Family Reading Circles provide an avenue for parents and caregivers to encourage their children (7 years and under) to read, in a space with fellow parents, caregivers, and children. It is the first step on the path to making children lifelong readers one book, one child at a time.
Community outreach has historically been a staple of the Bocas Lit Fest’s Children’s programme, as exemplified by the nationwide Children’s Storytime Caravan. By extension, this Family Reading Circle road trip aims to encourage more family reading time together.
Through this pilot outreach event — the first of more to come — Family Reading Circle aims to provide the resources, motivation and support for families to gather as a community to build on literacy, social cognition and behaviour through reading for pleasure independently and on a regular basis.
The featured writer will be Charisse J. Broome, also known as Señora Broome, a part-time educational governess and writer. Known for her works like AWESOME FATHER from AWEsome Me!, Thank You, Abba, and Soca Spanish, Charisse also delights readers with her humorous poems, such as “Patsie’s PecUliar Pastelles”, “Mango-mouth Marlon – MMM”, and “Khumar, the Ketchup, and the Khurma”, which celebrate T&T’s diverse food culture.
Attendance at the Family Reading Circle road trip, Saturday 28 June, 10 am – 12 pm, St. Helena Community Library is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided courtesy Nestlé (Milo) and Sunshine Snacks.
