Germantown Literacy Fair sign. (Photo: Rasheed Z. Ajamu)

On Saturday morning, Oct. 25, Natural Creativity hosted its second annual Germantown Literacy Fair at its home base on Pulsaski Ave, bringing families from Northwest Philly together to connect and learn.

“This event is for all learners to have a positive experience centered around literacy,” said Krystal Dillard, Natural Creativity’s Executive Director.

Natural Creativity (NC) is the fair’s housing organization and focuses on homeschooling, and strives to include young people in the conversation about their education. Although the center primarily works with homeschooled youth, Dillard said she seeks to create a more interactive space where anyone could come, read, and engage with local authors.

The festival followed last year’s spirit, inviting a variety of vendors and featuring local organizations committed to enhancing literacy in their respective fields, such as Joseph E. Coleman Library, Grandmas for Literacy, and Yes And! Collaborative Arts.

But this year, there was a bonus: attendees were given literacy passports at the entrance, which gave them access to activities at each vendor’s table. 

After completing an activity, attendees would receive a stamp on their passport. Once they’ve earned a stamp from every vendor, attendees receive a 3D-printed animal keychain dubbed a “book buddy.” 

Activities ranged. Take Grandmas for Literacy’s passport activity, Syllable Scoop, combining math and literacy skills, for example.

Kids were instructed to pick a word from a grade-level cup, from Kindergarten to Third Grade. Then they were to move a pom pom to the number of syllables on a numbered ice cream paper. 

GiGi Algarin, a member of Grandmas for Literacy and a grandmother of eight, believes that community helps kids learn how to read.

“It’s good for them to have events like this and read in a community setting because it makes them love reading,” she said, “I have kids that I read to that I know don’t read anywhere else but when they’re with us.” 

Other vendors, like Philly Children’s Movement (PCM) and its Little Radical Library, offered passport activities focused on banned books. Their activity required attendees to throw dice into a bucket of a book they think is banned.

But the catch was that all the books were banned. Among the books were The Diary of Anne Frank, Where the Wild Things Are, Heather Has Two Mommies, Hair Love, The Story of Ruby Bridges, and many others. 

PCM member and teacher Sam Gerlach wants kids to see themselves in the books they read because that makes them more excited about reading. 

“I remember not being able to find myself in the books I read. I have students that are reading the same comic book over and over again because there’s a Black character in it,” he said. 

The fair also featured meet-and-greets with three local authors in their studio — Mark Darden (Elijah Goes to Philadelphia), Danakelly Hampton (She Beeps and That’s Okay), Dr. Tricia Collins-Gayle (Rocking This Hair), and Thembi Palmer  — along with scheduled reading time with attendees and books for sale. 

“I believe literacy is the glue that binds all other forms of art,” said Thembi Palmer, storyteller, mother, and author of the This Book May Make You… series.

Her book, This Book May Make You Do Things, encourages kids to move their bodies while reading to keep them engaged, while This Book May Make You Try Things encourages picky eaters to try uncommon foods.

Dillard, as well as some parents, stressed the importance of young readers having a literacy-minded environment.

Having downtime, she said, and the opportunity to choose can really change how young readers view literacy. She also emphasized that having multiple comfortable spaces where young people can read definitely helps foster a love of reading.

The NC Executive Director, as well as parents, recognize how expensive books can be, so having an event where young readers can come and get free books is helpful. 

“My daughter has designated leisure reading time before bed where she picks what she wants to read,” said Quinesha Haynes, mother to a nine-year-old girl. “But I think audiobooks are still books, and a good narrator makes a huge difference in how interested they are in the book.” 

Dillard also wants families — youth and parents alike — to understand that learning can happen anywhere. 

“For young people, learning happens 24 hours a day. When they’re not sleeping, they’re learning,” she said, “We often take the learning that happens outside of school for granted, so our goal was really to support parents in their young person becoming more literate as a reader or writer.”

To stay up to date with Natural Creativity and its offerings, check out its website.