This weekend in Leesburg, something quietly powerful happened inside the gym at the Douglass Community Center, though you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a parade at first.
Children’s book authors led a crowd of giddy elementary schoolers in a musical march, belting out Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” while waving and dancing toward a gym full of books, songs, and stories.
This wasn’t just a celebration it was the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation’s very first Rally for Reading, and it carried the unmistakable rhythm of summer learning done right.
For kids, it felt like magic. For the grownups behind it, it was mission-driven, heart-forward work.
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On Friday, authors like Derrick Barnes (of The King/Queen of Kindergarten) and Grammy-winner Lucky Diaz (Palatero Man, Fix-It Familia) visited local classrooms, building buzz ahead of Saturday’s big event.
Each child walked away not only with new favorite authors but also signed books, a chance to register for the library’s summer reading program, and even their own brand-new library card.
This community effort was years in the making. Karen Huff, who directs the Children’s Literature Program at Shenandoah University, has long been on a crusade to get stories into young hands. Her team helped launch a children’s lit conference, then a street festival, and now, thanks to the Claude Moore Foundation a full-blown summer rally that mixes books with real-world joy.
“We know summer can be a slide,” Huff said, speaking like every teacher who’s ever returned in August to find a struggling reader stuck in June. “Books and access to books, change that.”
She’s right, of course. And access isn’t just about handing over a book. It’s about bringing parents into the picture. “The key is that the parents are with them,” Huff emphasized. “You can’t do it without families. They’ve got to get to the library together, read together, be excited together.”
Stephanie Nerantzis, Director of Giving at the Claude Moore Foundation, echoed that sentiment with the kind of focus educators know well: “We want to create a culture of reading. Not just hand out books, but build love. Real energy. Real joy.”
That’s why the rally didn’t stop at readings and signings. The authors arrived with a police escort. The mayor handed them keys to the town. It felt big because it was big. For many kids, this might be the first time an author shook their hand or wrote their name in a book. Those moments stick.
And underneath the confetti and celebration was a simple truth: summer learning loss is real. But so is summer learning gain, if we show up, if we plan, and if we keep turning pages when the school doors close.
Saturday’s rally wasn’t just a one-off feel-good event. It was part of a movement. A reminder. That if we want our kids to grow as readers, we don’t need miracles we need moments like this. Moments with music and library cards and parents in the front row cheering right alongside.
As the last book was signed and kids clutched their new treasures, one thing became clear: this wasn’t just about reading. It was about belonging to a community that says, “Your story matters. And it starts with a book.”
