Free three-day event brings award-winning authors and literacy experts to K-12 educators nationwide, September 15-17
POTOMAC, Md., Sept. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BookBreak, a K-12 Culture of Reading platform from the Perpetual Learning Family of Companies, will launch its First Annual Culture of Reading Virtual Conference, a free three-day professional development event for school librarians, educators, and administrators. The conference will take place September 15-17, 2026, and is open for registration now at: alumlc.org/bookbreak/upcoming.
The virtual conference is designed to help K-12 school communities build and strengthen a lasting culture of reading, bringing together award-winning authors, literacy consultants, and education professionals for a series of live sessions.
“The goal of the conference is to not only provide teachers and librarians with ideas and tools to create a strong Culture of Reading but also to re-energize them as they build readers. Reading is the keystone habit underneath every other subject. When you have it, everything built on top of it gets easier, for students and for the educators trying to reach them,” said Yapha Mason, Director of BookBreak.
Conference Schedule
Tuesday, September 15
- What is a Culture of Reading? — 6:30 PM EDT
- Sixty Years of Writing: the Past, the Present, the Future, with Avi — 7:00 PM EDT
- Beyond the Page: Cultivating an Authentic Passion for Literature & Lifelong Reading, with Chris Kyser, Ed.D — 8:00 PM EDT
Wednesday, September 16
- The Power of Picture Books in Student Identity, with Sarah D. Cordova — 6:00 PM EDT
- K-12 School Librarian Panel: Practical Tips for a Culture of Reading — 7:00 PM EDT
Thursday, September 17
- Using BookBreak’s Culture of Reading Diagnostic — 6:00 PM EDT
- One Year. Fifty States. 25,000 Free Books. What two creators learned from spending a year in America’s public schools, with Matthew Swanson & Robbi Behr — 6:30 PM EDT
Featured Speakers
Avi, award-winning author
Chris Kyser, Ed.D, Professor, Literacy Education
Sarah D. Cordova, Literacy Consultant and Author
Matthew Swanson & Robbi Behr, Co-Founders, Busload of Books
Free Access to the Culture of Reading Diagnostic
All conference attendees will receive free, exclusive access to BookBreak’s Culture of Reading Diagnostic, a tool designed to help schools identify where their reading culture is thriving and where there is room to grow — along with additional takeaways and resources included with registration.
Registration
The Culture of Reading Virtual Conference is free and open to K-12 educators, librarians, and school administrators. Individual sessions and the full schedule are available at alumlc.org/bookbreak/upcoming.
About BookBreak
BookBreak is a K-12 Culture of Reading platform dedicated to helping schools and districts build lasting cultures of reading through engaging programming, professional development, and practical tools for educators.
Media Contact
Janice Cutler Marketing Director, Perpetual Learning Family of Companies,
[email protected], (919) 454-6303
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/807335f2-ae96-46b1-baa0-129115f78ecb
