Michigan Reads! Audience Small, But Well Read

Rain and activities during the first week of school likely kept attendance at Thursday night's at the low.

But having just one child to read to didn't dampen Detroit News columnist Neal Rubin's enthusiasm for Memoirs of a Goldfish, written by his friend Devin Scillian. Six-year-old Kalila Johnson, a student at Longacre Elementary School, listened quietly as Rubin added a bit of dramatic flourish to the tale of a tiny goldfish whose world undergoes some dramatic changes.

"I think this is Devin's best book," the Farmington Hills resident said before the 7 p.m. reading. "There's a subtlety to it that adults can appreciate. I think the illustrations (by Tim Bowers) were perfect for the tone of the book, and there's even a little bit of a surprise pay-off at the end."

Kalila was quiet and bit shy, but nodded and smiled when asked whether she enjoyed the book. She said she is a former goldfish owner.

“Michigan Reads!” One State, One Children's Book is devoted to increasing early childhood literacy and pre-reading readiness. Programming, events and author visits are scheduled throughout the state in September and October 2011. The program launched Thursday, which was International Literacy Day.

The program is designed to emphasize the importance of reading to babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and young school-age children, which sets the stage for their later achievements in reading.