BRISTOL — Award-winning author Tanya Lee Stone comes to Bristol on Wednesday, Feb. 7, from 10-11 a.m. at Holley Hall for a free event offered by the One World Library Project to area middle and high school students and members of the community.
Stone will discuss and answer questions about her latest book, “Girl Rising: Changing the World One Girl at a Time,” which examines global barriers to girls’ education.
According to a 2016 UNESCO report, 130 million girls around the world are missing from classrooms. Girl Rising, a global campaign for girls’ education, was initiated by a team of journalists “to change the way the world values girls and to ensure girls everywhere can be full and equal participants in society.”
In 2013 Girl Rising created a film that chronicles the stories of nine girls in the developing world, allowing viewers the opportunity to witness how education can break the cycle of poverty and to celebrate these girls’ resilience against all odds.
For her 2017 book, author Stone gathered new research to illuminate the facts behind the film, focusing both on the girls captured on camera and many others. Stone examines barriers to education in depth — early child marriage and childbearing, slavery, sexual trafficking, gender discrimination, and poverty — and shows how removing these barriers means not only a better life for girls, but safer, healthier, and more prosperous communities.
Stone is best known for telling little-known or unknown stories of women and people of color. “Girl Rising” is her 100th published book. Many of her more than 100 picture books, middle grades and young adult narrative non-fiction works have been recognized with national level awards. Stone, a faculty member at Champlain College, does not shy away from challenging topics.
She will include photographs and readings from Girl Rising in her presentation. As time permits, the author will be available for questions and answers. For more information on Tanya Lee Stone and her writing, go to tanyastone.com.
The presentation has been scheduled during the day to encourage broad attendance by middle and high school students as well as community members. It is supported in part by the Vermont Humanities Council and is open to the public and accessible to individuals with disabilities.
For more information on this event or about One World Library Project, contact the Lawrence Memorial Library at 453-2366 or go to OneWorldLibraryProject.org or the One World Library Project Facebook page