This spring, Island Readers & Writers brought picture book and middle-grade author Evan Griffith on a three-island tour, with visits at Islesboro Elementary School, North Haven Elementary School, and Vinalhaven Elementary School. Nature, science, and discovery are at the heart of author Evan Griffith’s books for children. During the spring 2026 semester, IRW featured his… Read more
IRW was honored to receive a mini-grant from the Maine Association for the Education of Young Children (MaineAEYC) to attend their event, “Where Play Meets Policy” at the Maine Statehouse in Augusta on Wednesday, April 22! IRW’s Literacy Coordinator, Celine Martin, and Director of Communications, Kelsey Buckley, went to advocate for the importance of early… Read more
IRW’s Storytime Guides offer ideas for songs to sing, games to play, questions to spark a conversation and activities to do together as you read. Below you’ll find Storytime Guides for some of our favorite picture books for children aged 3–5. A Polar Bear in the Snow Not a Box Hello… Read more
Each month in 2026, we’ll feature one of IRW’s Explore More Book Guides (EMBGs). These freely available guides offer everything you need for a deep dive into a book we love. From author/illustrator biographical information to ideas for writing prompts, art projects, further research & text-to-text connections, our embgs have it all. In keeping with… Read more
Each month in 2026, we’ll feature one of IRW’s Explore More Book Guides (EMBGs). These freely available guides offer everything you need for a deep dive into a book we love. From author/illustrator biographical information to ideas for writing prompts, art projects, further research & text-to-text connections, our embgs have it all. Our January Explore… Read more
Read our Winter Newsletter 2026 for a letter from our new Executive Director, an update on what our staff has been up to through 2025, a Summer Morning in Maine save-the-date, and more! Winter Newsletter 2026 Read more
Two months ago we kicked off the start of IRW’s school season—and what better way to begin than with community, creativity, and a little island adventure! Our first school program of this busy year featured long-time friend and author/artist Kevin Hawkes. Kevin—along with IRW team members Lisa Herrington, Celine Martin, and Courtney Waring—met bright and… Read more
IRW is delighted to welcome Courtney Waring as our new Executive Director! Read on to get to know her better. How were you first introduced to IRW? I first connected with IRW back in 2018, when I was invited to Steuben to lead some professional development workshops for teachers and host a family story time…. Read more
IRW’s School Programs team travels over 8,000 miles a year within the state of Maine—that’s like driving from New York to Los Angeles, realizing you forgot your phone charger, driving home, only to make the journey again…with a detour through Canada, because of course you missed an exit. But that’s not all! They have authors… Read more
IRW’s school program team coordinates every aspect of our author & illustrator visits. But their most important task is simply being present with the kids. Director of School Programs Alison Johnson and Programs Assistant Lisa Herrington visit a lot of classrooms, facilitating more than 50 visits annually within our partner school network of 26 schools. That… Read more
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