What happens when you ask more than 65 children advice to “What would you tell other kids to help them keep reading and exercising?” You get answers like this: “Read and exercise to build a super strong healthy brain and muscles ” as 7-year-old Faith West Academy second grade student Khalil Hager wrote in Letters to the First Lady. “I did a drawing of my dog, my sister, and I,’ explained Khalil, ‘then I wrote it (my letter).” His mother then forwarded to Tikatok, a Barnes & Noble children’s publishing platform, who selected Khalil’s work to be part of a book that was recently published.
Letters to the First Lady, by “The Children of Our Nation”, is a compilation of inspirational quotes and illustrations by kids to inspire other children to read and stay active. The hardbound book is available for sale on Tikatok.com and featured on Barnes & Noble.com. This initiative is in support of the First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Read. Let’s Move.” campaign. One dollar per book sold will be donated to The International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL) Foundation, the creator of the largest international digital library of freely available children’s books. The book can be viewed digitally at www.tikatok.com/personalized/embed/internal/true/title/letters-to-the-first-lady.
Khalil Hager quick facts:
Favorite books: SpongeBob, Lightning McQueen, and (anything about) football.
Favorite television: SpongeBob & Johnny Test.
Favorite subject in school: Coach Koch’s P.E.
Favorite thing to do after school: Play football. I play for the Buccaneers.
Favorite food: Fried chicken and French fries.
Favorite dessert: Vanilla cake.
