MOUNT VERNON — Michelle Hartman inaugurated the News’ Newspaper in Education program 10 years ago with the goal of encouraging young people to read. She produces special newspaper pages and supplemental sections just for young readers.
Building Blocks is a monthly page for families with preschool activities for young learners. Kidding Around, a Saturday page, has puzzles and games to make reading fun for pupils in grades kindergarten through four, and Monday’s Get Excited About Reading page is used mainly by fifth-grade or older students.
This year, in honor of Knox County’s 200th birthday, Hartman authored a chapter story for the GEAR page, called “History Thief.” In the story, a group of elementary students on a field trip to the library discover that a painting is missing, but the thief left a clue to its hidden location. The students have to access the resources of the library, such as microfilm and the book called “Ghost Towns of Knox County,” to figure out where the clues are leading them to get the painting back.
The mystery format was chosen, Hartman said, to get young readers interested and to help them learn things about the county they might not otherwise know.