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About Us

The Festival of Great Reads Book Festival was founded by author Andrean Jacobs and community member Gloria Holdrege in 2016. It is a grassroots initiative created to foster a love for literacy among all ages. It's a priority for us to positively impact reading rates for all while focusing on those with the greatest socioeconomic hurdles.

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We bring local authors and readers together for a day of celebration in honor of literacy. The idea was sparked by a desire to get more children to read, and get families excited about promoting reading in their homes. We will have a presence in every community to build future leaders.

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The festival is a semi-annual event held in Long Beach, California. Festival of Great Reads is a celebration of reading and writing, our goal is to connect readers and authors, spark engaging conversations, and empower readers by providing access to new books as well as opportunities to network.

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In 2022, Festival of Great Reads collaborated with Long Beach City College to bring the community a dynamic day of literacy!

Mission Statement

Festival of Great Reads has a multi-cultural, diverse, fun hands-on approach to promoting literacy in our community. We are leaders in the fight to eradicate illiteracy in marginalized communities.

Young kids

Core Values

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Accepting
Support everyone's worth and dignity
Committed
Set high standards in our youth. Teach them to believe in their abilities
Considerate
Always be aware of and respect others' rights and feelings
Disciplined
Remain dedicated to serving the communities
Image by Robert Anasch
Empowering
Inspire others by supporting their abilities and potential
Encouraging
Motivate others to reach their highest potential
Generous
Freely contribute to the communities we serve by providing reading and writing and literacy
Visionary
Raise expectations for yourself, your team and the people you serve
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