Our third annual Stay Home and Read a Book Ball on Saturday, February 18th raised over $5,800 for Knox County Public Library’s Storybook Trails, enough to outfit an entire trail with new story panels. Knox County Public Library and Union Ave Books were sponsors for this year’s book ball.
The 2022 book ball raised more than $8,900 for Author Events, and the 2021 book ball raised over $17,000 for the library to purchase more e-books and audiobooks. Sponsors for both the 2022 and 2021 book balls were the Knox County Public Library, the Knox County Public Library Foundation, Union Ave Books, and Libacious.
Deb Pilutti / 2023 Honorary Book Ball Chair
“Staying home and reading is my idea of a party! I have always found comfort in the pages of a book.
“I am grateful to public libraries for making good stories accessible to all, and to Knox County Public Library for choosing Old Rock (is not boring) to be featured on the Collier Preserve Storybook Trail. Two of my favorite things are reading and being in nature, and a Storybook Trail perfectly combines the two. Old Rock is right at home on the trail, among the trees and rocks and animals. It makes me happy to think that children will read Old Rock while experiencing and wondering about the natural world around them.”
Children’s author and illustrator Deb Pilutti served as the book ball’s honorary chair. Her book Old Rock (is not boring) was the first book featured on the Collier Preserve Storybook Trail. Her other books include Ten Steps to Flying Like a Superhero, The Secrets of Ninja School, Bears and Squirrels are Friends…Yes Really!, and Ten Rules of Being a Superhero.