Children's book author to visit campus

On Oct. 2 and 3, area residents will have the opportunity to meet famed children’s book author Lynne Cherry, author and illustrator of popular books “The Great Kapok Tree” and “A River Ran Wild.” 

Cherry will visit the University of Tennessee at Martin to give a talk and hold a book signing for local fans and educators at 4:30 p.m., Oct. 2, in Watkins Auditorium on the UT Martin campus. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. 

Cherry will also take advantage of her time in the dWest Tennessee area by making a presentation and reading “The Great Kapok Tree” to 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students Oct. 2 at Martin Elementary School on. 

On Oct. 3, she will be speaking to students at Rose Hill Fine Arts Magnet School in Jackson and will be a guest on the West Tennessee news channel WBBJ’s midday news show. Later, at 4 p.m. Cherry will speak and hold at book signing at the First State Bank on Oil Well Road in Jackson. 

Cherry is the author and/or illustrator of over 30 award-winning books for children that focus on environmental issues and preservation. She is also the founder and director of the non-profit Young Voices for the Planet, a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt organization dedicated to helping the voices of environmentally-concerned young people be heard, and she produces Young Voices for the Planet short films that feature youth success stories. 

For more information on Cherry’s visit, contact Becky Cox at beckyc@utm. edu or Ramona Nelson at rnelson4@ utm.edu.