Reflections on Literacy

NCRA Members,

Conference preparations are kicking into high gear, and we are also busy working on our annual Young Authors and Illustrators Project! State winners have been announced, and we cannot wait for you all to see this beautiful book of amazing writing and illustrations!

We also would like to encourage you to share this newsletter with members in your local council so those who may not be receiving it gain access to this important information. Forward this to local members and encourage them to scroll ALL the way down to the bottom of the newsletter and click the "Subscribe" button to make sure they never miss a newsletter!

In other news...

Conference preparations are ramping up! We are so close to our annual conference, and we cannot wait to to be with you all again as we learn together.

NCRA knows this is a tough year for educators. Budget constraints are real, but so is our commitment to you! We want you to know we see you. That’s why the North Carolina Reading Association is locking the Early Bird pricing for our 55th Annual Reading Conference. You can attend the conference at the lowest price! Because we believe access to learning matters.

Nationally known speakers

Literacy + AI sessions

Lunch included Monday & Tuesday

Flexible registration options

A community that supports educators

Winston-Salem, NC

March 15–17, 2026

Register now: ncraconference2026.sched.com/registration

#NCRA2026 #EducateAdvocateEmpower #WeSupportEducators

In service,

Heidi Perez

NCRA President

It's that time of year when we look for new leaders to emerge, particularly as we look to fill our incoming Vice President role. If you have served in a local leadership position or another state leadership role and are interested, please fill out the form below! Know of someone amazing who should be nominated? Fill out the form with those names, too!

More details...

The Executive Committee acts as the administrative body of NCRA, Inc. and shall exercise general supervision over the property and affairs of the association with the power to administer the affairs of NCRA, Inc. between meetings. The Executive Committee is comprised of both elected and appointed members.

The elected officers of the Association include the vice-president, president elect, and president; each of these officers serve as voting members of the Executive Committee. Any member of NCRA who has served as a local council officer or as an active member of NCRA’S Board of Directors is eligible to be an officer of the Association.

Appointed voting members of the Association’s Executive Committee include the Council Leadership Coordinator, Treasurer, Secretary, and the Director of Membership Development.

Do you have great ideas to share with our membership across the state? Please consider submitting a book review, teaching strategy, or local council event information to be included in our next newsletter!

This helps broaden the audience of your local council's events, AND it is something you can use as an artifact when looking at our educator evaluation tool in NCEES...looks great on your PDP!

Use this Google Form to submit your ideas. Please reach out to Emily Golightly if you have questions. (emily.golightly@carteretk12.org)

Upcoming PD alert! Register now so you don't miss it!

Click this link to get more information about our annual Young Authors and Illustrators Project.

State winners have been announced! We are hard at work on a beautiful book and look forward to celebrating all of our young authors and illustrators in March!

Questions?

Contact Information for State Young Authors & Illustrators Committee

Matthew Lococo, Greene County School

Elizabeth Landry, Ed.D. UNC Pembroke

Andy Cason, Parent Advocate

Savannah Bowman, Teacher, Hillside High School

youngauthorsncra@gmail.com

Click the image to the right to view the awards information presentation. Please reach out to Hiller Spires with additional questions. Award winners have been selected for 2026, and we will celebrate them at our annual delegates assembly in March! Congrats to all!

Our very own Tonnye Fletcher--longtime NCRA member, volunteer, and friend--has her first picture book available for pre-order on Amazon! The official release date is May 26th, 2026, and we are SO incredibly proud of our dear friend for all the blood, sweat, and tears she has poured into becoming a published author. We cannot wait to get our copies signed when the book is released in Spring 2026. Congrats, Tonnye! (Click the book cover to pre-order your own copy.)

By: Angelline Boulley

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Published: 9/2/2025

Pages: 384
Audio: 12 hours, 25 minutes

Reviewer: Heidi Perez

Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley is a gripping YA mystery that centers on Lucy Smith, a teenager navigating the foster care system and searching for the truth about her family. When new information pulls her back toward her Ojibwe heritage, Lucy must untangle both personal and systemic injustices to reclaim identity, safety, and belonging. Boulley balances suspense with cultural insight, highlighting the experiences of Indigenous youth with care, specificity, and heart. For educators, the novel opens important conversations about representation, community, and how systems shape young people’s lives. A powerful addition to classroom libraries and student reading circles, this title invites readers to consider resilience, culture, and the fight to be seen.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

By: Emily Habeck

Publisher: Scribner

Published: August 8, 2023

Pages: 416
Audio: 7 hours, 47 minutes

Reviewer: Emily Golightly

I have never read anything quite like this (so get ready!), but I am so thankful for the experience. It's interesting how the fullness of humanity is so beautifully expressed through characters' loss of said humanity in this story. It's one of those books that you wish you could go back and experience again for the first time, and I am so impressed that this was Emily Habeck's debut effort--unique, touching, and memorable in the best way.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

By: Andy Weir

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Published: October 4, 2022

Pages: 476
Audio: 16 hours, 10 minutes

Reviewer: Emily Golightly

Oh, what an incredible story! I am a sucker for space stories and science fiction as a kid who grew up with movies like "Apollo 13", which made space travel fascinating to me. Andy Weir has hit a home run with this story--it's funny, captivating, touching, and inspiring, with characters who capture your heart from the very beginning. I was torn between wanting to finish this one fast, and wanting to savor it so it didn't end! I cannot wait for the film that's coming out soon, and I will definitely be reading more Andy Weir books in the future.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

By: Stanislas Dehaene

Publisher: Penguin Books Paperback

Published: October 26, 2010

Pages: 388
Audio: 13 hours, 40 minutes

Reviewer: Heidi Perez

Reading in the Brain by Stanislas Dehaene offers a fascinating and accessible look at how the human brain learns to read, what neural processes make literacy possible, and why reading is such a powerful cultural invention. Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, and cognitive science, Dehaene explains how visual symbols are transformed into meaning and why explicit, systematic instruction supports students most effectively—especially those with dyslexia or other reading challenges. For educators, the book provides a compelling scientific foundation for structured literacy practices and reinforces the importance of intentional, developmentally aligned instruction. Ideal for teachers, literacy leaders, and anyone curious about how the brain builds reading pathways, this title deepens our understanding of how readers grow. It felt really heavy reading from page 1, but when i used the table of contents and chose chapters to read based on interest, the reading was less onerous.⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hello! My name is Heidi and I am a Literacy Integration Specialist for Durham Public Schools. I have served students and teachers as a public educator, advocate, instructional coach and leader for over 30 years. My passion centers on literacy learning because literacy is the key to agency and active citizenship for ALL students. To this end, I have served on the executive board of the Texas Council of Teachers of English, initiated service-learning partnerships with St. Lawrence County BOCES, co-founded the Bull City Literacy Council, co-founded the NC Literacy Leaders Collaborative, and served as the Vice President for the North Carolina Reading Association. I am currently studying for my Ph.D. in Leadership Studies at North Carolina A & T University. #AggiePride

Email: heidi_perez@dpsnc.net

Hi, I'm Hiller Spires, President-Elect for NCRA and member of the Raleigh-Wake Reading Council. I am Executive Director and Professor Emerita at North Carolina State University, where I was the founding director for the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation and a literacy professor for 36 years. Before coming to NC, I was a high school English teacher and an academic counselor at the University of South Carolina. During my time at NC State's College of Education, I worked extensively with teachers as I helped direct the New Literacies and Global Learning master's degree, which included licensure in K-12 Reading. I also conducted research on digital, disciplinary and global literacies with diverse learners; and Project-Based Inquiry (PBI) Global using the UNC Sustainable Development Goals. My most recent book was co-edited with Dr. Shea Kerkhoff and is titled Critical Perspectives in Global Literacies: Bridging Research and Practice (published by Routledge in 2023). I also recently created Margie’s Books, which provides books to underserved educational communities.

My husband, Tom Lee, and I enjoy traveling and spending time with our amazing son, Gabriel Lee, who is 25 years old. I also enjoy creating non-representational paintings using acrylics and mixed media. I am very excited to work with everyone to support literacy across the great state of NC.

Email: haspires@ncsu.edu
Facebook: Hiller Spires

Twitter/X: @haspires

Hi! I'm Shane, the Vice President of NCRA and Area Director for the Southeast Region, and I have been married for 36 years to Tonnye Williams Fletcher. I've been teaching for twenty-three years, and I am currently at Central Middle School in Whiteville, NC (7th Grade ELA). I have my PhD in Curriculum & Instruction -Literacy from NC State and my MAEd - Reading Specialist from UNCP. We live/work on Country Corners Farm in Chadbourn, NC (Home of NC’s only Sugarcane Maze!). We have 2 cats (Sparkles and Dusty) and 1 Turtle (Blinky). I have been an NCRA Area Director for 14 years. I am also the current Vice President of Columbus Council of NCRA

Email: mfletcher@whiteville.k12.nc.us

Twitter: @docfletch2016

Facebook: Shane Fletcher

Instagram: @shaeginarrowmaker

Hello! I'm Lisa, and I am the Past President of NCRA. I was previously the NCDPI Liaison on the Board from 2011-2020. I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education K-6, a Masters in School Administration / Curriculum & Instruction and an Academically Gifted Certification K-12 in NC and Virginia. I served as a classroom teacher, teacher of gifted, and curriculum coach. I recently retired from the NC Department of Public Instruction where I served as a K-5 English Language Arts Consultant for 13 years. I have been in education for 44 years.

Currently, I am an adjunct professor at William Peace University for the School of Professional Studies. I teach Literacy courses, Children’s Literature, and

I coach teachers in residency. I am the recipient of the 2023 William Peace

University Excellence in Teaching Award for the School of Professional Studies.

I enjoy playing the piano, walking, reading, calligraphy, and spending time with

my husband, family, and friends. I also love lattes and cappuccinos!!

Email: Lllewellyn1@gmail.com

My name is Amanda McCall and I am going into my 21st year in education. I am the Membership Director for NCRA. This is my first leadership role for NCRA and I am still learning about it all the time. Currently, I am a Media Coordinator at Morehead City Primary School in Carteret County, NC. In the past, however, I have been a second grade, third grade, and Academically/Intellectually Gifted (AIG) teacher. This past year, I have spent a lot of time converting an old school bus to a book mobile- Title Wave. This has been a passion project of mine and just had its maiden voyage in June of 2023.

I am a mother of two- a college freshman at NC State and a high school sophomore, so we stay busy! I have been married for 20 years to my husband, Rick. I love traveling and would do so much more of it if I had the money. One of the ways I travel for lower costs is by signing on with teacher groups to learn and travel at the same time. I try to stay active and am a runner. While not a competitive runner, I enjoy doing team relays such as the "Blue Ridge Relay" in September with a group of fellow runner friends who are also gluttons for punishment. I play beach volleyball during the summer. I enjoy reading, going to concerts and plays, and spending time with family and friends when I can!

Facebook: Amanda Ruffin McCall

Title Wave Book Mobile

Email: amanda.mccall@carteretk12.org

Twitter: @amccalleducates

Website: Coming soon!

Hi! My name is Emily Golightly. I am a native of Carteret County on the coast of North Carolina, and I am now raising my own family here. I have been married to my high school sweetheart, Jim, for twenty-one years. We have a nineteen-year-old and a sixteen-year-old who keep us busy!

I received my bachelor's degree from East Carolina University in Elementary Education, and I also have my reading certification in grades K-12 and my TESL certification in grades K-12. I completed my master's degree in Teaching English as a Second Language through UNCW, and obtained a second master's degree in Media and Library Sciences (MLS) through Appalachian State University. As a school librarian, I also serve on the board of our state's librarian organization, NCSLMA, as the parliamentarian. I was honored to be selected as the 2024-2025 NC School Librarian of the Year. This is my 22nd year in education. I'm so excited to be a part of NCRA, and I look forward to working with each of you to promote literacy across the state!

Email: emily.golightly@carteretk12.org
Website: bit.ly/golightlyreads
Facebook: facebook.com/emilyg143
Twitter: @EmilyGolightly3

My name is Shannon Lawrence and I serve as the treasurer for NCRA. I also serve on the board for my local reading council GCRA (Greater Cabarrus Reading Association). I am an AIG teacher at W.R. Odell Elementary School in Cabarrus County and will be entering my 20th year of teaching this fall. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my husband Ryan and our two children Carrigan (8th grade) and Noah (3rd grade). Some of my favorite activities are cooking, reading, exercising, attending church, going out on our boat and relaxing by the pool.

Email: ncrainc.treasurer@gmail.com

My name is Andrew Walker and I serve as the shadow to the treasurer for NCRA. I will be fully stepping into this role in the 2025-2026 school year. I have been in NCRA as a part of Robeson Reading Council back in 2014 and currently with Columbus Council since 2016. I have held the position of treasurer for my council since 2021. I’m a community member, as I worked in financial services and I’m currently working in healthcare. I have many talents and gifts to share with my fellow members at the local level and state level. I’m proud to be shadowing our current State treasurer Shannon to help at the state level, too.

Email: ncrainc.treasurer@gmail.com; anw6494@gmail.com

Hello! My name is Jean, and I graduated from NC State with a degree in secondary English education and taught in the Wake County Public School system for 5 years before returning to NC State to work on my masters. While there, I taught freshman English for two years. I then worked for The News & Observer in the Newspapers in Education department for the next 27 years. I retired in 2010 to become a granny nanny for my daughter's boy/girl newborn twins. Thinking I would be keeping two babies, I got a big surprise when their little brother Jack was born a year and a week later. I've been keeping them ever since, first full-time, then once they were in school, after school and during the summers. I also help my son and his wife with their three little ones whenever I can.

I've been involved in the NC Reading Association since the mid 1980s, first with the Raleigh/Wake Council, and then as an officer in the state association. I served as NCRA president from 2006-07 and have been working as the Executive Assistant since 2007. In that role, I am responsible for planning the yearly conference. I spend my spare time reading, gardening, watching my grandsons' baseball games, and traveling.

My name is Talia R. Cotton. I am an educator with 17 years of experience with a focus on English and Secondary Education. I am the Digital Marketing Director for North Carolina Reading Association and a Teaching and Learning Coach in Durham Public Schools. I was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida. My hobbies are reading, traveling, and new technology!!

Facebook: Talia Cotton

Email: talia1.cotton@gmail.com

Twitter: @taliacotton

Website: https://www.taliarcotton.com

Hi! I'm Tonya Bailey, and I am the Area Director for the Mountains Region, as well as the Blue Ridge Reading Council Past President. I am a retired teacher as of 2022, with 31 years of experience. I have been married for 33 years to my husband, Tony, and we have a wonderful daughter, Allison, who is 20 years old.

We have three pets: am American Bulldog, a Netherland Dwarf bunny, and a Leopard Gecko. My hobbies are reading and shopping. My new business after retirement is Bailey's Bag Boutique on Facebook. I have also been a Mary Kay Consultant for 25 years.

Email: tbailey@burke.k12.nc.us

Hello! I'm Barb, and I am originally from Buffalo- GO Bills! I have degrees in Criminal Justice, Elementary Education and Reading Specialist. I've married an Army officer 41 years ago in Baumholder, Germany. We have two children. My son works for the NC Superintendent of Public Instruction and my daughter is a history teacher in Salisbury. I have three beautiful granddaughters. I taught in 15 different schools in Buffalo, Germany, Ft. Knox, KY, Charleston, Alexandria, VA, Ft. Hood, TX, and Mechanicsburg, PA. We moved to Concord, NC in 1999 when my husband retired from the Army and I taught first grade and then became the first reading specialist at Cannon School for 20 years. I left Cannon in 2020 and moved to Charleston after 40 years of teaching.

I have been a member of NCRA and GCRA since 1999, and I've been membership chair, treasurer, president and YA chair for GCRA. I have been an Area Director three separate times ( total of 9 years) and was the NCRA state coordinator for 6 years. My hobbies (besides reading) include sewing and crafting. I have run an American Girl camp for the last 20 years which allows me use my interests.

Email: barbgcra@gmail.com

Facebook: Barbara Falkenbury

Instagram: @barb_book_reader

Hi! I'm Christine Leo. I am originally from Pittsburgh, PA; married for 47 years with two married daughters - one is an architect and one is a NICU nurse - and 2 granddaughters (4 1/2 years old and 1 year old). I have spent the past 47 years in education, with an elementary education degree from Bethany College and a masters degree in special ed from West Virginia University. This is my fifth year as an area director. My part time job is selling Partylite candles and home decor. I also read and have a collection of over 800 picture books which I use with my students (yes, I'm still teaching!).

Email: cbleo114@aol.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christine.leo.5477

Partylite Site: www.Partylite.com/christineleo All candle lovers please join!

Hi! I'm Shane, the Area Director for the Southeast Region, and I have been married for 35 years to Tonnye Williams Fletcher. I've been teaching for twenty-two years, and I am currently at Central Middle School in Whiteville, NC (7th Grade ELA). I have my PhD in Curriculum & Instruction -Literacy from NC State and my MAEd - Reading Specialist from UNCP. We live/work on Country Corners Farm in Chadbourn, NC (Home of NC’s only Sugarcane Maze!). We have 2 cats (Sparkles and Dusty) and 1 Turtle (Blinky). I have been an NCRA Area Director for 13 years. I am also the current Vice President of Columbus Council of NCRA

Email: mfletcher@whiteville.k12.nc.us

Twitter: @docfletch2016

Facebook: Shane Fletcher

Instagram: @shaeginarrowmaker

Hi! My name is Vicki Abbott-Stain. I am the current NCRA Area Director for the Coastal Region and have held this position for the past five years. I retired from Craven County Schools in 2017 after thirty one years as an elementary teacher. I have taught Kindergarten through Fourth grade and several years as a Title 1 Reading teacher. Since retirement, I have been a full-time substitute teacher in Craven County.

I am one of the original charter members of Twin Rivers Reading Council founded in 1987. I am also a past president of the Council and have held many positions on the board. I have been the chairman for Reading Fun Day at the mall project for the past ten years.

I look forward to working with you all this year. You may contact me at (252)-349-4510 or email me at poohbear13@suddenlink.net.