Gordy and the Ghost Crab on StoryWalk®
My annual trip to Ocracoke Island became extra special this fall when I discovered that my picture book, Gordy and the Ghost Crab, had been chosen to be displayed at Robbie’s Way.
I learned this from Marci Mason, who lives in the Pirates Quay condo below the unit we rented. Earlier, she had stopped in the library, noticed my book on the counter with a note about being chosen for StoryWalk®, and sent me a Facebook message. What a treat that Don and I happened to be on the island so that we could actually see the book on display. I’m thrilled and honored.
Robbie’s Way on Ocracoke Island, NC
Robbie’s Way is a 15-foot wide access from Silver Lake Drive to the shores of Pamlico Sound. The family of Robbie Runyon deeded the access to Ocracoke Preservation Society in 2000 in memory of her frequent walks to watch the sunset across the road from her island home.
In 2021, Robbie’s Way added a StoryWalk®. The walkway now includes 17 wooden cases, handmade by an island craftsman, which hold the pages to a picture book selected by the Ocracoke Public Library. Children and their parents can read as they walk the trail to the water and back.
So, of course, I had to visit the library and personally thank the director Sundae Horn.
The origins of StoryWalk®
StoryWalk® was created in 2007 by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT, in collaboration with former staff member Rachel Senechal, and is a registered service mark of the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. StoryWalk® exists across the U.S. and worldwide in 13 countries including Germany, Canada, England, Bermuda, Russia, Malaysia, Pakistan and South Korea. The goal is to bring the library into the community and to encourage literacy. Many story trail books have a theme such as kindness, making difference in someone’s life, love for nature, accepting differences, etc.
Gordy, and the ghost crab, too, are so excited to be a part of this program!