Writer, teacher, consultant, and speaker Lester L. Laminack is a professor emeritus of education at Western Carolina University. He holds an EdD from Auburn University.

Born in Flint, Michigan, Lester grew up in Alabama surrounded by a large extended family. Despite occasional moves, his family always returned to Alabama.

Lester has been fascinated with learning ever since he was a child. As a fourth-grader, he kept notebooks filled with riddles and stories. Then as he grew to adulthood, his love of writing and storytelling went hand in hand with his commitment to education and literacy. In the 1990s, Lester began writing children’s books, aiming to provide real-life connections for young readers. “I want children to realize that everyone has a story to tell, and that every life is worthy.”

He currently lives in Dillsboro, North Carolina, where he begins his days listening to music over a cup of coffee. He plays a Native American flute made from river cane, as well as the saxophone.

Lester invites everyone to take part in his dream: “I dream of schools where children’s art fills gallery spaces in the school hallways and where children gather in clusters in the mornings before class to hear books and poems flowing from the voices of teachers.”

Visit www.lesterlaminack.com to learn more about Lester. Be sure to read his entire invitation and learn how you can take a stand on the issues that matter most to the preservation of every person’s precious childhood.