Read 60 & Jerome Williams | Read With JYD

KidLit TV has the Inside Scoop on retired NBA player Jerome “JunkYard Dog” Williams’ new book Read With JYD. This book helps kids get confidence and speak up against bullies. Published by Celebrity Publishing’s project Read 60, Read With JYD supports the JYD Project “to impact our communities and encourage children to read!” The Read with JYD books discuss the following topics:

Bullying
Health & Fitness
Financial Literacy
Poetry

We were excited to find out that his book has a section on poetry! With Kwame Alexander‘s Newbery Award winning book “Crossover” having a poetic cadence, poetry is making a comeback with tween and teens. Jerome Williams is on point with bringing this artistic skill to the forefront of teens. We were excited to get an exclusive interview with this retired NBA player and find out more about him, Read60 and his book.

Exclusive KidLit TV Interview with Jerome Williams

Why do you think poetry is an important part of literacy?

I think poetry is a very important part of literacy because it allows students to use their imaginations. It engages the mind for creativity from a literary perspective. Poetry is writing with a rhythm.

Do you think kids should study poetry in schools?

Kid should definitely study poetry in school. Being able to dissect poetry in a way to find the true authors definition is a great challenge for students to have.

How can we prevent kids from being bullied?

One way we can stop kids from being bullied is to give them confidence to speak up and speak out against those who choose to bully. Just like bullying is a learned behavior, being able to seek the proper help and assistance can also be learned. So it is our duty as adults to teach kids about this process.

What should kids do if they see someone being bullied?

If a kid is being bullied, seek the help of an adult.

What can parents and teachers learn from your book?

The JYD Read60 book has a lot of wonderful activities for kids in kindergarten to the 12th grade. Parents and students can learn financial literacy, poetry, anti-bullying and Health and fitness.

Who are some of your favorite poets?

My favorite poet is Maya Angelou.

How can teachers and parents use your book in schools and what would you teach kids?

How parents and teachers can use this book in the classroom is simply as a tool to help motivate kids to read. Many kids look up to NBA stars. This book allows parents and teachers to utilize our stories as players to bring normalcy to the classroom. It allows kids to understand that we are people just like them, and we were once kids who had hopes and dreams just like them.