Maya Payne Smart, author of Reading for Our Lives: The Urgency of Early Literacy and the Action Plan to Help Your Child, will join the 49th Annual Mary Calletto Rife Youth Literature Seminar, hosted by Kalamazoo Public Library on Friday, November 6, 2026. As a featured keynote speaker, she will share insights on family literacy, nurturing lifelong readers, and empowering families to build strong reading communities. The free, online event brings together authors, literacy advocates, educators, librarians, and others interested in supporting children and families through the power of reading.
Maya Payne Smart is a writer, parent educator, and literacy advocate who has served on the boards of numerous library and literacy organizations. She and her family live in Milwaukee, where she serves as affiliated faculty in educational policy and leadership in the College of Education at Marquette University. Her website, MayaSmart.com, provides tips and tools for parents to nurture, teach, and advocate for kids on the road to reading.
