Support Literacy at Bertrand's Back-To-School-Birthday Bash

Ever sing Happy Birthday to a crocheted mouse? Here's your chance!

Bertrand the Mouse's Back-To-School Birthday Bash will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22 at The Book Market in Crest Hill.

We will have refreshments, party hats, birthday games-to-go, and back-to-school ribbits (while supplies last) with the purchase of any BryonySeries children's book.

Now, here's what Bertrand wants for his birthday.

For those who don't know Bertrand (yet), Bertrand's always on the go and happy to lend a helping…paw…to bring the joys of reading to children.

All Bertrand wants is for people of all ages to experience the joys of reading. 

So the best birthday present you can give Bertrand is to bring home a book (or two) to read and enjoy.

Or...

...and even better - buy a book (or two or more) and leave them with us. We will distribute them at Kids Fest this fall (the date is being rescheduled and has not been announced yet).

Let's celebrate the joys of reading, books and literacy together on August 22!

Can You Help This Literacy Effort?

So Kids Fest on Aug. 1 in downtown Joliet was postponed due to weather - and the Joliet City Center Partnership, which hosts the event, said it will announce the new date this week.

So might you be interested in helping WriteOn Joliet's literacy efforts at this event?

Since 2024, WriteOn Joliet has distributed books authored by WriteOn Joliet authors at the annual Kidz Fest in Joliet.

In 2024, we gave away nearly 100 books in the event’s first 90 minutes. In 2025, we gave away 300 books, mostly in the first half of the event.

The books were funded by WriteOn Joliet’s leader and co-founder along with members of the B.L.O.C.K.S creative team in 2024 and 2025.

I currently have more than 500 books with titles for all ages packed up and ready for distribution in my bastment. (And we are not just giving away books at our booth!)

And (so far) 18 people,businesses, and organizations have helped fund this literacy effort.

According to the World Literacy Foundation, home libraries “are fabulous tools for improving academic performance, sparking a love for education, and equipping children for success.”

Books are also  “wonderful tools for fostering empathy and promoting positive mental health,” the foundation said.

Your sponsorship of any dollar amount will help provide locally written books to local readers for the 2026-2027 school year.

In return, we will distribute up to 200 pieces of your information with the books to increase your brand exposure. 

We will also display sponsor’s names at our booth and on the main page of WriteOn Joliet’s for the remainder of 2026 (actually, we're providing a link, since all the names didn't fit!).

Speaking of displays, here is our current sign, designed by Fast Printing of Joliet, and I'm taking that sign with me to every event (currently that's seven) I'm participating in for the remainder of 2026.

More sponsors means I'll need another two-foot by three-foot sign.

For more information about sponsorship opportunities, email writeonjolietgroup@gmail.com.

For more information about WriteOn Joliet, visit writeonjoliet.com.