Fantasy author Brandon Mull addressed sixth-grade students and junior high school book club members from across the Ogden School District on Oct. 6. The event, held at Ogden High School, was part of the Ogden School Foundation's annual Fall Author Event.
The assembly was organized through a partnership between the Ogden School Foundation, Utah Humanities, and Operation Literacy. To foster interest in reading, more than 900 students were each given a free copy of Mull's book, "The Tales of Newel and Doren," which is a spin-off of his "Fablehaven" series.
Mull, who has authored 20 New York Times Bestsellers, discussed how fantasy literature sparked his own interest in reading. He shared an anecdote about a childhood experience where he expected to find a magical world in his grandmother's closet but instead found a room filled with canned peaches.
During his presentation, Mull encouraged students to exercise and strengthen their imaginations. He explained that reading requires a person to co-create story worlds by visualizing dialogue and images in their minds, a process he said is more creative than watching a movie.
Janelle Youngstrom, the Book Drop program director for Operation Literacy, stated that meeting an author makes a student 80% more likely to read their book. She noted that Mull was a significant choice for the event because his books are among those most frequently checked out from Ogden School District libraries.
The visit comes as Utah faces challenges with literacy rates, with Youngstrom noting that many children are reading well below their grade level. The initiative aims to transition students from learning to read to reading to learn by building excitement for the process.
