For the Love of Reading

We all know the importance of reading at or above grade level to a child’s success in school - and life. But sometimes it’s hard to get kids interested in and excited about books, especially if they weren’t raised in a reading environment.

We sat down with Kevin Lovegreen, Eagan resident and author of Lucky Luke’s Hunting Adventures book series to learn how he wants to be part of the solution. He has devoted his second career to getting kids fired up about reading, writing and the great outdoors.

About a decade ago, Lovegreen sold his share of the family industrial metal business to his brother, engaged a life coach and set out to find a new career. He had no idea what he wanted to do, until he mentioned his childhood hunting and fishing journals to his coach. At her suggestion, he re-visited those journals and wrote his first Lucky Luke book titled The Swamp.

Lovegreen has since written eight more books about Lucky Luke, aimed primarily at kids in kindergarten through sixth grade. He visits schools in the U.S. and Canada delivering unique presentations that connect his work as an author to the students’ own reading and writing. “I talk to them about what it takes to write a book, including a team of experts, a passion for your topic, and several rounds of editing,” Lovegreen says. He includes his signature “Animal Sound Challenge” as part of every presentation, and says it engages the teachers as much as the students.