NEWARK - If books are a “passport to possibility,” then a single story shared aloud, according to New York Times bestselling author Tami Charles, can spark imagination, curiosity and hope for the younger generation.

Rain drizzles did not keep eager readers and their families away from Newark’s Ivy Hill Park for the seventh annual “Reading Under the Stars” event Wednesday evening – an initiative that is part of the city’s 10-point plan to address child literacy for toddlers through third graders.

It was co-hosted by the city’s Office of Comprehensive Community Education, the Office of Violence Prevention and Trauma Recovery, and the Department of Recreation, Cultural Affairs, and Senior Services.

“Research from the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report shows more than half of kids say

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