Books sit on a table in a classroom at American Heritage School in American Fork where students listened to guest authors speak during the school's BookCon event on Monday, March 3, 2025.
Leaders and educators at American Heritage School are committed to reinforcing their message to students about the benefits of exploring the various genres of literature. And what better way to emphasize that message than to allow students the opportunity to connect with local authors and literacy advocates?
The school's American Fork campus hosted its first-ever "BookCon" on Monday, an event dedicating an entire day to fostering a love of reading among students.
High school students rotated through themed rooms, interacted with guest authors and engaged in literary activities and themed reading sessions. Some were even lucky enough to get the books they found interesting signed by the authors themselves.
Brigham Dye, director of curriculum and instruction, said the goal of the event was to help students who usually don't find an interest in reading discover at least one book that speaks to them and sparks their curiosity to explore more titles.
For the students who are readers, the goal was to expand their awareness of genres and titles that will be fun for them.
"We've been working on building a culture of reading for a couple of years now and recognizing the national trends of the decline of reading, not just national but international, and concerned about what that does to the ability of our students to focus for an extended period of time, to solve problems and to think morally," Dye said.
The school's efforts include dedicating time each day for every high school student for D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read).
An October 2024 report by the National Literacy Trust suggests reading enjoyment among children and teenagers has dropped to significant lows in recent years.
Around 35% of children and young adults ages 8 to 18 say they like reading for pleasure, and about 20% of people in the same age range said they read something daily in their free time, according to the report.
Monday's BookCon featured guest speakers such as Tanner Wall, BYU football co-captain, and his mother Sher Wall, an educator and literacy advocate; Brandon Sanderson, a #1 New York Times best-selling, world-renowned fantasy author; and Sara B. Larson, author of the Defy trilogy, the Dark Breaks the Dawn duology, and the Sisters of Shadow and Light duology.
James Dashner, author of the young adult Maze Runner series, spoke to students about his journey into storytelling in a panel-style classroom setting called the dystopian district.
He hopes students can learn to experience the joy of storytelling as well as the various life lessons that come from reading.
"The very many things it (reading) can teach us about our own lives and other people's lives, (having) empathy, and experiencing things you've probably never experienced before in your own life," Dashner said.
Weston Larson, a senior, said he mostly reads school-assigned books but has enjoyed fantasy and self-help books.
Larson said he felt a sense of inspiration after meeting and listening to Dashner.
"It's been too cool to see his strategies of writing and just his whole entire experience with writing the Maze Runner series," he told the Daily Herald.
Lucy Pedersen, a ninth-grader, said she considers herself an avid reader though she hasn't had much time lately due to school work.
Pedersen aspires to create a novel someday, and the event provided added insight into what makes a great storyteller.
"I'm kind of an artist, so I might want to make a graphic novel, (or) something like that," she said.
Pedersen said she enjoys reading historical fantasy books and now has an interest in science fiction.
Dye said the response from students to the event was positive and sparked a lot of interest.
The school is considering holding future BookCon events every four years, which ensures each high school student that passes through the campus gets to have the experience.