Better Basics Reads Kicks Off at Birmingham’s Tuggle Elementary, Other Area Schools

By Donna Cope | Alabama News Center Excitement filled the air at Tuggle Elementary School in Birmingham on May 2 as community leaders gathered for storytelling through the Better Basics Reads program. Miss Black Alabama Talented Teen pageant winner DeAysia Thomas, a Tuscaloosa native, was among celebrity readers who interacted with students at Tuggle Elementary. While reading to Demetrius Paige’s third grade class, Thomas emphasized, “Heart will take you a long way.” The Tuscaloosa native repeated that message over again to children while reading Stephen Curry’s popular debut book, “I Have a Superpower.” Curry, a four-time National Basketball Association champion, wrote the book to inspire kids to unlock their own “superpowers.” From the back of the classroom, a little girl asked Thomas, “Are you Alabama’s queen?” The 16-year-old, who wore a sparkling tiara and a white pageant sash, smiled and lifted Curry’s colorful book so all the children could see. Later, Thomas held a question-and-answer session about the book. This spring, Better Basics Reads is supplying young readers with Curry’s book, along with “What is Juneteenth” by Kirsti Jewel; “Tikki Tikki Tembo” by Arlene Mosel; “Clean-Up Time” adapted by Patty Michaels from the hit PBS show “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood;” “What...