Look Out, College, Here I Come!
Governor Mike Easley Shares His New Children’s Book
On North Carolina Bookwatch, Friday, July 13 at 9:30 PM

The message behind North Carolina Governor Michael Easley’s new children’s offering Look Out, College, Here I Come! is that it is never too early for kids to begin thinking about college and career goals. Written by Gov. Easley and beautifully illustrated by his sister, H. Marie Easley, this charming book features the antics of “Flappy the Fish,” a character that was inspired by her brother Michael, who kept his fellow siblings entertained during their childhood—and still today.

In an exclusive interview with North Carolina Bookwatch’s D.G. Martin, Friday, July 13 at 9:30 PM, Governor Easley shares his thoughts on education within the state and how his book, as National Education Association president Reg Wever puts it, can provide a “wonderful tool for teachers and parents to use in preparing children to reach their goals and live their dreams.”

Now serving in his second term as Governor of North Carolina, Mike Easley has compiled an impressive wide-ranging record on education reform.  His highly successful More at Four program ranks as one of the nation’s best Pre-K programs for at-risk four-year-olds.  With the support of the Gates Foundation, his Learn and Earn initiative creates high schools on college campuses and allows students to earn a high school diploma as well as an associate’s degree within five years at no cost.  Gov. Easley also recently became national co-chair of the board of directors for Achieve, the nation’s preeminent high school reform organization.

With his new book, Easley hopes to go one step further.

“Everyone is talking about more kids going to college, but no one is talking to the kids. We must go directly to our children and tell them at an early age that college is essential in this economy,” says Easley. With Look Out, College, Here I Come!, Easley reaches out to this very young audience with this very important message.

Born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Gov. Easley was an honor’s graduate in political science from the University of North Carolina.  He graduated cum laude from North Carolina Central University School of Law.  He and his wife, Mary, a Senior Lecturer in Arts and Humanities at North Carolina State University, have one son, Michael Jr.

Don’t miss DG Martin’s all-new interview with Gov. Mike Easley on North Carolina Bookwatch, Friday, July 13, at 9:30 PM, with an encore episode airing Sunday, July 15, at 5 PM, only on UNC-TV!

During the 20-week, 10th anniversary season of North Carolina Bookwatch, guests also include: J. Peder Zane (The Top Ten), Michele Bowen (Holy Ghost Corner), Neal Thompson (Driving with the Devil), Joseph Bathanti (Coventry) Joanna Catherine Scott (The Road from Chapel Hill), James Dodson (Beautiful Madness), Dan Heath (Made to Stick), Margaret Maron (Hard Row), James Peacock (Grounded Globalism: How the U.S. South Embraces the World), Tim Madigan (I’m Proud of You), Melton McLaurin (The Marines of Montford Point), Kathryn Stripling Byer (Coming to Rest), David Guy (Jake Fades),  Georgann Eubanks (Literary Trails of the North Carolina Mountains), Zelda Lockhart (Cold Running Creek), Mike Lassiter (Our Vanishing Americana: A North Carolina Portrait), Joe and Terry Graedon (Best Choices from the People’s Pharmacy), Fred Hobson (Off the Rim), and William Powell (Encyclopedia of North Carolina).

For additional information about series guests and airdates, plus links to the Bookwatch blog and online book club, please visit: www.unctv.org/ncbookwatch.

Funding for North Carolina Bookwatch is provided by UNC-TV members and by Quail Ridge Books and Music, Raleigh’s independent, full service bookstore, bringing readers and writers together since 1984.

North Carolina Bookwatch is part of UNC-TV’s ongoing commitment to produce programs for and about North Carolina. UNC-TV is the statewide 11-station broadcast network of the University of North Carolina. For more information, please visit www.unctv.org/ncbookwatch.

For more information about North Carolina Bookwatch and UNC-TV’s other original productions, please visit our website at www.unctv.org.