KJ Dell’Antonia

Children’s Literacy Expert and Author

KJ Dell’Antonia is the co-author of Reading with Babies, Toddlers and Twos: A Guide to Choosing, Reading and Loving Books Together. She is a specialist in children’s literature and early childhood literacy, as well as a writer whose work has appeared in Parents, American Baby and Mothering. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children. KJ says, “On average, children spend only forty-nine minutes with books per day compared with two hours and twenty-two minutes in front of a TV or computer screen. Want above-average kids? Read.”

Sandi Koebler, Ed.D.

Director of Training and Evaluation
Beginning with Books®

After receiving her B.S. in Education and her M.A. in Early Childhood Education from the University of Pittsburgh, Sandi took a position as a director of an early childhood education center. Sandi’s interest in early childhood grew as she watched children blossom when offered developmentally appropriate activities in a caring setting. Her continued interest led her back to academia where she earned her Ed.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. While working on her degree, she evaluated a core program of the early literacy agency Beginning with Books®. She joined Beginning with Books in 1998 and now serves as its Director of Training and Evaluation.

Tess Riesmeyer

Associate Director of Early Literacy Education
Beginning with Books®

Tess received her B.A. in History from Allegheny College and M.A. in History from the University of Delaware. After ten years as a curator, archivist, and museum educator, Tess returned to her first loves — reading and children’s books. She spent a year as an AmeriCorps member with Beginning with Books®. After completing her year of service, she joined the Beginning with Books staff, where she focuses on remaining up-to-date on new children’s books, developing and conducting early literacy trainings, and selecting books for use in a variety of settings, including childcare centers, after-school programs, school classrooms, and pediatric clinics. Tess says, “Children who are read to from an early age develop bigger vocabularies and become better readers.”