Reading, writing, inspiring

Because of space reasons, the St. Petersburg Times, in this Sunday piece, could only excerpt a handful of the stories that students in adult literacy classes wrote to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the St. Petersburg Literacy Council. Many had never written more than a few sentences before. And yet, their work was often powerful, heart-rending and uplifting. To read more of their stories, download them here.

If you want help learning to read, or if you're interested in becoming a literacy tutor, call the council at (727) 521-1117.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter