Award winning author, Roland Smith, will be meeting customers and discussing his books at All Booked Up, located at 104B North Salem Street, in historic downtown Apex on Wednesday, April 7 at 7 p.m.

Roland Smith, adventure novelist and former zookeeper, is a popular author among middle school students and teachers. As part of the sixth grade curriculum at Dillard Drive Middle School (DDMS), the students read Jaguar (Hyperion Book CH February,1999) to complement the unit on South America. Jaguar is about Jacob Lansa’s journey with his father through the Amazon to build a jaguar preserve.

Marsha East, Sixth Grade Teacher at Dillard Drive Middle School, said “It was a high interest tie in to our unit on South America. It brought to life the cities, indigenous people, and rain forest that are a part of our curriculum.”

Seventh grade students also read “Peak” (Harcourt Children’s Books, May 1, 2007) as an extension of their curriculum. “Peak” won six awards, including the ALA Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.

Mr. Smith’s books take the students beyond the textbook and are a great way to not only integrate reading, but to encourage it as well. “There is a downside of reading such good books in class,” said Ms. East, “now there is a waiting list in our library for his books!”

Located in historic downtown Apex at 104B North Salem Street, All Booked Up offers the community a different kind of bookstore. With an extensive collection of gently read books, customers buy them at a fraction of the cost.