Marcelle Ross: Starting the Day with a Story

There’s no one way to volunteer with Chatham Reads. Whether it’s leading a book club, caring for a Little Free Library, reading aloud, or sharing books with children in the community, every volunteer helps inspire a love of reading. We’d like to introduce you to Marcelle Ross, a retired educator who helped Chatham Reads start its pilot Breakfast Book Club at Moncure School.

What could be better than starting the school day with breakfast and a good book?

That’s what drew retired educator Marcelle Ross to Chatham Reads’ pilot Breakfast Book Club at Moncure School. “I loved the idea of the children beginning their school day eating breakfast while discussing a book,” she said. Marcelle was one of the first volunteers to sign up, eager to use her years of experience to help young readers build confidence and discover the joy of reading.

Marcelle made every book club meeting something to look forward to. When students read Luna and Pebble, she brought in pebbles for everyone. For Yuna’s Cardboard Castles, she shared maps and Japanese artwork. Her thoughtful touches created a welcoming space where children looked forward to reading, asking questions, and sharing ideas.

A North Carolina native and Duke University graduate, Marcelle spent 35 years as a public school educator before retiring. Her love of literacy has continued through volunteer reading programs, including with Chatham Reads and Communities In Schools. This summer, she’s also leading read-alouds at the Boys & Girls Club of Central Carolina in Siler City.

“I was eager to utilize the skills I developed as a public educator and literacy volunteer to encourage children to increase their skills, interest, and confidence in reading,” she said. One of her favorite memories from Breakfast Book Club was when a student connected a book they had read in early March to another they read months later—proof that the discussions were inspiring children to think more deeply about what they were reading.

For Marcelle, the greatest reward was connecting with children through books. As she put it, “You can find joy and learn so much from children as you connect with them through reading and discussion!”

Learn more about volunteering for Chatham Reads and sign up here.