About Phyllis C. Hunter

Phyllis C. Hunter is an internationally renowned and beloved literacy expert who has served as an advisor to both the President of the United States and the Secretary of Education. Her advice about reading instruction and the importance of classroom libraries in building successful, avid readers is always direct and to the point.

She is a sought after motivational speaker and reading advisor for many educational stakeholders.

Ms. Hunter has worked as a district reading manager, principal, and speech and language therapist. In 2009, she was named the Marcus Garvey Educator of the Year by the National Alliance of Black Educators, and in 2009, Scholastic Education presented Ms. Hunter with its inaugural Heroes Award for her contributions to the field of children’s literacy. She has served on the advisory board for the Broad Prize in Urban Education, which awards the nation’s largest yearly K-12 public education prize, and has also been on the advisory board of several national literacy organizations, including Consortium for Reading Excellence (CORE), the Neuhaus Education Center, and the National Center for Family Literacy. She plays a key role on the advisory council for Scholastic's Family and Community Engagement (FACE).

In addition to having created the Phyllis C. Hunter Classroom Libraries, Ms. Hunter is the author of It’s Not Complicated! What I Know For Sure About Helping Our Students of Color Become Successful Readers