Even though research shows the number of children who say they love reading books for fun has sharply declined in recent years, the Brownsville Book Fest aims to put back the joy of reading in the hearts, minds and hands of youngsters in Escambia County.

The inaugural Brownsville Book Fest got off to a good start on Saturday in meeting its goal of helping families with children ages 4 to 12 experience the joy of reading in a creative environment.

More than 20 children gathered in a reception hall at Brownsville Assembly of God church to create their own artwork, listen to book reading and storytelling, and receive free books to take home and read.

“This is for knowledge and literacy and for our future,” said Jennifer Johnson, an AmeriCorps member working with Pensacola Habitat for Humanity. “We plan on doing it again in a couple of months.”

Habitat for Humanity joined with the Historic Brownsville Community Association to increase literacy and expose children to the joy and importance of reading at an early age.

The Book Fest comes on the heels of a study by children’s book publisher Scholastic that found only 51 percent of children said they love or like reading books for fun. That’s compared to 58 percent in in 2012 and 60 percent in 2010, according to an article in The Guardian. Researchers also have found a sharp decline in reading enjoyment after the age of eight.

Scholastic also surveyed the parents of children between the ages of 0 and 5 in an attempt to find out what made children frequent readers. The report found that children are more likely to be frequent readers if they are read aloud to at home and if they were read aloud to five to seven days a week before starting nursery.

This report bodes well with the Studer Community Institute’s mission to improve the quality of life by helping children 0 to 5 get ready for kindergarten.

Research shows that kindergarten readiness is among the most important measures of a child’s academic progress. And parent involvement is the No. 1 predictor of early literacy and academic success.

In Escambia County, one out of three children — 34 percent — start behind in school and statistics bear out that they rarely, if ever, catch up.

That makes it critically important that we invest in those children before they get to school. That means making an early childhood education a priority in our community.

Events like the Brownsville Book Fest go a long way in bringing attention to the importance of literacy, reading and early education in improving this community’s quality of life.

Habitat received a $1,800 literacy grant from Newell Rubbermaid to cover the cost of supplies for the event and books the children took home. The Boys and Girls Club of Escambia County also donated new books to give to the kids.

“The ability to read and write are crucial abilities to accessing technology and being successful in life,” said Peggy Fowler, neighborhood revitalization director with Habitat. “Events that celebrate and explore the importance of reading are crucial to increasing literacy rates and creating prepared adults.”

The children activities included “creative stations” set up in the room. Crayons, markers, glitter, glue, letters and coloring books covered tables for the kids to make maracas and create a “My Book Fest” writing journal.

Local author Jeremie Samuel and illustrator Carter J. Gaston, who worked on “Do You Know Estevanico? Adventures of the World’s Greatest Explorer,” read the story aloud , as the children gathered around them to listen and learn.

After the reading, the group marched in unison around the room, accompanied by an accordion, singing “Do You Know Estavanico?”

Nine-year-old Mia Angeles said she’s been studying Estevanico, the Spanish explorer who came to Pensacola in 1528, in class at N.B. Cook Elementary School.

One of Mia’s favorite pastimes is reading and writing poems.

“Reading helps you become a better writer,” said Mia, holding several books given out at the Book Fest.“ And it helps you learn about others.”

Author Jeremie Samuel couldn’t agree more.

“Reading helps you learn more in all aspects of education,” Samuel said. “Reading is fundamental.”