Every West Virginia First Grader Is Getting a Free Book, and Tony Caridi Is Reading It to Them

Somewhere in West Virginia this week, a first grader is going to carry home a brand-new book of their very own, and that's the kind of news we never get tired of sharing.

GoMart, the convenience store and fuel chain that calls Braxton County home, has kicked off a new effort it's calling Fueling Our Future. The centerpiece is a children's book written by none other than Tony Caridi, the longtime play-by-play voice of the WVU Mountaineers. GoMart is donating 17,000 copies, enough to put one in the hands of every first grader in the Mountain State.

The book is called Watch Where You Put Your Feet Down. Published by GoMart and illustrated by Brianna Allen of Digital Relativity, it follows a boy named Luca and his faithful dog, Charlie, as they set out to explore the beauty and adventure of West Virginia. It's a love letter to our hills wrapped up in a story made for young readers.

A classroom tour across six counties

Caridi isn't just signing off on the project from a broadcast booth. He's spending this week visiting first-grade classrooms in six counties alongside GoMart's mascot, Marty, reading the book out loud and handing copies to the kids.

The tour started Monday at Sutton Elementary in Braxton County and Stanaford Elementary in Raleigh County. On Tuesday morning, it was Belle Elementary's turn in Kanawha County. Milton Elementary in Cabell County, Blennerhassett Elementary in Wood County and Brookhaven Elementary in Monongalia County are also on the list.

And because no West Virginia road trip is complete without a stop for a treat, every book comes with a coupon for a free small Frazil, a little thank-you for young readers and their families.

Not his first chapter

This is Caridi's second children's book. His first, Where, Oh Where, Oh Where, Could We Go? Traveling West Virginia High and Low, took young readers on a tour of spots all across the state. He has said that book grew out of his time volunteering with a read-aloud program in Morgantown schools, and that the GoMart partnership gave him the chance to write another one.

Caridi has described the new project as a win-win, pairing a celebration of West Virginia with a push to get books into kids' hands early. He's also been clear about why it matters to him, saying that “reading can become a superpower” for children who catch the bug at a young age.

Why it matters here at home

First grade is the year a lot of kids really start reading on their own, and having a book to call your own can make all the difference. Seeing a hometown company team up with one of the most familiar voices in West Virginia to put a story about our own mountains in every first grader's backpack is about as Almost Heaven as it gets.

If you've got a first grader at home, keep an eye out for Luca and Charlie coming home in their bookbag. And if you see Tony Caridi and Marty rolling into your school this week, give them a proud Mountaineer welcome.