Thought you’d like to see some pictures from the BSLF show in Jacksonville. Here is an article about it, too;

‘Black Stallion’ Inspires Children To Read

Actors and horses from Arabian Nights in Orlando perform excerpts from “The Black Stallion.”
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It’s a book come to life right before their eyes.

Two thousand fourth-graders from around the area experienced Walter Farley’s book “The Black Stallion” like never before as actors and horses from Arabian Nights in Orlando performed excerpts from the childhood favorite and dazzled the audience with daredevil stunts this week.

The Black Stallion Literacy Foundation travels the country, and their mission is to inspire children to read and to spark a life-long love of literature.

The series, which began more than 65 years ago, includes 21 books and has been translated into more than 20 languages.

Tim Farley, the co-founder of the program and the author’s son, said his favorite part is the impact the program has on children and the new doors it opens for them.

“Some of these kids have never seen a horse before, but some of these kids have never owned a book before, and never owning a book, that’s something that impacts all of us,” Farley said.

Fourth-grade literacy levels affect people more than you might think.

Not only are the children the future of the country, but Farley said the government decides how many cells are built in prisons based on those literacy levels.

It’s easy to see on the children’s faces that they are hooked on “The Black Stallion,” and hopefully reading for years to come.

“I thought it was really cool to see that, because if you read the book and then watch that, you can actually understand it more than when you read it in the book,” said Rene Chinault, a student at Christ the King Catholic School.