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Dr. Ernest Morrell's Legacy of Literacy and Love
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of LitWorld's dear friend and greatest champion, Dr. Ernest Morrell.
As an esteemed scholar, author, and literacy expert, Dr. Morrell lived a remarkable life dedicated to his mission of spreading the power of literacy to young people near and far. His profound contributions to LitWorld have been deeply transformational, not only for us as an organization, but to the millions we have been able to reach because of Dr. Morrell's guidance and light. Dr. Morrell's scholarly research underpins everything we do at LitWorld, bringing theory to practice through the work we do everyday.
Alongside our founder Pam Allyn, Dr. Morrell co-authored the book, Every Child a Super Reader, which introduces the '7 Strengths', the bedrock of LitWorld's pedagogy. He was a founding board member of LitWorld, and helped us to grow the movement of World Read Aloud Day from its early beginnings.
As we acknowledge the gravity of this loss, we also recognize the profound synchronicity that his passing took place on the evening of World Read Aloud Day, February 5, 2026. We are comforted by the fact that Dr. Morrell's spirit transitioned while being carried by millions of voices advocating for his life's work, literacy. To all who celebrated WRAD this year, know you played a part in sending our dear friend home. In his honor, we will continue to do the work.
Rest in Power, Dr. Ernest Morrell, 1971-2026
We are so grateful to Ernest's wife Jodene and the entire Morrell family for including us in the commemoration of his beautiful life. If you would like to honor his memory, the Morrell family invites you to contribute to LitWorld as we continue to build Ernest's legacy of literacy and love with the work we will do each day forward.
To send a donation by mail, make checks out to “LitWorld” and send to the address below. If you would like to talk with us personally about a legacy gift or to underwrite a project, please contact us here.
55 Exchange Place, Suite 402
New York, NY 10005