May 11, 2026
A third grade student at the Allen County Primary Center (ACPC) is sharing his good fortune with classmates at the Primary Center and the Allen County Intermediate Center (ACIC). Nathaniel Johnson received a $500 gift from Books- A-Million to purchase books. Rather than buying books just for himself, Johnson purchased and donated 10 books for the libraries at ACPC and ACIC.
In late April, Johnson and his family attended a special day at Jemison Concert Hall at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. The day included a special guest---bestselling author and illustrator Dav Pilkey, the man behind the Dog Man, Captain Underpants, and Cat Kid series of children’s books. While there, Johnson received a bag containing a letter and special gift card.
“Learning to love reading is the first step on your path to success,” wrote Pilkey in the enclosed letter. “To help you on your way, I am giving you a gift card to your local bookstore to buy more books for your home or school library or your classroom. It is my hope that by choosing the books you want to read and by practicing, you will develop a lifelong love of reading because that is the greatest super power of all.”
Johnson---a lover of the Dog Man series---is also connected to Pilkey in another way.
“He is my favorite author and he has ADHD and autism and he also has dyslexia,” Johnson said. “I also know that people made fun of him when he was in school.”
Johnson and his family reached out to ACPC media specialist Tasha Stamper to inquire which Dog Man books were already in the school library. Learning that not all of Pilkey’s books were available to ACPC students, Johnson purchased five additional books. He also chose to purchase five Cat Kid books for ACIC, the school Johnson moves to this fall.