

In 2019, a small group of Alton High School students and their teacher, Mrs. Lexa Browning-Needham, collaborated with our own Reneé B. Johnson of the Genealogy & Local History Library to publish Alton ABC. The rhyming alphabet picture book is designed to delight and inform, acknowledging the present and the history of our area. The hardbound books cost $20 each, and the proceeds are split between Hayner Library and the Alton School District.
They also published Color Me Alton: Seasons, a multi-generational coloring book exploring the seasons in the Alton area. Student illustrators worked to illustrate text written by Reneé B. Johnson, highlighting seasonal activities and events in Alton, Godfrey, and Fosterburg, Illinois. The students drew pages depicting the Alton Memorial Day Parade, Juneteenth Celebration in James H. Killion Park, Alton Farmers’ and Artisans’ Market, the Rose Garden at Gordon Moore Park, the All-Wheels Drive-In Classic Car Show, the Great Godfrey Corn Maze at Glazebrook Park, and other wonderful local traditions.
Both books are available for purchase at the Genealogy & Local History Library, located at 401 State Street, Alton, IL. Copies of Alton ABC are $20 each and copies of Color Me Alton: Seasons are $10 each. Please note: We accept cash or check payments only.