"Rocket! Rocket! Rocket!"

That's the cheer emanating from my library ever since my students took part in Mr. Schu's travel companion contest.


Mr. Schu invited students, teachers (and readers in general) to vote for the book character who they thought was most deserving of a vacation and should therefore join him on his travels this summer.


Ivan, the wonderful gorilla from The One and Only Ivan by the one and only Katherine Applegate, was chosen as the most deserving of a vacation and will be traveling with Mr. Schu this summer. The story of Ivan was inspired by a real life gorilla named Ivan.

This news was met with mixed reaction from some of my students, not that they are not excited for Ivan and Mr. Schu, but some of them wanted another character.  

One character in particular has a huge following: Tad Hills' Rocket.  They love Rocket, I mean really LOVE Rocket. 


Here's Rocket for those who have not met him:

How Rocket Learned to Read and Rocket Writes a Story.

One determined student has continued to advocate for Rocket...check out his Haiku:

Rocket is so cute

vote for him now because he

is really awesome.

Of everyone, 

Rocket should win vacation

because he is cute.

These Haiku were inspired by Bob Raczka and Peter H. Reynolds' book Guyku and were accompanied by this illustration and this adaption of the template. :)

Rocket isn't the only book character garnering all this support and love, I've been hearing about others as well.

What to do with all this student engagement and passion?

Capture it!

I'll be like Mr. Schu!

In the next few weeks I'll be putting together my own vacation mascot contest, but first I've got to grapple with the hardest question...Which book characters should I have my students choose from?