I became a reader....
On Tuesday, I was going classroom to classroom in the fifth grades announcing the Newbery and Caldecott winners. When leaving the second classroom, a student followed me out. He was eager to share that The One and Only Ivan had turned him into a reader-- his words, his sentiment.
Congratulations, Katherine Applegate. A Newbery Medal and a reader. #greatstuff
Wow. That got my attention. Do you think the buildup and excitement among educators around the awards might have infected some kids enough to try books? If so, it would be a win for everyone. I also wonder if social media is making the awards conversation bigger and more involving?
ReplyDeleteI think both those things. I came back from ALA so excited by conversations I had, books I picked up, and people I met. it carried through the summer - thanks to my TWEEPS! - and into the fall. I am sure that enthusiasm infected my students. There was a lot more talk amongst them about the book awards and which books would win.
DeleteI love that this student sought me out to share this. He was so earnest in his pronouncement - it seemed to demonstrate his understanding of the import of the moment.
What a wonderful video, and a thoughtful, articulate guy! (For some unknown reason, it hadn't shown up as a video the first time I clicked through--same browser but different route.) This has bumped Ivan to the top of my TBR list. I'm one of the few who hasn't read it yet, but will as soon as I get a copy.
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