I was so eager to share our five hour classroom driving experience with you yesterday that I didn't even mention the wonderful Read Across America Day celebrations held at the kids' school earlier in the day. It was pretty much a mini book festival, and I was lucky enough to get to sit in on five excellent events (more were going on elsewhere in the school, it wasn't possible to see everything).
First there was a puppet show, soon followed by a writer, Alexandra Siy talking about the process of devising and creating non-fiction books for children.
Then came a local librarian, an archivist of Young Adult Literature, who introduced the Eighth Graders to some of the latest books for teens. When I was growing up there was hardly anyone writing for 'young adults' (except Paul Zindel, though I seem to be the only English person I know who has even heard of him. And there was 'Catcher in the Rye', I suppose, but I came to that too late). Now there's no end of exciting choices, including one I plan to check out called 'Life as We Knew It' by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
After lunch there was a special assembly, at which we were entertained by a local storyteller who told tall tales about fearsome creatures found in the Adirondaks. And finally the great costume parade around the gym - all the kids in the school, from tiny tots to teens, in their favourite book character outfits. The Girl looked very fetching win her Mandy Hope menagerie costume. The Boy had (thank goodness) had a last minute change of heart about being a steam or diesel engine and was dressed up as Paddiwak, a cat - much more straightforward for his wardrobe mistress to create.
The image that will stay with me longest, though, was of the always elegant and poised headteacher who came to school dressed as Peter Rabbit and kept her rabbit ears on all day.
No comments:
Post a Comment