Having a great day with the children at NRES. Thank you for letting me share my books.
Books and Fun
Book clubs are a wonderful way for children to connect not only with each other, but also through the books they are reading, possibly inspiring them to read more. This past March, I had the opportunity to share my books with North Rowan Elementary School’s first and second-grade book clubs.
Katie Linker, Title I coordinater for North Rowan Elementary School in Spencer, NC, called a few months ago asking if I would share my books at the book clubs in March. She said not only would she like for me to read, but also share a little about what it’s like to be an author. Katie explained, “When children are given the opportunity to meet an author, it helps them to see they can become one, too.”
After discussing which book to read, Katie suggested I read my third book, Tired of Being Different. She chose that book because children today often struggle with feeling different. Told through the viewpoint of a puppy who barks a lot, Tired of Being Different offers encouragement to children by allowing them to see we all are different in one way or another. In the end, the puppy realizes being different is okay, even getting a medal for saving the day.
The Title I program works together with the Communities in Schools program to sponsor the book clubs each month at North Rowan. Marsha Woods, one of the site-coordinators for the Communities in Schools program, especially enjoys this aspect of her position. Partnering together, the Title I program encourages parent involvement through providing materials for follow-up activites parents can do with their children at home, while the Communities in Schools progam provides the food. In this case, the food was breakfast for both parent and child.
I have discovered that mornings seem to be the perfect time for reflection before the day starts with everyone in a good mood, ready to hear a story. After each presentation, I enjoyed meeting parents and students alike with some asking questions about the process of writing and publishing. Hopefully, my answers were an inspiration to future authors in attendance.
What experiences have you had with book clubs in your school? Do you have other suggestions for ways to inspire children to read? I’d love to hear your ideas, so leave a comment below, message on Facebook, or email dicysm@yahoo.com
Thanks,
Dicy
www.dicymcculloughbooks.com/blog
