Books-A-Million supports Read Aloud in Raleigh County

by ChaptersDonorsEventsNewsSupporters

On September 19, 2015, Books-A-Million in Beckley had a “book fair” to support Read Aloud West Virginia. This was the brainchild of Anne-Marie Johnson, the store’s General Manager and a Raleigh County Read Aloud board member. From noon to 4:00 p.m., customers were asked if they would like 10% of their purchase to be donated to Read Aloud, which resulted in a $167 donation.

“Books-A-Million is committed to becoming involved in the communities it serves, and recognizes the critical importance of literacy,” noted Johnson. This is just one of the types of local fundraising it supports. Johnson believes BAM and Read Aloud are a perfect fit of interests, and hopes that an ongoing, state-wide partnership between the two can be developed.

Slow down and consider reading success

by NewsReadingVolunteer Readers

By Dawn Miller

Those reading scores from back in October are suggestive, or at least I hope they are.

On the National Assessment of Educational Progress, eighth-grade reading scores went up by three points, a significant amount.

There is no certain cause anyone can point to. Unless the trend continues, we’ll all shrug it off as a blip. But maybe it’s not a blip. Maybe somebody’s hard work is paying off. Maybe this is evidence of a cultural change in schools.

There may be no way to quantify this, but I’ve been going into at least one school every week for more than two decades, and things seem different over the last six or eight years.

In short, it seems like there is more value on — and respect for — children spending time reading, for both fun and profit.

Back in 2001, when support for the test-and-penalize mentality of the federal No Child Left Behind law was on the rise, schools shifted their priorities as instructed. They ramped up for testing, putting more time and emphasis on preparing students to hit the required mark, at all costs.

Educators know reading skill is important for every other kind of success. But for some reason, too many schools and counties decided to focus on narrow definitions and measurements, particularly reading speed — not comprehension, mind you.

The starkest example of this folly comes from a Read Aloud colleague who was running a little book club half a dozen years ago. It was a special thing, a treat for the middle schoolers involved. They looked forward to it and were motivated to read “The Watsons Go to Birmingham” by Christopher Paul Curtis. All the students in this group stated their reading speed proudly.

And yet after they “read” the climax of the book, the kids came in for their next club meeting, and not one of them could share an event from the story to start the discussion. They were absolutely lost. They had read all the words, but saw nothing. I won’t ruin the book for you, but when prompted, the kids asked, “What explosion?”

For some time in the years leading up to this event, a number of my Read Aloud colleagues found themselves increasingly unwelcome in their schools. There were so many demands on the schedule and ugly consequences if scores didn’t rise enough, that principals and teachers could not justify having a professionally behaved volunteer come in once a week and simply read an enjoyable story for 20 or 30 minutes.

They didn’t have time for children to enjoy the literature they were being exposed to.

They didn’t have time to enjoy putting to use the skills they were drilling every day.

I’m happy to say this is what seems to have changed.

Since then, Read Aloud has been in its own rebuilding phase, re-establishing a presence in 29 counties. The state Department of Education launched its own efforts to encourage children and families to read together for fun. I hear the message bounce back to me through other organizations or in check-out lines.

So, I cannot help but wonder, is this year’s eighth-grade NAEP score quantifying something real and valuable?

Just four days before those scores were released, author Jacqueline Woodson came to the West Virginia Book Festival in Charleston, and among other things, said, “Children must be encouraged to read slowly. Making kids read fast is the opposite of making kids into writers.”

While most kids will not grow up like Woodson to become award-winning poets and novelists, we do want them all to grow up able to express themselves competently in writing – and to be able to read the documents germane to their own livelihood and citizenship.

Back at my school, where teachers have always made time for students to enjoy books, the fifth grade reached the point in Woodson’s memoir “Brown Girl Dreaming,” where she describes her Brooklyn teacher back in the 1970s not giving young Jacqueline time to settle the letters into words. “Read faster,” the teacher fussed. But faster is not better, the author makes             clear in her book.

At this point, our teacher interjected a reminder to the class, something along the lines of, “See. What am I always telling you? You don’t have to read fast.”

We don’t even measure reading speed anymore, she added to me.

Dawn Miller, the Charleston Gazette’s editorial page editor, can be reached at dawn@wvgazettemail.com.

Reprinted with permission from the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

Dawn Miller is a Read Aloud West Virginia volunteer reader and advisory board member.

BUZZ: New Read Aloud video a call to action

by NewsReadingResourcesSupportersVideosVolunteer Readers

By Sara Busse

Although one goal of Read Aloud is to limit screen time, a new video produced by West Virginia State University’s Extension Service is creating a buzz about reading aloud across West Virginia.

Lynn Kessler, director of communications and development for RAWV, said the group needed a tool to spread its message. A conversation with West Virginia State University extension agent and Summers County Read Aloud coordinator Stacy Ford at the Read Aloud summer conference led to a collaboration between RAWV and WVSU.

“Matt Browning and Megan Sheets in West Virginia State University’s communications and media departments took it and ran. They were such an incredible help to us in creating a tool that we could not have created without them,” Kessler explained.

Browning and Sheets, both graduates of WVSU and self-proclaimed “total book nerds,” described the video as a call to action to recruit volunteer readers.

Browning and Sheets filmed readers in Summers and Kanawha county, as well as “b-roll” footage featuring extension agents in the library and reading to children. The video was an in-kind donation to Read Aloud, and Sheets said it’s the first time they were able to branch out and do work for another entity besides the University.

The video also features an interview with Read Aloud Executive Director Mary Kay Bond.

“She came to our studio on campus, and she’s like a brochure for Read Aloud in person,” Sheets said, laughing. “She was great.”

Browning said the readers and children were very comfortable in front of the camera because they were engrossed in the reading.

“There was one gentleman, he was an absolute hoot!” he said. “The reader had so much fun with those kids, and they were having so much fun, it made it easy.”

Who is watching you?

by ReadingVolunteer Readers

By Melody Simpson

I am being watched. More significantly, somebody is listening to me. It has been going on for some time, and occurring on a fairly regular basis. At first I didn’t pay too much attention to it, but as time went on, it became more and more apparent. Someone is … observing me. What should I do?  Call the media? Complain to my representatives? Sue the NSA? Fortunately, based on some compelling guidance and advice, I know exactly what to do.

I signed up to become a volunteer reader for another year.

Anyone who regularly reads to an elementary school classroom knows exactly what I’m talking about: children leaning forward, lips parted, mimicking the actions of the characters as I describe them, joining in loudly and joyfully when phrases are repeated. Reminding everyone where we left off last week. Guessing what will happen next. Laughing, gasping, and (for the class I read to last year, who liked all things scary), shivering ….

This is one of the true joys of reading aloud to children, and why I have done this for about 18 years. This, and the chorus of greetings I get when I show up, the hugs that I’m offered. Heck, it’s just plain fun! But when I stop to think about what is happening each week, I realize that it is also serious stuff.

We are modeling the joys of reading. We are sharing, not only great stories, but the fact that we love great stories, and love to read great stories. And this modeling doesn’t just happen in classrooms.

Do you have children, or grandchildren? Do they know that you love to read? Do they see you reading? Do you still read aloud to them? I bet if you tried, you could even read aloud a favorite childhood book to your adolescent or teenage child – or try an audiobook in the car while traveling. I have read aloud to seventh graders, and while they don’t give you the hugs that elementary school kids give, and usually appear bored, they are listening – trust me, I know, because they have told me.

This is the magic, the simplicity, of Read Aloud. All it takes is good stories, and someone who loves to read being willing to share that love with others. The results are remarkable, and the benefits flow both ways. So … who is watching you?

Phineas Gage

Book Reviews: Upper Elementary/Middle School

by Book Reviews and Recommendations

 

Phineas GagePhineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman never fails to grip audiences from fourth grade through high school. In a readable, narrative style, the author tells the story of a railroad construction foreman in 1848 who was shot through the skull with a 13-pound iron rod and went home to wait for the doctor. The details of Gage’s story give modern readers a look at both the condition of 19th-century medicine, and the beginnings of modern understanding of the brain.

— Dawn Miller

 

Guys Write for Guys ReadGuys Write for Guys Read, edited by Jon Scieszka.

Various authors write about their lives as boys and young men. Stories range from belly-aching hilarious to mature and poignant. One of be best, funniest and shortest stories for all ages is “Brothers” by Jon Scieszka, who also edited this and other volumes in the series.

— Dawn Miller

 

 

Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe’s Tales of Mystery and Madness, illustrated by Gris Grimly.

Stories including “The Black Cat” and “The Fall of the House of Usher” are eerily illustrated in this ideal book for teens.

 

 

 

Same Sun HereSame Sun Here by Silas House and Neela Vaswani.

Kentucky-born novelist Silas House has teamed up with Neela Vaswani on their first book for younger readers. It is about two 12-year-olds, one in New York’s Chinatown, one in eastern Kentucky, who meet through a school pen-pal assignment.

— Terri McDougal

 

 

About our contributors:

Terri McDougal is director of children’s services at the Kanawha County Public Library and a board member of Read Aloud West Virginia.

Dawn Miller is editorial page editor of the The Charleston Gazette-Mail, a 20-year Read Aloud West Virginia volunteer, and a former chair of Read Aloud’s board.

 

The Camping Trip that Changed America

Book Reviews: Upper Elementary

by Book Reviews and Recommendations

 

The Camping Trip that Changed AmericaThe Camping Trip That Changed America: Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and our National Parks by Barb Rosenstock & illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein. While School Library Journal recommends this book for grades 1-4, I would read it to grades 3 and up, including middle school students, as a way to introduce the subject of preservation of our natural resources. Parts of this book are very relevant to current events. Pair this book with the 2009 book by Ginger Wadsworth, Camping with the President, for comparison of this same camping trip taken by President Roosevelt and naturalist John Muir.

-Terri McDougal, Head of Children’s Services, Kanawha County Public Library

 

Camping with the PresidentCamping with the President by Ginger Wadsworth and illustrated by Karen Dugan. This is a carefully researched and true story of the May 1903 camping trip where President Theodore Roosevelt dismissed his Secret Service agents and sent away reporters to spend three nights with famous naturalist John Muir in California’s Yosemite National Park.

 

House Held up by TreesHouse Held up by Trees by Ted Kooser. Although School Library Journal recommends this for grades 3 to 5, I’m not sure how much 3rd graders will appreciate this picture book. I think it could be read to middle school and even high school students. Written by former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser, this is a melancholy story of a house and the family who once lived there and nature’s reclamation of the house when it is left empty for years.

— Terri McDougal

 

[The Mangrove TreeThe Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore. School Library Journal recommends this title for grades 3 to 6, but it is written in a manner that allows it to be shared with younger children by reading only the text on the left-hand pages. Those pages are written in the cumulative style of “The House that Jack Built.” The right-hand pages provide more factual information about the efforts of Dr. Gordon Soto to plant mangrove trees in the small African country of Eritrea. An inspiring account of one man’s contribution to combating poverty and hunger.

— Terri McDougal

 

Eliza's Cherry TreesEliza’s Cherry Trees: Japan’s Gift to America by Andrea Zimmerman. While School Library Journal recommends this title for grades 4 to 6, I think it is also possible to read it to 3rd graders. Eliza’s Cherry Trees is both a biography of Eliza Scidmore, author, photographer, and first woman to hold an important job at the National Geographic Society, and her decades-long quest to bring
cherry trees from Japan to plant in Washington, D.C. This is the story of a remarkable woman about whom little is known.

— Terri McDougal

 

Henry Hikes to FitchburgHenry Hikes to Fitchburg by D.B Johnson. Henry, a bear with a remarkable resemblance to Henry David Thoreau, sets out to meet his friend in Fitchburg. His friend will take the train. Who will get there first?

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

Boys of SteelBoys of Steel: The Creators of Superman by Marc Tyler Nobleman. The format is a picture book, but this is a seriously researched biography of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, a couple of mild-mannered teens of the Depression era who created an enduring, idealistic superhero — Superman. It is a story from when comic books were a new format. Illustrations by Ross MacDonald evoke the era.

 

Bill the Wonder BoyBill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman by Marc Tyler Nobleman.  Another picture book biography, this one about Bill Finger, the guy responsible for much of what we know as Batman, but who was never credited.

The author keeps the story understandable for young readers or listeners, but does not shy away from the conflict and difficulty in the lives of these comic book creators. Ty Templeton’s illustrations parallel comic book imagery of the time.

 

Henry WorksHenry Works by D.B. Johnson.

Henry the Bear never gets paid, but on his “walk to work” he stays busy. He waters flowers and finds a healing plant for a neighbor. He brings news of a coming storm and sets a path of stone across a stream. It is a gentle, transendental delight.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

Henry Climbs a MountainHenry Climbs a Mountain by D.B. Johnson.

This book is a deep and beautifully illustrated version of the story of Henry David Thoreau’s night in jail in 1846, where he was taken for refusing to pay a poll tax, his protest against slavery.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

14 Cows for America14 Cows for America by Carmen Agra Deedy.

A man returns to his Maasai village in Kenya with news of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in America. Villagers are moved to give a healing gift to all Americans.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

Bad News for OutlawsBad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal, by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson. As promised, this is the remarkable, true story of a man born in slavery in 1838, who flees to the West and is hired by a U.S. judge to bring law and order to territory that is now Oklahoma. Arresting illustrations by R. Gregory Christie.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

Chocolate TouchThe Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling and Margot Apple (Illustrator).

A boy gets a magic box of candy, and then everything he touches turns to chocolate, just like Midas.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

 

 

A Tale Dark and GrimmA Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz.

After this elementary teacher got over the horror of the blood and violence of the original Grimm’s Fairy Tales, he saw some value in them, and wove them together in a modern, yet more faithful story about Hansel and Gretel, finding their way in a scary, dangerous world. My fourth and fifth grade listeners begged to hear more of this book.

— Dawn Miller, RAWV Advisory Board Member

 

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson.

If you want a funny and warm story to share each evening during the holiday season, treat yourself to this story. Parents will recognize the children’s Christmas pageants of their youth (or maybe the present), and the characters are lovable and boisterous.

— Dawn Miller

 

 

Nelson MandelaNelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson, author and illustrator. “My work is all about healing and giving people a sense of hope and nobility,” the author writes. “I want to show the strength and integrity of the human being and the human
spirit.” His illustrations are almost photographic. He is one of my favorite children’s book creators.

— Terri McDougal

 

About our contributors:

Terri McDougal is director of children’s services at the Kanawha County Public Library and a board member of Read Aloud West Virginia.

Dawn Miller is editorial page editor of the The Charleston Gazette-Mail, a 20-year Read Aloud West Virginia volunteer, and a former chair of Read Aloud’s board.

 

Redwoods

Book Reviews: Early Grades

by Book Reviews and Recommendations

 

RedwoodsRedwoods by Jason Chin. School Library Journal recommends this title for grades 1 to 4. While cataloged as nonfiction, this book is an inventive blend of fact and fantasy. It follows the adventures of an unnamed boy who finds a book about redwoods on a subway bench and is transported to a redwood forest. Be sure to pay attention to the illustrations when reading this book! See a preview.

— Terri McDougal, Head of Children’s Services, Kanawha County Public Library

 

Georgia in HawaiiGeorgia in Hawaii: When Georgia O’Keeffe Painted What She Pleased by Amy Novesky and illustrated by Yuyi Morales. School Library Journal recommends this title for K-4. Having recently presented a series of children’s programs about Georgia O’Keeffe, I can assure you that most children have never heard of this famous artist. I find that books such as this are a wonderful way to share knowledge about O’Keeffe without overwhelming children with details. I like that both this title and Through Georgia’s Eyes by Rachel Rodriguez (which I have also read to students) are also illustrated in similar styles to O’Keeffe’s artwork.

— Terri McDougal, Head of Children’s Services, Kanawha County Public Library

 

Just Behave, Pablo PicassoJust Behave, Pablo Picasso! by Jonah Winter and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. School Library Journal recommends this title for grades 2-5. While there are a handful of children’s books about O’Keeffe that make good read alouds, there are even fewer read aloud titles about Picasso. This one, however, fits the bill by introducing Picasso as a man and an artist that defied his critics to create his own style of art, time after time. While cataloged as a nonfiction book, the text and artwork seem like a picture book.

 

Boycott BluesBoycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation by Andrea Davis Pinkney.

“With glowing, dramatic double-page spreads and a clear rhythmic text,
this large picture book tells the inspiring story of the Montgomery bus
boycott,” says Booklist. We pair this one with Rosa by Nikki Giovanni.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

RosaRosa by Nikki Giovanni. The story of Rosa Parks’ life provides an entry into a summary of the Civil Rights movement.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

 

 

 

Troll Country by Edward Marshall, illustrated by James Marshall.

A girl has a book that tells all about trolls, but her mother has actually met one. So the girl heads deep into the woods to find a real troll.

 

 

 

 

 0-439-92950-4Cabin Creek Mysteries: The Secret of Robber’s Cave by Kristiana Gregory. Two brothers set out to explore an overgrown and misty island. There are clues and cliffhangers and a storyline that spans the series.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

 

 

Auntie ClausAuntie Claus by Elise Primavera. Plenty of chic New York style, holiday intrigue and magic mark this story of Sophie, and how she grows more sophistocated one remarkable Christmas.

— Dawn Miller, RAWV Advisory Board

 

 

Abe Lincoln's DreamAbe Lincoln’s Dream by Lane Smith.

What if President Lincoln’s ghost walked the White House today? What would he think of what he sees? A serious, yet humorous book, with plenty of hope.

— Dawn Miller, RAWV Advisory Board

 

 

 

Wiley and the Hairy ManWiley and the Hairy Man by Molly Bang. In this adaptation of an American folktale, young Wiley and his dogs go into the swamp to cut some bamboo for a hen roost. His mother warns about the Hairy Man. If you outsmart him three times, he can no longer bother you.

 

 

 

Abraham Lincoln Comes HomeAbraham Lincoln Comes Home by Robert Burleigh. After President Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, for 13 days, his funeral train made its way from Washington D.C. to Springfield, Ill. It evokes deep feelings among grieving Americans, including a young boy experiencing a time of great change. Stunning paintings by Wendell Minor.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

CelebritreesCelebritrees: Historic & Famous Trees of the World by Margi Preus and Rebecca Gibbon. School Library Journal recommends this title for grades 2 to 4. This factual book introduces readers to 14 different historic trees from around the globe. Each tree is described on one page, so this is perhaps not a book to be read aloud at one time so much as a “filler” to read one or two pages from at the end of your Read Aloud session.

— Terri McDougal, Head of Children’s Services, Kanawha County Public Library

 

MoonshotMoonshot by Brian Floca. Well-researched and technically accurate illustrations bring the story of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon vividly to life.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

 

 

One HenOne Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference by Katie Smith Milway. After his father dies, a boy in Africa has to quit school and help his mother gather firewood to sell, until his mom gives him a little money. The money is a bit of a loan from the neighbors. The boy buys a hen, and in a year, has a thriving flock of birds and then a farm.

This book is inspired by a true story in Ghana and introduces the concept of microfinance.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

 

About our contributors:

Terri McDougal is director of children’s services at the Kanawha County Public Library and a board member of Read Aloud West Virginia.

Dawn Miller is editorial page editor of the The Charleston Gazette-Mail, a 20-year Read Aloud West Virginia volunteer, and a former chair of Read Aloud’s board.

 

Molly Lou Melon

Preschool and Kindergarten Book Reviews

by Book Reviews and Recommendations

Stand TallMolly Lou Melon, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell and illustrated by David Catrow. Molly Lou is the shortest kid in first grade and has big buck teeth. Her grandmother tells her to stand tall and smile big. Fun, cute, whimsical illustrations make a nice lesson, but a nicer story.

— Dawn Miller, RAWV Advisory Board

Memoirs of a GoldfishMemoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian and illustrated by Tim Bowers. Help! A goldfish is not happy with a snail, a crab and a couple of guppies invade his personal space.

Scaredy SquirrelScaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt. Scaredy Squirrel sticks to his tree, the better to stay away from scary things like tarantulas, Martians and germs, until he is literally drawn out of his home for a glide around the forest.

The Relatives CameThe Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant. It is amazing how cozy and happy everyone can be when they squeeze into a little house to make room for visiting relatives.

The Dandelion SeedThe Dandelion Seed by Joseph P. Anthony and Cris Arbo. In honor of the West Virginia Dandelion Festival in White Sulphur Springs, here is a book about a last, lonely seed who finally lets go to fly on the cold autumn wind.

Miss Bindergarten Gets ReadyMiss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate. It’s an alphabet book, but also a rhyming look at all the things children do to get ready for school in the morning and everything the teacher does to get ready for her students. You can read it for the rhyming fun, or for the reassuring peek at what kindergarten will look like.

— Dawn Miller, RAWV Advisory Board

Stinky Smelly FeetStinky Smelly Feet: A Love Story by Margie Palatini. Douglas and Dolores are ducks, and they are smitten, but someone has stinky webbed feet. How embarrassing! Will love prevail? This story has lots of kid appeal.

Most of this author’s picture books can be used as read aloud titles for this age group.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

Odd VelvetOdd Velvet by Mary Burg Whitcomb. Great for children entering kindergarten through first or second grade. It tells the story of Velvet, who seems strange to her classmates at first, but they gradually learn that being different is not necessarily bad. A very warm story beautifully illustrated by Tara Calahan King.

— Dawn Miller, RAWV Advisory Board

Axle AnnieAxle Annie by Robin Pulver. No matter how hard it snows, Axle Annie will get the students to school and home again.

Calico the Wonder HorseCalico the Wonder Horse by Virginia Lee Burton. Is it a comic book? Is it a Western? It is definitely an original tale of good and evil.

— Raleigh County Read Aloud

Dog BreathDog Breath by Dav Pilkey. Even skunks avoid Hally, her breath is that bad. Full of heavy-handed humor and puns that kids love.

Day the Crayons Quit

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. Full of color and imagination, this tale transports children into the world of their crayons, where they learn a little creativity can often be a very satisfying solution.

About our contributors:

Terri McDougal is director of children’s services at the Kanawha County Public Library and a board member of Read Aloud West Virginia.

Dawn Miller is editorial page editor of the The Charleston Gazette-Mail, a 20-year Read Aloud West Virginia volunteer, and a former chair of Read Aloud’s board.

New Read Aloud chapters launch with start of 2015-2016 school year

by ChaptersNews

Five additional chapters join Read Aloud West Virginia for the 2015-2016 school year, bringing the organization’s reach to 30 of West Virginia’s 55 counties.

Volunteers have been organizing chapter boards and recruiting new readers for classrooms in Hampshire, Hardy, Jackson, Logan and Mason counties in anticipation of the launches.

For information about volunteer reader orientation sessions in these or any of Read Aloud’s participating counties, visit our website at www.readaloudwestvirginia.org.

Welcome and thank you, new volunteers!

A Long Walk to Water

Book, reader inspire Greenbrier students to take action

by BooksNewsVolunteer Readers

By Nikki Moses

When Kim Curry read A Long Walk to Water to students at Eastern Greenbrier Middle School, she set off a chain of events that culminated in a highly successful drive for backpacks and school supplies for kids in Haiti.

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park is a true story about Salva, a Sudanese lost boy, and a fictional girl, Nya. Nya cannot attend school because she must spend her days carrying water from a far away pond for her family. Author Park brings their lives together when Salva helps build a well in Nya’s village, thus enabling her to attend school.

Curry had witnessed the same water problems in Haiti, where she has traveled six times through Mountains to Mountains, a program of Trinity A Long Walk to WaterUnited Methodist Church in Ronceverte.

“That has been my experience in Haiti,” she said. “Some children can’t go to school because they have to carry water.”

Curry said she “took photographs of community wells, water jugs, people carrying water, on my trip in March with the purpose of sharing them with the students because I had read A Long Walk to Water to them.” Seeing this lack of access to clean water in Haiti (like in Sudan), along with class discussions, inspired Greenbrier students to help Haitian kids by conducting the backpack drive. Soon students at Greenbrier East High School became involved.

Curry said, “Brindi Anderson did the legwork for the drive. She provided all of the structure the kids needed. I just read the book. The kids jumped in and Brindi provided guidance.” Anderson is a teacher at Eastern Greenbrier Middle School.

The students needed money for shipping costs, so they held three-point basketball competitions, bake sales and more. They raised more than $130 and sent the supplies to Ecole-Shalome School in Croix des Bouquets outside of Port-au-Prince.

Curry, who is a retired teacher and school principal, and a Read Aloud coordinator and reader, hopes to further the relationship between students at the two schools through Skype, letter writing and emailing.