Reading Pays...Literally

It is THAT time of the year. The time of year when weird things start happening like pigs coming into the library to check out books...yes, it really happened.

No, seriously, it's that that we wind down and reflect over the accomplishments of the year. We look back at how far we've come and the goals we've met. It really has been a phenomenal year!

This was a year of firsts.  For the first time since I have been the librarian, I had a student receive over 500 AR points in one year.  This student read 44 AR books and passed every test with a 98% average. She read over 3,000,000 words this year on top of maintaining an amazing academic record! She was awarded a $100 check courtesy of the Boston Mountain Reading Incentive Grant at our annual Honor Banquet. I am very proud of her!

The others that have met their AR Goal for this semester were able to leave the school environment, step out on the town and celebrate.

What was our goal?  The goal for my readers this semester was to take 10 AR Tests with a 90% average.

What was the prize?  Each student who met this goal was awarded a $20 check and was treated to dinner at Umami's Japanese Steak House and Hibachi Grill, again courtesy of a Boston Mountain Reading Incentive Grant.  See, reading pays!

I got to take a great group of students with me on this final big event for SSHS Library.

Many interesting things happened at Umami.  For example, our Hibachi cook must have a)  been called in second string or b) been in training.  Poor fellow!!! Every trick he tried was a disaster.  He dropped cooking utensils on the floor and cracked eggs when they weren't supposed to be....It was so much of a disaster that he ended up dumping a glass full of coke on one of my student's laps, completely soaking the poor guy!  

The restaurant staff was very apologetic, and it wasn't long until we were able to laugh and joke about it.  Needless to say, lunch was an adventure!

You know that kid. The one whose nose is always in a book, whether a class lecture is going on or a ball game is being played right in front of them.  As a librarian, I love to see a kid that wrapped up in a good book.  As a teacher, it frustrated me at first, but most of the time when I called on them, they could recite whatever it was I had just said. Amazing!  My husband was that kid at this very high school many years ago. 

Well, I had that kid with me on this trip.  As we were all finishing up our meal and commenting on how full we were, one student had already grabbed his book.

 Later, as students wandered around the shopping center, ready to spend that $20 that was burning a hole in their pockets, I saw this same student sitting outside of a store front waiting on some friends...you guessed it, reading a book!  I wish I had thought to take a picture!

 On our last stop, we got ice cream from Sonic and yet again, with his book ever handy, this student was once again wrapped up in the story at hand even with the hustle and bustle of carhops and traffic and teenage discussions.

 For those of us that love to read, we understand.  We understand the thrill of securing book two of a trilogy from the library just as we've finished the first.  We understand that you need to take a book with you wherever you go because you never know when you will catch a little down time. We understand how a good book can entice you away from the real world...

These student readers are my kind of people! They are the ones whose book recommendations I can't wait to check out on Amazon. They are the ones that help plan book clubs and who help me point struggling readers in the direction of a book they might like.

In closing, we have one last book club to wrap up the year and then I will be signing off until the Fall.  One hint about our fall theme...it will involve SUPERHEROES and it will be EPIC!

Until next time,

Amy Hutto, LMS
South Side High School