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From: Barbara Tobin <barbarat>
Date: Mon, 06 Oct 2003 21:26:00 -0400
Shutta,
Somebody in Philadelphia obviously agreed with you about the suitability of Maniac Magee for a one city/one book project. About four or five years ago, I read in the local paper that every six grader in the Philadelphia public school system (which is huge) would receive a free copy of Spinelli's book to start the school year off, so that the kids could all be reading and thinking and talking about the book's themes, which are very pertinent to this area.
I loved this idea, which was well before most of America's cities had jumped on the bandwagon with one city/one book programs, and was looking forward to hearing about some exciting outcomes.
Well, for reasons I have not been able to determine, I never heard another thing--and so forgot about it for some time. I asked a few teachers, who merely looked puzzled. A couple of years later I met Jerry Spinelli in our local children's bookstore and asked him if I had imagined this wonderful idea. He told me that he had indeed been told that that was going to happen, but he never really heard anything much more, either. So, I am still scratching my head as to what happened here. Did the funding fall through? Did I have the wrong contacts? (I work in the university system). I am hoping to come across somebody one day who was involved in this project and can tell me of some dynamic conversations. I am dismayed to think, though, that with such an amazing resource living in their backyards, the school system did not get Jerry involved somehow.
BTW, last year the city mounted a pretty successful reading program for adults, Philadelphia Reads, using local author Lorene Carey's historical fiction about slavery set in this region, The Price of a Child. Carey herself appeared as guest speaker at many meetings in varied formats. A list of books for children and young adults was also circulated to try to bring the school students into a grand conversation about their reading and their community. These books included last year's Scott O'Dell Award, Trouble Don't Last by Shelley Pearsall.
I like the way an entire city can pull together like this, at all levels, but I also like your idea, Shutta, of the adults joining in with a good children's book, too. Like you say, I think some would be in for a nice surprise.
Barbara Tobin
Received on Mon 06 Oct 2003 08:26:00 PM CDT
Date: Mon, 06 Oct 2003 21:26:00 -0400
Shutta,
Somebody in Philadelphia obviously agreed with you about the suitability of Maniac Magee for a one city/one book project. About four or five years ago, I read in the local paper that every six grader in the Philadelphia public school system (which is huge) would receive a free copy of Spinelli's book to start the school year off, so that the kids could all be reading and thinking and talking about the book's themes, which are very pertinent to this area.
I loved this idea, which was well before most of America's cities had jumped on the bandwagon with one city/one book programs, and was looking forward to hearing about some exciting outcomes.
Well, for reasons I have not been able to determine, I never heard another thing--and so forgot about it for some time. I asked a few teachers, who merely looked puzzled. A couple of years later I met Jerry Spinelli in our local children's bookstore and asked him if I had imagined this wonderful idea. He told me that he had indeed been told that that was going to happen, but he never really heard anything much more, either. So, I am still scratching my head as to what happened here. Did the funding fall through? Did I have the wrong contacts? (I work in the university system). I am hoping to come across somebody one day who was involved in this project and can tell me of some dynamic conversations. I am dismayed to think, though, that with such an amazing resource living in their backyards, the school system did not get Jerry involved somehow.
BTW, last year the city mounted a pretty successful reading program for adults, Philadelphia Reads, using local author Lorene Carey's historical fiction about slavery set in this region, The Price of a Child. Carey herself appeared as guest speaker at many meetings in varied formats. A list of books for children and young adults was also circulated to try to bring the school students into a grand conversation about their reading and their community. These books included last year's Scott O'Dell Award, Trouble Don't Last by Shelley Pearsall.
I like the way an entire city can pull together like this, at all levels, but I also like your idea, Shutta, of the adults joining in with a good children's book, too. Like you say, I think some would be in for a nice surprise.
Barbara Tobin
Received on Mon 06 Oct 2003 08:26:00 PM CDT
