From: Karen Kavanagh <tnkkav>
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:33:29 -0500

What a delightful discussion topic! One of my favorite involvements as an elementary school librarian was reading to 6th graders who joined me each day over lunch for our own "chapter-a-day" program... they'd bring their trays to the library were I'd read-aloud. Character-driven novels were always big hits... particularly memorable are Christopher Paul Curtis' Bud--"not Buddy"--Caldwell and Kenny and Byron Watson. Jack Gantos' Joey Pigza and Jack Henry were also unforgettable characters!

I loved introducing Cassie Logan to my students as 3rd graders by reading aloud Mildred Taylor' Song of the Trees and then following-up as they proceeded through elementary grades with further novels from the Logan family saga. In addition to Cassie, David Logan and Jeremy Simms were driving forces in The Well and Mississippi Bridge, respectively, short historic novels, perfect for read-aloud. I, and hopefully my former students, will never forget them.

Karen Kavanagh, Waterloo Elementary School Librarian, retired
Received on Fri 19 Jun 2009 10:33:29 PM CDT