Teaching Team Does the Triple Twist

This adorable class photo was sent in from a 5th grade teacher whose school is running and reading to raise funds for a sister school. They are the "Gators" hence the alligator with the book in the banner. The teacher explains how their school is running the show:

My class serves as ambassadors to the school. The three of us in our teaching team (we call ourselves the Triple Twist) are taking the kids out running every morning at about 8:20. It takes us about 15 minutes to run/walk and then we get on with the rest of our day. We are competing between classes (throughout the school) as to which class can raise the most money to support Alicante school in order to help them buy new books. Students can win a t-shirt by raising funds, or purchase one to help support the cause.

In addition, my class will present our original play "Sammy Keyes and the Marathon Mystery" next week to parents. During the play, we will have t-shirts available to purchase, too.....and dessert to go along.

Most of the classes in the school are also participating, so it's a school-wide idea. I just think that having my own class really pushing it and loving the idea is the key.

Reading, running, and writing a play? This school is amazing!

Starting the Day With a Music-Jam-athon!

This came in from the "Loud Librarian" at a New York middle school.

Here's a snapshot of Spencerports' Cosgrove Middle School students in action. We have been offering students 'Mini-Music-Jam- Walkathons' every morning, and sometimes afternoons. The kids (and teachers) get a chance to walk a mile (in about 12-15 minutes) and hang out with their friends before and after school. We have been averaging 100-150 students every AM...count the miles! I've even spotted kids walking and reading at the same time...which can be dangerous...but also fun to watch!

We have our ELA, health, and PE teachers, and school counselors working together to push the ETRTR program. I've got most of our 'Book Brag' lit club, as well as the Cross Country Team locked into it as well. (Check out the lit club blog at bookbragblog.com.) We've been giving away t-shirts as raffle prizes, and I personally have been talking it up big time during the morning PA announcements. Our schools 'Building Planning Team' is very excited about ETRTR as it aligns with our school district's focus on Health and Wellness this year. We will be spending our collected dollars on Health and Fitness books for our library, as well as a donation to First Book. Thanks so much for setting up this terrific opportunity!

The mini-music-jam's a great idea. Music keeps the legs pumping! Rock on, Cosgrove runners and readers!

Time For Kids Magazine Spotlights ETRTR

In case you're not already familiar with it, Time For Kids is a division magazine of Time Magazine published especially for children and distributed mainly in classrooms. It has a circulation of 3.5 million and covers issues from world affairs, to sports, to popular culture, to...a certain author who's running for reading.

They placed their article about Exercise the Right to Read next to a piece on Asafa Powell, the fastest man on the planet. Maybe I'll get some of his speed by association?

Of course, I'm also next to a piece titled One Stinky Bloom (about a five-foot-tall flower known as the 'corpse flower' because it smells like rotting flesh). Let's hope that doesn't rub off!

Anyway, the text in the graphic is too small to read, so here's what TFK had to say about ETRTR in their Spotlight column:

On November 4, Wendelin Van Draanen will trade her writer's hat for running shoes. The Sammy Keyes author will take on the New York City Marathon as part of a program she started called Exercise the Right to Read. The campaign aims to heighten awareness of the importance of improving childhood fitness and literacy. Funds raised from sponsors of the author's 26-mile run will be donated to First Book, a charity that gives books to underprivileged kids. "One of the things I put forth to children in my books is that individuals can make a difference," Van Draanen told TFK. "I'm trying to live that advice."

For 26 days, starting on October 1, schools participating in the program will hold reading and running sessions to raise money for their libraries and First Book. Some teachers plan to take their students to cheer Van Draanen at the race. "I'm going to need that!" she says. To learn more, go to exercisetherighttoread.org.

Leadership Students Running the Show

Another nice shot, this time of team leaders at a middle school. I love the idea of students getting other students involved! Here's what their LMS had to say:

I have 36 eighth grade leadership students who are "running the show". They are so excited about having the opportunity to be role models here at our school. They have been receiving some good attention here at school and from the community. Donations are starting to come in. So far so good! Thanks for all you are doing for this cause. We are having a good time taking part in this!

Helping to Heal the World

Yesterday we spotlighted a school, today an individual. It's a young lady doing the Exercise the Right to Read program as her Tikkun Olam project. Here's part of the message she sent out to her family and friends:

I am working with author Wendelin Van Draanen's program, Exercise the Right to Read to raise money for school libraries and First Book. First Book gets books to kids and communities that have few or maybe even no books. For my Bat Mitzvah I am doing a Tikkun Olam project. Tikkun Olam means to heal the world. I am supporting Exercise the Right to Read by getting sponsors for First Book and school libraries.

She tells us that she's has already collected several hundred dollars of donations, and she sent along this reply from one of her supporters:

Your idea about 1 mile a day adding up to a marathon after 26 days, got me out on a daily walk the last two days. The walks have been much more fun knowing that they are adding up to a marathon! What a great example of breaking a big task down into manageable and doable tasks. I'm sure many more people will get to read their own book and learn to read because of your project. My grandmother would be very proud of you. Long ago, she ran a library out of her home because there wasn't a library in the community where she lived.

I love it!

Central Middle School Runs, Reads...and Rocks!

This message and photo just in from Central Middle School in Oklahoma.

We had a wonderful day on Monday as we kicked off our "Exercise the Right to Read" campaign. Tara [the principal] started the day by playing your jingle over the intercom, and then she talked about the purpose for the campaign and why we were participating with you. She was GREAT! The core classes watched the video clip from your website, passed out the materials, and read for 26 minutes. The elective classes showed a power point we put together based on the handouts on your website, and then we gathered outside for the last twenty minutes of each grade's second elective class to run, jog, walk, or a combination of all three. The reporter from The Oklahoman and a photographer came to talk with Tara, some of the kids, and a couple of the teachers. The reporter was impressed with the whole idea of your national program and enjoyed what we did. Thanks for creating a fabulous and fun way to encourage all of us to read, exercise, and, hopefully, raise funds for books.

I love the race bibs they made for the kids. And the banner! What an awesome team of educators, what a fantastic group of kids. Central runs, reads... and rocks!

Crazy For Condors

The school program has begun! Wonderful e-mails are coming in! People are jumping on at the last minute! I've been crazed!

But I just have to share today's amazing adventure with you. Quick back story: The latest Sammy Keyes book (Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things)is a backpacking adventure where Sammy joins a bunch of eco-nutty girls who are dying to see a condor in the wild. Sammy thinks they're out of their mind, but by the story's end, she gets it.

Various combinations of my siblings, Scout troop, and friends spent years searching the forest and skies for a glimpse of a condor, so when I wrote Wild Things, I had lots of backpacking experience to draw from (and make total fun of).

When I was researching Wild Things, I discovered that a news anchor friend of mine was putting together a feature story about the condor recovery program (for which she went on to win an Emmy). Because of her position, she was allowed access to the release of a condor that had been kept and nurtured by a recovery team...and she offered to sneak me along as her "field producer."

In all those years of backpacking, I never actually saw a condor, so I was crushed when I learned that the release date was during a week that I was traveling out of state.

A year went by, and last week she called again with a second chance for me. The recovery team was ready to release two more condors into the wild, and once again she offered to sneak me along as her field producer. So today I spent the day awed by condors. There were about ten inside the flight pen and two perched on top (wild ones, dropping by to say hello), plus about a half dozen that cruised through the sky overhead during the day. With a nearly 10 foot wingspan, these pictures don't do this amazing bird justice.

Now back to sending out t-shirts, answering teachers' e-mails, and really, I've got to get to the dishes. Man, you should see my kitchen!