"Okay students," I said to the class of ninth graders. "I just want to remind you that next Monday most of the class time will be spent reading your books. So, be SURE you bring a book; your choice - no work sheets, just pure enjoyment."
After class, Corey sauntered up; Corey was H*U*G*E! (Nowdays, lots of kids are huge, but not back then; he went to state in the heavyweight wrestling tournament; I mean we are talking BIG BOY here!) He said, "I ain't read a book since third grade, and I ain't gunna start now!" My teeth chattered.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: a reminder to the students to bring their books.
Friday: Big long lecture/reminder to bring books on Monday.
Monday: the ninth graders filed in with books of all varieties: Anne Frank's Diary ("my mother made me read it...it's boring!"); Lord of the Flies ("my father recommended I read it..it's great.")
Corey mosied up where I was standing in front of my desk. "I ain't got no book," he said. I grimaced and reached behimd my back where I knew there were stacks of books. Not looking, I grabbed one, and put "Island of the Blue Dolphins" in his enormous hands.
"Try this," I said.
Three days later, as I was seated at me desk, Corey strode up, literally slammed the book on the desk, looked down into my startled face and said,
"You got any more like this?"
Oh, I love a good book, and so apparently did Corey!
After class, Corey sauntered up; Corey was H*U*G*E! (Nowdays, lots of kids are huge, but not back then; he went to state in the heavyweight wrestling tournament; I mean we are talking BIG BOY here!) He said, "I ain't read a book since third grade, and I ain't gunna start now!" My teeth chattered.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: a reminder to the students to bring their books.
Friday: Big long lecture/reminder to bring books on Monday.
Monday: the ninth graders filed in with books of all varieties: Anne Frank's Diary ("my mother made me read it...it's boring!"); Lord of the Flies ("my father recommended I read it..it's great.")
Corey mosied up where I was standing in front of my desk. "I ain't got no book," he said. I grimaced and reached behimd my back where I knew there were stacks of books. Not looking, I grabbed one, and put "Island of the Blue Dolphins" in his enormous hands.
"Try this," I said.
Three days later, as I was seated at me desk, Corey strode up, literally slammed the book on the desk, looked down into my startled face and said,
"You got any more like this?"
Oh, I love a good book, and so apparently did Corey!
2 comments:
When we were in Asia from 1993-1998 there was always a book in Andy's hand. Haven't seen one there since and he's now 31. A Mother can only do so much, but oh what he's missing!
That's a nice story!
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