I took my little dog & pony show on the road this morning since it’s Children’s Book Week and also because I was afraid of turning into my chair if I sat here working on this revision for even a millisecond more.
So I found myself talking about books and reading and writing with a very perky pack of kindergartners.
I really like school visits.
I really, really like the kids.
The hand raisers and the ones who forget to raise their hands.
The wigglers and the rapt.
The shy and the chatty.
To me, they are the ultimate reminder of why I need to get back home and turn into my chair.
Seriously.
Because there are kids out there just dying to be read to. And dying to read. Y’know that?
And it wouldn’t hurt if we kept filling up their bookshelves with books that spoke to them… inspired them… made them laugh… and made them want to keep a flashlight under their pillows.
My favorite moment today was during question & answer time at the end.
This is always a bit of a gamble because you never know what the kids’ll say.
“I don’t know how to read,” said this little guy, “but I really want to.”
(That about melted me right there, but then he continued…)
“How long have you been reading, ma’am?”
I said that I think I learned to read in 1st grade but that I’ve been read to my whole long life.
He seemed relieved to know that that counts…
Oh, oh, that cute boy, “I don’t know how to read, but I really want to!”
Thanks for sharing your visit. It makes turning into a chair worth it.
P.S. I finally read A Sock is a Pocket for Your Toes. Thank you so much for writing this treasure!!
I bet they loved you, too. You are needed in your chair AND there, with them, in my humble opinion. Maybe that boy will tell (or write) a story about you one day: The Day the Reading Goddess Came to My Class. 😉
Oh, I had the EXACT same experience today!
Well, not the cute boy but on Tuesdays and Thursdays I goto the elementary school to work with the kids in Jane’s first grade class on a myriad of concepts. Today we talked about compromise. And I thought the exact same thing–how much I love these kids–the wigglers and the snugglers and the shy ones and the ones you just know are inches away from crawling into your lap. It’s possibly the only time in my entire life that I’ve wished for a BIGGER LAP. I guess if I turned into a chair, that might achieve the same purpose…