Reading Olympics

It’s 4:50 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon.  I am headed south on Garfield en route to the Boys and Girls Club for our weekly Reading Olympics session and I’m excited.  Our book tonight, Book Fair Day, is one of my favorites and my daughter’s as well.       

As I get out of my car, I grab my Junior League bag and walk in looking closely at those kids being picked up.  I think to myself, “Are they one our Reading Olympics kiddos?” I spot one.  She is.  This little girl is begging her mother, “Please let me stay!  I really want to stay!”  Sadly, her mom tells her, “No.”  The little girl gets into the car in tears.   My emotions are mixed.  I wish the Mom had told her she could stay.  She would have loved Book Fair Day.   On the other hand, her sadness tells me that we are accomplishing our goals… creating a love for reading one book at a time, and a fun and caring environment for these kids.   

As I enter the building on week four, I feel at home.  The kids are moving around, as they normally do, and I am greeted by several Reading Olympics kids.  They give me hugs and ask, “Are we starting yet?”  I tell them, “Soon.”  “What’s the book tonight,” one asks.  I responded, “You’ve got to come and find out.”  After several hugs and hellos, I make it to our room.  Set-up has begun and before long we will welcome more than 30 kids into our Reading Olympics session.  Some will be repeat visitors, while others are newcomers as they have stood in the hallway watching and decided to join in the fun this week. 

We have welcomed kids, sung some songs, and heard our book of the evening read by our guest reader.  Now it’s time for “team time.”  My black team joins me in our normal spot on the floor.  We take attendance and begin our weekly ritual of journaling, discussing, creating, and sharing a snack.   The participants and I discuss how we find the perfect book to read.   After discussing several tips, I hand out some Scholastic Book Club flyers.  The excitement begins. “This looks like a good one,” exclaims Andrea.   I calm them down and tell them we are going to practice.  I want them to pick out five different books, using our tips, from the flyer.  The questions start coming at me faster than I can respond.  “Do you think I will like this one?”  “What about this one?”  “Mrs. Amber have you read this one?”  I feel a little like Dewey Booker from our story.  Slowly, but surely, my group circles the five choices of  books they think they will like.  One little girl at the end says, “I wish I could get these books.”

In just four short weeks, we have created an excitement about reading and books.  We are creating a love for reading, one book at a time.                 

-Amber Davidson, Active