Date: Fri 29-May-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: MICHEL

Quick Words:

schools-reading

Full Text:

Discovering The Joys Of Reading

(with cuts)

BY MICHELE HOGAN

What do professional ball players, firefighters and Middle Gate children all

have in common? As they found out last Friday, they all love to read.

In a special schoolwide celebration of reading, students heard baseball

enthusiasts and children's authors, library specialists and characters from

some of their favorite books then had a schoolwide parade.

Students heard from Greg Schmidt, who is part of the management team for the

New Haven Ravens, that baseball players love reading too.

Mr Schmidt described how he looks forward to the latest sports magazines to

keep in touch with all the new developments in what he likes best, baseball.

Mr Schmidt told the children "if you do something you enjoy, you can read

about what you enjoy, and that's great."

Meanwhile, in the hall, a lovely maiden in a long flowing gown, teacher Gail

Huot as Glenda the Good Witch, bumped into a decidedly plainly dressed

princess (wearing a brown paper bag) The Paper Bag Princess (aka

paraprofessional Paula Busse Philbrick). Kids rushed up and identified them,

and got both autographs.

The halls were filled with spectacular dressers, including teachers, parents,

paraprofessionals and students dressed as favorite storybook characters.

Some who stopped to chat were Nancy Notaro as Thumbelina, Susan Steuer as

Peter Pan, Darlene Fabrizio as the White Rabbit, Toni Baranowski as

Pocahontas, Betty McFadden as Mufaro's beautiful daughter (Nyasha), Betsey

Leety as Laura Ingalls Wilder, Pam Tichon as Amelia Bedelia, Michele Parker as

Nancy Drew, Cathlin Palmer as Sarah Plain and Tall and Vicki Bassett as Amelia

Bedelia.

The cafeteria and library were also hives of activity with guests from local

libraries and organizations and even a local author.

Author, Joy Masoff, explained to the Middle Gate children that her inspiration

for writing came from her son, and she reminded them that their own

inspiration for writing can come from events in their own everyday lives.

She described how her son wanted to read everything ever written on becoming

an airline pilot, and yet the books he came home with were dull and

uninteresting.

Mrs Masoff said at the time she was disappointed, then she decided "flying is

the coolest thing in life, and this is the most ordinary book. I think I can

do a better job."

When Mrs Masoff took her idea to Scholastic, they told her to pick two

careers, but one had to be firefighting, because they thought kids would love

it.

Mrs Masoff showed the children her just-published book called Fire! and said

her second book, "Emergency" on the career of medicine, will be published in

September.

She asked the Middle Gate kids what they would like to be when they grew up.

From artist to builder, archaeologist to firefighter, students had dozens of

career aspirations.

Mrs Masoff might be able to make a whole series of careers books with all the

great ideas students came up with.

As passionate about firefighting as her son was about piloting, Mrs Masoff

said "I wanted to dig deep. I wanted to know everything about a fire."

She contacted fire departments across the nation, actually worked with Danbury

firefighters for two days, and even entered a burning building to rescue a

dummy from the Danbury test-site.

She had a photographer accompany her, but she said the fire was burning at

1,200 degrees "over three times hotter than your oven" and he just couldn't

get near it. He tried, and his hair got singed, and decided that was enough.

Meanwhile Mrs Masoff was crawling around in the smoke filled building, in full

firefighters regalia, searching for dummies in need of "rescue."

Mrs Masoff delved into everything, from firefighters' fears, to pranks they do

to each other to relieve tension.

She collected photos jet skis, helicopters hovercrafts, and airboats rescuing

people where trucks can't go.

She explored the history of fire and rescue, and wrote an enthralling,

comprehensive, illuminating book on the real careers in fire and rescue.

Budding authors and readers listened intently to this and other presentations.

This schoolwide program to honor reading organized by Donna McGough, library

media specialist, and Gail Huot, teacher.