Hawley Commemorates National Children’s Book Week

By Larissa Lytwyn

Hawley Elementary School honored National Children’s Book Week with its annual Guest Reader Day, inviting a diverse roster of parents, educators, and community officials to celebrate reading with students.

“This year, two books that were coming out that I definitely wanted to use were River Boy: The Story of Mark Twain and Uncle Andy’s, a biography of [acclaimed late artist] Andy Warhol,” explained Hawley’s language arts specialist Karen Yanusas. “I decided to use those two books as the cornerstones of a biography theme.”

The books were divided by grade: fourth graders enjoyed Uncle Andy’s, by James Warhola; third graders, River Boy: The Story of Mark Twain, by T. Anderson; second graders, By My Brother’s Side, by legendary football player Rhonde Barber; first graders, Players In Pigtails: The Story of Women’s Baseball, by Shana Corey and kindergarteners, Snowflake Bentley, by Jacqueline Briggs Martin.

“Snowflake Bentley is the story of photographer Wilson A. Bentley, who rose to fame for his wonderful, detailed photographs of snowflakes,” Ms Yanusas explained.

For some students, it was important to distinguish between biography and autobiography.

In Lea Attanasio’s third grade class, for example, some students expressed confusion regarding who the author of River Boy was.

“But how could it be Mark Twain [Samuel Clemens]?” one child asked. “Isn’t he dead?”

It was explained that autobiographies were written in the first person while outside authors wrote biographies of a notable individual or group of individuals in third person form.

Guest readings took about 10 to 15 minutes; afterward, they were invited to a complimentary breakfast in the teachers’ lounge.

“I had a great time,” said Fire Prevention Officer Bob Nute, a first-time guest reader. “I was thrilled to be invited to be a part of it.”

Mr Nute said he particularly enjoyed the book he read to his assigned third grade class, River Boy.

“It was a very well done book, very informative,” Mr Nute said. “Some students learned, for the first time, that Mark Twain had a home in Hartford [today known as the Mark Twain House], as well as a place in Redding [and founded what is now the Mark Twain Library].”

This year’s guest readers included, in addition to some school faculty members, Hawley PTA president Lori Linager and co-president Melissa Harkins, former state representative Mae Schmidle, Board of Education Chair Elaine McClure and Vice Chair Lisa Schwartz, Board of Education member Paul Mangiafico, Taunton Press manager Linda Ballerini, former lead teacher Judy Pesce, Youth Officer Dana Schubert, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, former Superintendent of Schools John Reed, and Superintendent of Schools Evan Pitkoff.

Lead teacher Linda Codeghini organized this year’s event.