Millions Celebrate Reading

Wherever he is, the good Doctor (Seuss, that is) must have been smiling today.

More than 35 million Americans - the large, the small, the short, the tall - stopped what they would usually do on a Friday and took time out to read. They read in malls; they read in stalls. They read alone; they read through phones. Some were young, some were old, some were brash, some were bold. Reading was the order of the day in cities and towns across the U-S of A.

The event: the National Education Association's (NEA) Read Across America, a celebration held annually on March 2 - Theodor Geisel's (Dr. Seuss) birthday - to shine a spotlight on the joys as well as the necessity of literacy and reading.

In cities and towns across the nation and across Wisconsin, teachers, teenagers, kindergartners, librarians, politicians, actors, athletes, parents, grandparents, and others raised a book in praise of the written word.

NEA President Bob Chase said: "It was a day to celebrate the teaching and learning of a skill as basic to a productive life as air and water. This year's theme 'Oh, the Places You'll Go' invited readers from all walks of life to join teachers, librarians, parents, students, and others to talk about the magic, excitement, and adventure that books offer and provided a wonderful opportunity to ask others along for the ride."

From the sublime to the ridiculous

Across the nation, reading was the centerpiece in thousands of events that ran the gamut from sublime to ridiculous.

"Even the zaniest of events were important," said NEA's Chase, "because of their focus. Teachers and principals seem to be more than happy to dye their hair green or be duct-taped to a wall if it boosts their students' reading."

A green-haired principal was indeed the payoff for students in Kentucky who met their reading challenge, just as kissing a hog was the price a Georgia principal agreed to pay when her students passed the magic number of books read by March 2. A Michigan principal was duct-taped to the wall - part of a deal he made with students who met his reading challenge.

Some other activities taking place today included:

• In Washington, First Lady Laura Bush saluted literacy with a group of second graders who delighted in her reading of Dr. Seuss's Happy Birthday to You.
• Across the country in San Francisco, a cadre of more than 1,000 volunteers pledged to spend a portion of the day reading in the city's schools.
• In Dallas at precisely 10 a.m., the city - at the behest of the school district - did its DEAR Dallas routine (everyone was to Drop Everything And Read).
• In New York, the mayor of "Whoville" from the cast of "Seussical the Musical," dropped in for a lunch of green eggs and yam at the Brooklyn School for Special Children.
• A Miami Girl Scout troop held a book fair and donated the proceeds to a shelter for women and children.
• In Indiana, college students visited elementary schools and treated children to the fun of Dr. Seuss, and high school students in Hobart wrote and illustrated books, which they donated to local schools.
• In Owensboro, Kentucky, people from all walks of life - sanitation workers, newspaper reporters, restaurant staff, utility company employees - read with students and talked about the importance of reading.
• A mother-daughter-reading club was started in a Louisiana library.
• Students from kindergarten through high school in Maine celebrated the day with an oral reading.
• In Massachusetts, students read their way across the U.S., reading one book per state.
• Mystery queen Mary Higgins Clark read at her grandson's school in New Jersey.
• Students at a Chicago-area elementary school were treated to a story by Miss America 2000, Angela Perez Baraquio.
• In Virginia, the USS Roosevelt was rechristened the USS Readership for the day and the crew spent the day on board reading with local schoolchildren.
• Students at a Spanish Immersion School in Minnesota read books that were written by their teachers to celebrate Cruzanda America con Lectura Day.
• A book-luck dinner in New Albany, Mississippi, asked diners to bring a dish that's mentioned in a favorite book - along with a handwritten recipe to go into a book-luck cookbook.
• Missouri Gov. Bob Holden administered a statewide reading oath, which was broadcast live via the Internet.

Read Across America Partners

More than 40 groups ranging from Youth Service America, the National Council of LaRaza, and the NAACP to the National Football Players Association were active supporters as well as partners of this year's Read Across America.

Characters from the PBS children's series "Between the Lions" joined actor Morgan Freeman, the chair of NEA's Read Across America 2001, Boston Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez, singer Reba McEntire, and others in recording radio and TV public service announcements (PSA) for this year's campaign.

A selection of PSAs as well as the complete roster of Read Across America partners, a list of reading activities by state - and much more! - are available at www.nea.org/readacross.

OnWEAC will provide coverage of Wisconsin activities in coming days.

Oconto mother shares her passion for poetry

Posted March 2, 2001