Librarian Susan Wilson held up a colorfully illustrated book about a taco-eating fire-breathing dragon as she told the Highlands Elementary School sophomore class it was time to ‘bite into the books’ .
“Oh my God, I thought you really meant we had to eat that book!” said student Anderson Magno.
Wilson, of the Allegheny Valley Community Library in Harrison, visits the elementary school twice a month with her literary program intended to inspire a love of words in young people.
“We want to bring the library to the school and make it important,” Wilson said.
Second grade is the ideal age, Wilson said, because kids aren’t old enough for a book club, but too old for toddler story time.
“It’s so special for them because they can have lunch in the classroom while we read the story,” Wilson said. ” It’s a real treat. We do a special craft and they also get a snack.
Wilson has been running the literacy program for 15 years.
She incorporates notions of illustration, prediction and creativity into her lessons, but students seem otherwise captivated by the whimsical story of dragons and tacos.
“They love it when the spicy salsa makes the dragon spit fire,” Wilson said. “We’re talking about where the dragons eat their hot food. It’s not Taco Bell. It’s a taco den.
After the story, the students colored their own paper dragon with flames coming out of the muzzle.
Student Izaiah Wright colored her flames blue, explaining to her peers that “flames are blue, fire is red”.
Classmates Khymauri Dawson and Brady Woodward dared to sample the salsa, offered to students by the school’s Title I reading teacher, Christine Izydore.
Brady didn’t hesitate and shoved the entire chip into his mouth. Khymauri was a bit more shy.
“I don’t want my tongue to burn,” he said.
Izydore said the program is a highlight of the year for second graders and also for school leaders because “it fosters a love of reading that is fun.”
“A lot of kids tell us they want to get library cards after this visit,” Izydore said.
Wilson said the school-community partnership is key to developing strong learners.
She described the community library to them as a learning center that lends Lego building blocks, hosts spa days for tweens with their American Girl dolls, and offers free use of computers, among other programs.
“We eat to nourish our bodies, but we read to nourish our minds,” Wilson said.
“This partnership supports the transition of early readers to a journey that promotes basic literacy and lifelong learning. More importantly, the library is present in the school.
Tawnya Panizzi is editor of Tribune-Review. You can contact Tawnya at 724-226-7726, tpanizzi@triblive.com or via Twitter .