Lori Stone has taught nine years in USD 257, and few things have excited her more than when her fifth-graders at Jefferson Elementary decided to forego a Christmas gift exchange to buy two books for the Iola Public Library.
“They gave the gift that keeps on giving,” said Stone. “It was a little tough for some, right at first, but after they thought about it, all were pleased that they were making a contribution that others would enjoy.”
With 19 in the class, the $2 gift limit added up to enough to buy two books from the Pseudonymous Bosch’s Secret Series, a favorite of young readers.
That the class has many good readers also played a role in the students’ decision.
“They all set reading goals at the start of the year and 90 percent have met or gone beyond,” Stone said, with about two months of school remaining.
“Reading is basic to education,” she added, and students’ success falls off rapidly when they have difficulty reading and interpreting the written word.
Most of the students also are familiar with the public library. They traipse there when they have exhausted Jefferson library’s inventory.
The kids donated the first two books of Bosch’s series, which is based on the five senses: sight, smell, sound, taste and touch. Bosch is successful for injecting little stories and “secret” information within each main story.
Earlier this month, the students donated “The Name of This Book Is Secret,” based on smell, and “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late,” focused on sound and published in 2008.
Leah Oswald, children’s librarian at IPL, said the library purchased the next two in the series, “This Book Is Not Good for You,” from 2009 and based on taste, and “This Isn’t What It Looks Like,” published last year and to do with sight. The fifth book in the series is “This Book Is Not Yet Titled,” which explores touch and will be published this year.
Oswald said the library was appreciative of the students’ decision to give the books, a gift to many children.
Fifth-graders give gift to many
