Magic Treehouse Book Club Celebrates Shakespeare

On April 18, our Younger Readers Book Club met to discuss Magic Treehouse #25, Stage Fright on a Summer Night in which Jack and Annie whisk away to merry olde England and meet William Shakespeare.  I chose this book because April 23 would have been Shakespeare's 449th birthday, so we made it a book club and a birthday party all in one!

Back in 2008, before Spark READiness was officially Spark READiness, I hosted an enrichment workshop on Magic Treehouse #25.

 

 

 

 

 

Fast forward to 2013, and I'm still on a mission to bring Shakespeare to young kids in a fun, relatable way.  Our Younger Readers Book Club, with kids ranging from kindergarten to second grade, had a great time discussing Magic Treehouse #25. 

 

We watched Taylor Swift's video for her song Love Story and talked about how the song is based on one of Shakespeare's most famous plays.  (The boys didn't like all the talk about love but they perked up when I told them about the fighting and dying in R&J.)

 

We sang happy birthday to Shakespeare and enjoyed cake.  Why not?

 

 

We learned about words that Shakespeare invented and talked about some of the most famous quotes from his plays.  Then, we used feather quills to write those quotes on our wooden scrolls.  It was messy and fun!  And isn't that what Shakespeare's plays are all about -- our complicated, funny, sometimes tragic lives?  (Good news:  The only tragedy for us was that book club had to end.  Well, and maybe that the paint took a while to dry.)

 

Next Magic Treehouse Book Club:  We're heading to Hawaii!

 

 



 

 



In Their Words: Why Kids Like to Read

© 2012.  Photo by Lisa Ehrie, Thirteen Photography

It has been a joy to reread our contest entries as we featured the winning writers over the past two weeks.  Thanks again to everyone who participated in our 2012 Freedom to Read Contest.  As you recall, we launched this contest in connection with the national book community's 2012 Banned Books Week to celebrate the freedom to read in our country.  We awarded our winners $175 in gift cards to Parnassus Books, a local independent bookstore, and mailed bookmarks and pens to all participants.

Thanks to Jackie Jones of Franklin, who assisted us with this contest and who has supported Spark READiness from the very beginning.  We also want to thank again our outstanding panel of  judges who generously donated their time to read all of the contest entries, score them, and make comments:  Carol Owen, Sean Martin, Amy Everhart, and Joell Smith-Borne.  Each judge read and scored every single contest entry.

Below are some of our favorite statements and thoughts on reading by our contest participants themselves.  So have faith, America, there are kids today who do like to read!    Here are some of the reasons why, in their own words:

To me, the best part about reading is that it takes the reader on fun adventures that no one can stop or take away. 

~Nadia, age 10

No matter what problems you have, what you've done, or where you are, when you read a book all of that goes away.  

~Olivia, age 11

When you go into a book, you feel as if you are free of all the limits that the world puts on you. 

~David, age 10

Reading gives us a sense of strength, power, and independence.

~Cassidy, age 11

Reading is to me is like getting a life you could never have otherwise.  

-Brynn, age 10

Reading gives us the power to look at the world differently and make a difference

~Danielle, age 10

There are no rules in reading.  When you read you can be whatever and whoever you want. 

~ Jack, age 11

Keep reading!  If you liked our contest, let us know by making a comment here or posting on Facebook.