A Reader Is Born

I glance over as I am giving directions and notice he is reading his library book instead of listening to me. I call his name. No response. Again, this time a little louder. He looks up from his book and closes it, returning once more to the classroom.

He comes up to me a few minutes later as we are packing up to head to the library.

"This book is getting really good!" he exclaims.

I can see he is close to the end.

"What is it?" I ask.

He shows me the cover and I remember now that he had selected an I Survived book during our last trip to the library.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it," I say.

I line up my class (if you can call it a line) and walk them across campus to the library. As always, I stand at the door, reminding students to return their books to the counter barcode up. He is one of the last students to come up the stairs and walk toward the door, and I can see why. His book is open, making it clear that he has been reading on the walk to the library.

Once inside, I spend most of my time cruising up and down the aisles of books, breaking up huddles of gossipers and reminding students we are here to check out books, not play. (When I made the move to middle school last year, it didn't take me long to learn that 6th graders confuse libraries with playgrounds.) We pass each other at the end of one row, and he shows me the book he has selected. It's another I Survived book.

"Oh, Hurricane Katrina. That's going to be a good one!" I tell him.

I can tell he's excited about his new selection, and he goes to sit down and read.

And I'm excited for him. He is a sweet boy, but he struggles academically and is years behind in his reading level. But that doesn't matter today. 

Today, he has found books that make him a reader.