Mariah Bloomquist and Jenna Lordemann, teachers at Norfolk Middle School, invited guest readers into their classrooms for reading time with students. Ms. Bloomquist told us "Our mission was to get 5th and 6th grade students excited about reading, and to get a book in their hands. We facilitated a book tasting to allow kids to sample a variety of genres and spark their interest in a book or two they may not normally choose to read. From there, the students chose their top choice out of all of the books they sampled to read together as a class, and they selected Wish by Barbara O'Connor."
Middle School staff, principals, district administrators, and school board members visited the classroom and read aloud with the students. In total, 23 guest readers participated. Mr. Mike Hart, Director of Human Resources and School Accreditation for Norfolk Public Schools, was one of the guest readers. Mr. Hart remarked, "It was a great experience! The students were attentive, respectful, and genuinely excited to have guest readers. It was a good story and I didn't want my time to be up when the class period ended."
Wish by Barbara O'Connor is about a young girl who struggles with a broken family and has been making the same wish every day for over a year. Throughout her time with her aunt and uncle she develops unlikely friendships and learns the meaning of a family.
