All school-year Newtown Public School students will find many reasons to read in the schools’ libraries.

Newtown Public School library/media specialists recently offered insight into some of the initiatives that have been encouraging reading since the start of the 2022-23 school year and programs that will be held later in the year.

Elementary Schools

Head O’ Meadow Elementary School, Sandy Hook Elementary School, and Hawley Elementary School all recently held One School, One Read programs, that encourage the entire school community to read one book at the same time. The month-long programs included a range of activities at each of the schools.

At Head O’ Meadow, the One School, One Read book was School Days According to Humphrey, by Betty G. Birney. The one-month event ended with the whole school working to create story boards that were spread around a walking path outside the school for students to walk by and “read” the book again on October 14.

Along with the One School, One Read event, Head O’ Meadow Library/Media Specialist Beth Murphy said other planned library programs for the school year include a book fair preview and fair, a March Madness Tournament of Books, voting for books ahead of the town referendum in April, a literacy week, prepping students for a summer reading BINGO, and highlighting notable award-winning and award-nominated books.

Murphy said Head O’ Meadow’s library is also keeping a visual total of the number of books checked out, highlighting e-book options, and purchasing multiple copies of books so students can “share their excitement.”

For Sandy Hook School, this year’s One School, One Read program marked the 20th anniversary of the program. And it was the biggest yet, thanks to the effort combining with Hawley Elementary School. Both schools started reading Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White on October 24.

“We are so happy to be celebrating with Hawley,” said Sandy Hook Library/Media Specialist Katie Mauro.

Mauro noted this year that she has noticed a transition in the types of books students are reading.

“Many of our favorite series, like Magic Tree House and I Survived, are converting their books into graphic novels,” Mauro said.

For Hawley students — who are divided this year between Sandy Hook School and Reed Intermediate School due to ongoing heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) work at Hawley — Hawley Library/Media Specialist Erika Carlson said she has been incorporating narrative, nonfiction picture books for read a-louds.

Carlson said she has also been highlighting book collections to celebrate different heritages monthly. One change Carlson has noticed in reading preferences, is students are shifting from following favorite sports teams to following specific players.

And at Middle Gate Elementary School, Library/Media Specialist Suzanne Hurley said new books/book series are being highlighted weekly through book talks and video trailers; fourth grade students at the school have been participating in a “Nutmeg Bingo,” and the school is looking forward to Middle Gate Loves to Read Week later in the school year.

“Middle Gate’s library is open for students to check out as soon as students get off the bus,” Hurley shared. “On any given morning, there are 15-20 students browsing and checking out books. Students use this time to find books for independent and pleasure reading.”

Hurley also said students have been interested in graphic novels, and she said Middle Gate students have been enjoying “playaways,” which allow students to simultaneously read and listen to a book.

“Our students are like sponges, soaking up every bit of knowledge possible from nonfiction books. Animal battles, who would win, are perpetual favorites,” said Hurley.

The elementary school library/media specialists coordinate during district professional learning community time to focus on engaging and supporting classroom teachers, and they work together to coordinate author visits to the schools for throughout the school year.

“We are committed to bringing in books that both reflect all of our students and expose them to other cultures,” the elementary school librarians collectively shared in an email. “We want students to see themselves in books and see and be accepting of others. Our libraries are not only a place for students to learn research skills and check out books, but also a gathering place for students that need a quiet space to work and on rainy days a place to participate in Makerspace activities, including coding and building. The library is the hub or heart of our schools and sets a tone for building community.”

Reed Intermediate School

Reed Intermediate School’s Library/Media Specialist Sara Wasley said there are planned activities to encourage students to read throughout the year at her school, such as reading challenges and a “March Madness” initiative.

“We love bringing authors in, in person and virtually,” Wasley said.

Ahead of Halloween, Reed had author J.A. White meeting students virtually to discuss his Nightbooks and Gravebooks books. A Nightbooks book club met before school to prepare for the event and brainstormed questions to ask the author in advance.

“We have monthly trivia challenges where students can win prizes for coming down and learning about various heritage celebrations and national/local events throughout the school year,” Wasley noted.

And, like at the elementary schools, Wasley said Reed students have been enjoying graphic novels, along with reading biographies.

“A very popular new series is Girls Survived,” Wasley said. “These historical fiction books chronicle girls in their journeys through very challenging times in history, such as the Black Death and the Great Chicago Fire. We have tons of new sports non-fiction books showcasing favorite teams and players, a bevy of new Spanish books and the latest and greatest in popular series.”

Wasley said Reed’s library has been inspiring students in other ways too.

“Our school library motto this year is: Books are mirrors and windows, mirrors that reflect our own lives and windows peeking into someone else’s life. So we are encouraging students to branch out in what they read, finding out about others’ cultures, beliefs and way of life, while still honoring and celebrating their own culture,” said Wasley.

Newtown Middle School

Near the start of October, Newtown Middle School Library/Media Specialist Andrew SanAngelo stood in front of a class of eighth grade students spinning a numbered electronic wheel on a projection. The number the wheel landed on matched one student in the class’s number, and that student got up in front of the class to choose the next book they would read.

It was one of multiple “Book Tastings” the library is hosting this school year. The day before, SanAngelo explained, students had browsed the book options available to read, and listed their top five most tempting books. Each class received a “menu” of books to browse. Students wrote thoughts and whether they would like to read each book in their menu. The event had a restaurant theme to go with the “book tasting” concept.

Each class had a different selection of books to browse, all picked specifically for the class with themes worked on with classroom teachers. One class had a first person narrative book selection theme for its tasting, so after the students read the books they will write a first person narrative piece in class.

The book the students chose to read was their next independent reading book.

While the book tastings are not held for seventh grade classes, SanAngelo said the seventh grade students are welcome to come in to browse and select books. The NMS library is working to expand its collection to hold more Book Tastings for students.

The NMS library looks different than last year, thanks to an effort to remove old book shelves and rejigger the space. Immediately when students walk in, there is a reading area now. Nearby the reading area is a maker-table, where different themed full-school projects are highlighted. One October project was creating a traveling art panel that will be shared with other schools across the country. National Junior Art Honor Society (NJAHS) students drew shapes on the panels and all students were welcome to go to the library to color in the shapes and images. SanAngelo said it was a popular effort. Other maker-table projects have included LEGOS and origami.

SanAngelo paid attention to offering dynamic displays to attract students to new books too.

New furniture from a grant awarded to NMS in 2020 through the American Learning Center program and initiative from Steelcase Education is featured throughout the space.

NMS also expanded its fiction section this year. SanAngelo said he is extremely grateful for the NMS library’s budget this year.

NMS Library Clerk Julie Maurie said she learned from the Book Tasting effort that when students read beyond the cover of a book, it changes the types of books selected overall in the library.

“Everybody found something interesting and I think something they might not have found,” said Maurie.

SanAngelo said the NMS library is on a long but right road to being a more inspirational reading space for its students.

Newtown High School

Newtown High School teacher/librarian Liza Zandonella said at her school, the library is continuing an effort to build a more representative collection through purchasing both fiction and nonfiction works based on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“Additionally, the Library/Media Center (LMC) hosts two book groups: ‘More than a Book Club,’ a student-led book discussion group, and the ‘DEep dIve (diversity, equity, and inclusion) book discussion group which is open to students and adults,” Zandonella said.

The NHS library, Zandonella shared, highlights new books and its various collections on its website, www.nhs-lmc.com, and offers a variety of themed and seasonal displays of books in the library year-round “to spark students’ interest in reading. We’ve also increased our e-book and audiobook collections.”

There has been a demand for abridged texts and works in various languages at NHS, with an increase in the school’s English language learners population, Zandonella noted.

Zandonella also said the library recently augmented its “College, Career, & Life Skills” collection thanks to a grant from the Weller Foundation.

No matter which Newtown public school students attend this school year, the libraries have a lot to offer.

Education Editor Eliza Van can be reached at eliza@thebee.com.