SLICE #15- GROWING READERS

V flies down the stairs to greet me. I know what she wants before the words come out of her mouth. Last week, she fell in love with THE PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER. Jen Wang has another book. She wanted me to order it for her.

"Miss, did it come, did the book come?"

"It did, I put it in my car on Tuesday night (before two snow days). I forgot to grab it this morning, I'll go out and get it."

"You want me to go with you?"she asks eagerly.

I am on my way into a meet and greet for our new principal. "I have a quick meeting," I say. I'll go get it in just a little while."

"When?" she says. "When will you go get it for me?"

"I will bring it to you in 15 minutes," I promise.

Fifteen minutes later, I mount the stairs, book in hand.

An hour later, she tells me she is not sure it is as good as the other one.

After lunch, she comes back again to tell me that the books are definitely equal.

"They're so good," she says. "You have to read them."

Two hours later, A comes into class, carrying THE PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER.

"I finished this one," she says, "V says there's another one. Do you have it?'

I tell her V is reading it. .

"Can I go find her?" she says. "She's in math class. She can't read it right now, so maybe I could look at it. "

Five minutes later, she is back. "She says I have to wait until she is done," she says.

I have seventy students. About a third of them have grown up as readers. The rest of them are growing. One book at a time.