SOUTH BRUNSWICK — Participating students will make the trek from Oz to Wonderland as the South Brunswick Reads program kicks off its second year to promote improved literacy within the school district.
The district, in partnership with the South Brunswick Public Library, has invited students and residents of all ages to simultaneously read Lewis Carroll’s classic “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” this year. The program follows last year’s success with “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”
Joanne Kerekes, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said this year’s program will be more comprehensive, as the book’s selection was made and told to district teachers last summer. With advanced notice, they were able to incorporate Alice-themed lessons and projects into their curriculum.
Kerekes said art teachers, in particular, have taken advantage of the visually memorable aspects of the story. Middle school students have already created teacups from the Mad Hatter’s party in one class.
While the program is still in the preliminary planning stages, Kerekes and Kim Zito, the Crossroads North Middle School library media specialist, have brainstormed a list ofAlice-themed events. Those include movie nights, book talks, arts and crafts and contests related to the title, leveled for youth, teens, tweens and adults at the public library.
The schools will conduct a trivia contest, in which participants must find the answers to all questions listed on a poster, either within the school library or the book. There will be two versions — one for young children and one for older students and adults — and a quick-read code will connect the poster to the program’s wiki at http://southbrunswickreads. pbworks.com.
Students will also be able to vote for their favorite book character electronically, older students will write riddles for younger students, and Feb. 29 there will be an “unbirthday” celebration, Kerekes said.
“We’re doing all these things to get the kids to pick up the books,” she said. “We try to find something that piques their interest.”
Program organizers also hope to entice students by offering Alice’s story in many forms, including picture books, e-books, graphic novels, pop-up books, the original, and its spin-offs.
According to a district press release, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” was chosen for this year’s program for five main reasons: Alice’s adaptation to change, the story’s celebration of curiosity and reinforcement of the district’s core values of assertion, empathy and self control lend the tale to educational purposes. In addition, the story contains playful language in the forms of puns and riddles and iconic characters, such as Cheshire Cat, March Hare and Mad Hatter.
The reading event will last through the end of the school year.
Participants can find more information about upcoming events on http://southbrunswickreads. blogspot.com and the public library’s website.