Last Day of School!

Another school year is coming to an end. Students are bubbling with excitement as they bounce around the playground and try very hard not to bounce around their classrooms. Some are successful—some, not so much. Focus is difficult to maintain this time of year, but I managed to reign in a group of enthusiastic seven-year-olds when I pulled out a new book, A Fairy Friend, by Sue Fliess, illustrated by Claire Keane.  

The kids were captivated by both the story and the illustrations. They listened attentively as I read the rhyming text with fairies hiding behind leaves, zipping through trees and riding on the backs of dragonflies. They especially loved the fairy house with a mossy roof and soft thistle-fluff beds. By the end of the story, the whole group had gathered close, noses just inches from each page, trying to choose their very own, forever fairy friend. Hannah had a particularly difficult time.

“I want this one, no . . . here’s my favorite, no . . . I like this one best.” Then she’d flip the page and discover a new favorite. In the end she said, “It’s too hard, I love them all.”

I couldn’t agree more. They were all magical, as was my final speech session of the year thanks to A Fairy Friend and a group of enthusiastic students who assured me they are going to spend lots of time this summer reading good books. . . right after they build a fairy house.

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