HAMMONTON—The Hammonton High School One Book Summer Reading program continues for the second consecutive year with increased awareness and lasting excitement for the attention it draws to the importance of literacy.
According to Supervisor of Language Arts and Social Studies Lewis Testa, the purpose of the one-book program is to motivate and inspire reluctant readers and to create a community rally around one book.
The one-book summer reading requirement was part of a new approach the high school instructors took last year to encourage reluctant readers to read more and to teach lessons based on the book across several disciplines, he continued.
“The program was put in place last year to motivate and inspire those who may be reluctant to read or pick up a book and read it all the way through. Last year’s success was apparent to the teachers, with several students admitting that it was the first time they had finished a book cover to cover. We believe it is a way to promote literacy and community involvement and to get people to appreciate reading,” Testa said.
According to Testa, this year’s goal is to get a larger involvement in the community.
“We want parents to talk about this story with their children, and we want community leaders to be able to discuss it with students outside of school,” he continued.
This year’s book selection is Life As We Knew It, by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
A community of teachers and educational professionals evaluated a number of books on content, difficulty and one that was in line with the district’s goals, according to Testa.
This year’s selection was the second runner up to last year’s selection of the novel Swallowing Stones written by Joyce McDonald.
The story is told through the perception of the lead character Miranda and how she copes with the fact that an asteroid knocks the moon closer to the earth.
Miranda tries to figure out how to help her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents and volcanic ash blocks out the sun. She records her experiences in her journal and how the events of each desperate day unfold. Throughout the story Miranda and her family struggle to hold on to their most priceless resource, hope.
Grades nine to twelve have been asked to read the book over the summer, and students will be assessed on their knowledge of the story through an interdisciplinary approach in each subject area over the course of the first two months of school, according to Testa.
“This content allows for the story to be discussed across many different subject areas. For example, the book examines catastrophic climate changes, allowing students to look at how the climate would affect the tides, hurricanes and more in a science class,” according to Testa.
The One Book Summer Reading initiative will culminate with a visit to the Hammonton High School by author Susan Beth Pfeffer on October 19 at 7 p.m. in the media center.
Community organizations such as the Home and School Association and the Hammonton Education Foundation have demonstrated its support in the program this year.
According to Testa, the Hammonton Education Foundation gave the school grant funding to pay for the author visit.
“This just further strengthens our partnership with this organization,” he said.
For more information on the program, visit the school’s website at www.hammontonps.org.