Garden Grove : A Short Story About Some Favorite Stories

Once upon a time, a program designed to stimulate interest in reading, writing and authors brought Florence Nightingale, Mother Goose, a World War I aviator and a stegosaurus to a Buena Clinton school.

On Tuesday, Clinton Elementary School students listened to three of the diverse characters tell their stories in an effort to encourage the youngsters to read more. Florence Nightingale had made her appearance a day earlier.

The program, which includes all grade levels, began last week with a “book assembly” in which each class presented a televisionlike commercial on their favorite book to the student body. The program followed individual, in-class competitions.

Then, Monday and Tuesday, Principal DeWayne Terry donned World War I flier’s gear; nurse Sally Ludlow dressed up like Florence Nightingale; reading teacher Barbara Barker turned into Mother Goose, and Karen Jenson, a reading staff member, suddenly started looking like a scary, prehistoric monster. The four went from class to class reading representative books to the eager, delighted students.

Today, children’s book author Vic Knight is scheduled to make two appearances at the school. The author of “Earle the Squirrel” and “The Night the Crayons Talked” will address special assemblies simply to convey the fun and excitement of books.

The final activity will begin Thursday when the entire school begins a book-writing contest. Each class is charged with writing one book, with the length depending on the individual grade level. Upon completion, the works will be published and donated to the Clinton Elementary School library.

Next month, awards will be presented for the best books.

The End.