Books Come Alive for 2nd-Graders

Those second-graders at Dixie Canyon Avenue Elementary School in Sherman Oaks are real characters.

Two classes dressed up Tuesday as their favorite personalities from books, for a new twist on the usual ho-hum oral book report.

“It makes the books come alive,” said teacher Tina Fenton, who introduced costumed book reports to second-graders in 1993. “It really gets the children interested in reading.”

One at a time, children from rooms 28 and 29 took center stage.

Many of them recited their book’s title, author and illustrator from memory, while others used notebooks and index cards.

Wyatt Foxe wore a fox costume with a long brown nose that obstructed his view of his notes. But the 7-year-old from Sherman Oaks improvised, bringing his notes up to the eye opening in his headdress. The class giggled and thought it was funny that Wyatt read Roald Dahl’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox,”just like his last name.

Matt Savan, 7, of Studio City, did not have to look far for his costume for “Charizard Go!” He just squeezed into his orange Pokemon costume, even though it appeared he had grown a few inches since he wore it for Halloween two years ago.

“I chose to dress as my favorite character in the book, ‘Charizard,’ because he’s cool,” Matt said.

Others dressed as soldiers, princesses, Pocahontas, Thomas the Tank Engine and Cindy Lou from Dr. Seuss’ “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.”

The students worked on their reports for about a month, reading books from the school library or their home bookshelves.

“I was proud of him,” said Noreen Davis, one of many parents who stayed to watch.

Davis’ son, Evan, 7, of Studio City, dressed as a turtle for his report on “The Turtle and the Monkey” by Paul Galdone. For a shell, he wore a large wicker basket that his mother found in the garage.

“He’s been practicing for three days--and did it twice yesterday,” she said.

The children seemed relieved when the last report was done. But one princess, Nora Brown, 7, of Studio City, decided she wanted to stay in costume the rest of the day.

Not Evan. His mother said the basket on his back was a little scratchy.

KUDOS

Jonathan Fantini, a junior at Monroe Law and Government Center Magnet in North Hills, is one of 40 students selected nationwide to attend the Conference of Tomorrow’s Leaders next month in Boston.

The four-day conference, sponsored by the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity will be chaired by Nobel Prize winner Wiesel. It will include speeches by first lady and U.S. Sen.-elect Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Richard C. Holbrooke.

Fantini was selected based on academics and experience. He was an intern at Rep. Howard Berman’s (D-Mission Hills) district office and a member of Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg’s (D-Sherman Oaks) high school advisory committee.

The Elie Wiesel Foundation was founded in 1986, shortly after Holocaust survivor Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work preserving the record of Nazi atrocities.

The Dec. 2-6 conference will focus on youth activism, barriers to success, and opportunities.

PROGRAM NOTES

Magnet Meeting: A magnet high school informational meeting will be held Dec. 6 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at James Monroe High School in North Hills.

Representatives from 25 high school magnet programs will attend, including Birmingham Journalism Technology in Van Nuys, Kennedy High School Architecture and Urban Planning in Granada Hills and North Hollywood/L.A. Zoo Biological Science.

Parents with children in the Los Angeles Unified School District will receive magnet program applications for the 2001-02 school year in December. Other parents interested in applying can pick up an application at any district campus. Application deadline is Jan. 19.

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