Students in the Upper Grand District School Board are collectively sinking their teeth into a good book.
In its second year, the Upper Grand Reads program is a literacy initiative in which high school students across the district are encouraged to read the same novel – this year The Bear by Toronto author, Claire Cameron.
The goal of the program is to engage students in reading, and to get them talking about books and sharing ideas – all while improving their literacy skills. The initiative includes a board-wide blog and website, and the program will culminate in a series of visits by the author at several schools in the district from May 25 – 27.
Last year, students read Fanatics, by Orillia author, William Bell, who visited and spoke with students at Orangeville District Secondary School, Erin District High School, and Norwell District Secondary School. Robin Feick, teacher-librarian at Erin DHS, described the afternoon with Bell as “fabulous.”
Feick added, “Bell spent most of his time answering questions from students, and due to time constraints, I reluctantly had to break up what was a very intense discussion about authorship and the writing process in which Bell was engaged with a small group of budding young authors.”
This year’s novel, The Bear, tells the story of two siblings, five-year-old Anna and her two-year-old brother Stick, who awaken to the sound of screaming one night on a camping trip in Algonquin Park. A black bear has attacked their campsite and killed both of their parents, leaving Anna alone to protect her brother as they fend for themselves in the Northern Ontario wilderness.
Author, Claire Cameron, was eager to participate in the Upper Grand Reads program this year, and said, “One of the greatest surprises about writing The Bear was how many teens have responded to the novel. I’ve been to a few schools and love hearing different perspectives on the book, so I’m looking forward to hearing what the students of Upper Grand have to say.”
The program has expanded this year to include author visits at five area high schools: Centre Wellington District High School, Erin DHS, Norwell DSS, Orangeville DSS, and Wellington Heights Secondary School. In addition, students at Victoria Cross Public School in Mount Forest are reading The Bear and have partnered with a Grade 11 English class at Wellington Heights in order to broaden and enrich their understanding of the novel through collaborative learning activities. The hour-long visits will include author readings, question-and-answer sessions, and book signings.
“Talking about books and stories is a great way to have a broader conversation about our own experiences and how we live,” replied Cameron in response to a question about the importance of literacy initiatives like Upper Grand Reads. She added, “In our busy lives, it’s important to take the time to talk about that stuff.”
Paper and digital copies of The Bear are available in school and municipal libraries, at local bookstores, and through the Terry James Centre at the Board Office in Guelph. Students and parents are invited to contact the teacher-librarians at the host schools for more information.
