Quest and Village Elementary Schools joined forces for this year’s One School, One Book program and revealed this year’s book during simultaneous evening events on January 7. This year’s selection is A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold, a story about Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat), a young boy on the autism spectrum, whose mom, a veterinarian, brings home a baby skunk, which she needs to take care of until she can hand him over to a wild-animal shelter. Bat tries to convince his mom that he should keep the skunk as a pet.
The One School, One Book program is designed to create a shared reading experience within a single elementary school community – this year two school communities. A chapter book is chosen, then every family in the school receives a copy, and every family reads that book at home over the course of a single month.
This is the tenth year Village Elementary School and the eighth year Quest has participated in One School, One Book. “Night at the Village” and “Family Literacy Night” at Quest gave families an opportunity to pick up free copies of the book and have fun doing a variety of activities. Some of the activities included a scavenger hunt around the school, games in the gymnasium, family photos, making bookmarks and crafts, getting temporary tattoos and face painting, meeting small animals and talking with a wildlife rehabilitator.
Studies have shown that reading to children helps them to listen better and longer, build bigger vocabularies, understand concepts better, feel positive about both books and learning – and more.
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