Local High School English Teachers & Librarians Bring Reading to Life With Author Visits
Deidra Bowling-Meade
The Ashland Beacon
April 23-29, 2023 is National Library Week where libraries and librarians are celebrated throughout the country, and the librarians get to tell their library story. When it comes to the job of the school librarian, it involves more than simply checking in and out books. One of the main perks of the job is getting the opportunity to collaborate with amazing teachers who have the same passion for reading and desire to share that with their students. Two local high school librarians from Paul Blazer High School and Greenup County High School collaborated with two English teachers to bring the excitement of reading to life. Both schools hosted authors of the books students were reading in class. The response was phenomenal and sparked an interest for students to engage more in reading.
Paul Blazer High School’s Library hosted Appalachian author Robert Gipe after students in Ms. Karen Scalf’s College II Writing Classes read his novel Trampoline. The idea for students to read Trampoline was inspired after Blazer’s school librarian and KASL’s president, Deidra Bowling-Meade, encouraged the school’s English teachers to attend the Kentucky Association of School Librarians (KASL) Summer Refresher Conference last summer in Ashland, Kentucky to learn more about implementing Appalachian authors into their curriculum. Scalf attended the conference where she got to meet the author Robert Gipe.
Scalf stated, “I had a spark of determination to get him to visit us after I attended the library conference in the summer where he was one of the lead speakers. I knew this would be a fond farewell in my last teaching year, and that it would make this reading experience a memorable one for my students. Gipe's work is significant because of his ability to capture some of the Appalachian stereotypes without making fun of them, but to show them as real people. He also has a special knack for mixing humor with tragedy and is enjoyable to read. He is genuine and insightful.”
The novel Trampoline shows a female teen trying to make her way while remaining true to herself through big obstacles in Eastern Kentucky. Gipe spent the afternoon in Blazer’s library sharing readings from his book and explaining his thoughts about writing and bringing his characters to life. Retired Ashland Independent Schools librarian, Karen Van Kirk, also participated in the event by donating three copies of Gipes books to give away as prizes. She also graciously hosted lunch for Gipe.
Joselyn Bryant, who is also a senior at Blazer High School and an avid reader, enjoyed the opportunity to meet Gipe and praised his work for its relatability to her roots. Bryant noted, “It peaked my interest and left me wanting more. It was an honor to meet the maker of such a brilliant piece. Trampoline is a book I’d recommend to everyone rooted here in Appalachia.”
Blazer senior Abby Leeper remarked, “I’m very thankful for the opportunity that my English teacher, Mrs. Scalf, put into place so that we could meet Robert Gipe himself. It was a way for us to be able to connect the book with the author and learn the intentions of the book.”
Scalf reflected on Gipe’s visit, “His readings from student's favorite requested pages really made the story come to life. This was a special event that hopefully inspires students to read more and possibly write more. I think it may have inspired me to get busy with my own writing.”
Sharing the love of reading as well as motivating students and teachers to read and write their own stories is a highlight as a school librarian. It’s one of the most rewarding jobs.
Greenup County High School’s librarian Amanda Hensley collaborated with English teacher Kyle Alvey to have author Jeff Zentner visit the school. Zentner, who resides in Nashville, Tennessee, is the author of several New York Times Notable books, including In the Wild Light. This book received recognition by the Kentucky Bluegrass Awards (KBA), which "is a program designed to encourage students to read widely from lists of current, well-reviewed literature that reflects a variety of experiences and points of view.” All the juniors at Greenup County High School read In the Wild Light. Alvey and Hensley worked together at that point to create a magical experience for students.
Hensley described Zentner’s visit, “When Mr. Zentner came to visit, we set up three student sessions that lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes each. We wanted the sessions to be intimate, but we wanted as many students to get to participate as possible. During each session, the author spoke, answered questions, and signed books. He also had lunch with a small group of students.” The day marked an unforgettable experience.
Hensley commented, “This experience was extremely valuable to students because, after reading Mr. Zentner's work, they had a connection to him. Being able to meet the creator of the work was a really memorable experience because they were able to ask questions about the story and talk one-on-one with the man whose works they had studied. Because Mr. Zentner is an Appalachian writer as well, they were able to connect that way also. Everyone enjoyed themselves and appreciated the opportunity to be able to read a brand-new YA book, then have the opportunity to hear from the author.”
Alvey shared, “This experience has been the culmination of months of preparation. It all came about from a desire to bring in a hands-on author lesson for the students. Many, if not a large majority, of our students have never met an author, especially of a book discussed in class. But we in the heart of Appalachia have a rich history of storytelling. It's important to give our students these moments of connecting with literature and those who create it in the real world. While most of what we do concerns talking about individual pages/characters/stories with students, it's even more important to give students these types of experiences. As a writer myself, I've been fortunate in the number and quality of people I've met in different writing circles. I will gladly pull any number of strings to continue our newly founded tradition of bringing well-known authors into this school after reading their work.”
Alvey and Hensley have decided to make author visits an annual event at Greenup County High School. Hensley exclaimed, “I'm looking forward to next year already. This has been nothing but a wonderful experience for our entire school!”
Thanks to the collaboration efforts of two local English teachers and local school librarians, students were given a memory of reading that will last a lifetime. We commend your efforts.