Reading event gives Mundelein students chance to write their own stories

Submitted by School District 75

Author James Kennedy animatedly drew students into his stories as he engaged Mechanics Grove Elementary School students on writing basics.

Close to 40 students and their parents attended this evening reading event. Following Kennedy’s preview of writing, students in the Mundelein school were encouraged to craft their own stories. Mundelein High School students helped them develop their plots.

Third-graders Olivia Benjamin and Lizzy Allore wrote, “Once upon a time there was a pig named Ruffle and he lived on a farm. The farmer’s name was Joe and he was mean because he wanted to eat Ruffle for Christmas. So Ruffle ran away and he found a girl named Libby. But Libby is mean and not gentle to Ruffle. Her nice twin finds him and now they are BFFs living happily ever after.”

Third-grader Eileen Jarrett wrote, “…when Noah got into his hotel room and opened his suitcase … a dragon flew into the room. Noah threw a blue tin can at the dragon and the dragon turned in to his room keys … when he got into his bed, a crazy frog jumped out from under his bed and he had to sleep with the frog bouncing on him. The next day the frog was gone, but all of his clothes were flying around the room … when he exited his hotel room a monkey greeted him …”

Reading Night is an opportunity for students to see how exciting reading and writing can be, and how they can incorporate these subjects into their daily lives, said Deborah Lee, who helped coordinate the event for the Mundelein Mechanics Grove School.

This event encourages parents to share reading and writing opportunities with their children so they can continue the process at home, Lee added.

Fifth-grader Carolyn Burk’s writing resulted in her poem, “The Truth,” being published in a book of poems called “This Time Around.”

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