By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
For the past decade, elementary students across Bowling Green have been teaming up with the community once a year to read a book together.
They have delved into the life of Humphrey the hamster, astronauts, robots, and learned who would win in combat between different species.
But this year’s book is a little closer to home. It tells the story of a family where the children notice their parents behaving strangely – and become amateur sleuths to solve the mystery.
“Everybody in kindergarten through fifth grade is getting the same book,” said Crim second grade teacher Stacey Higgins, who organizes the annual event with fifth grade teacher Michelle Thomas.
On Wednesday afternoon, teachers kicked off the annual 1BookBG event. Higgins’ class could hardly sit in their seats when they found out each of them would be taking home their own book – and not have to return it to school.
“That book is yours to keep,” Higgins said. “We want you to read it and enjoy it with your family.”
This year’s book is “Say What?” by Margaret Peterson Haddix.
In the chapter book, 6-year-old Sukie is the first to notice that her parents are not behaving normally. When she eats peas with her fingers, her mom yells, “You’ll put an eye out with that thing.”
When Sukie kicks her brother, her mom says, “Waste not, want not” and when Sukie runs in the house, her dad asks, “If your friends jumped off a bridge would you jump off a bridge, too?”
So Sukie and her older brothers decide to investigate. At first the kids suspect that their parents have been replaced by robots.
But when they discover the truth, it erupts into a kids-against-parents war. Their clever detective work leads to the conclusion that their parents are trying to trick them into being good – and they decide it’s time to give the adults a taste of their own medicine.
The book comes with an extra treat.
“You are going to get to meet her,” Higgins said to her students about the author.
The books went home with a letter from Crim Elementary Principal Scott Best.
“1BookBG aims to build a community of readers within our own school, extending across the district and Bowling Green community. Everyone – students, parents, teachers and even administrative staff – will be participating,” Best wrote. “The participation of the entire staff and community ensures that we will all reap the benefits of a shared literacy experience.”
In addition to reading a fun book, over the next four weeks students will get to meet the author, stop in at “mission stop” business partners to earn raffle tickets, compete in trivia contests, and participate in spirit days at school.
Fifteen businesses across Bowling Green have again signed up to be “mission stops” where students can earn puzzle pieces and raffle tickets to win prizes at school.
“What if Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em runs out of puzzle pieces,” one worried second grader asked. Not to fret, Higgins assured, the store will be given more.
More than 1,500 students in all of Bowling Green’s elementaries will get books through the generosity of businesses, organizations, individuals, and a grant from the BG Community Foundation.
Higgins gave her students tips on how to behave respectfully and patiently at the mission stop businesses. And the packets sent home with students included information on how those without library cards can get their own at Wood County District Public Library.
“They would love it if you check out other books when you’re there,” Higgins said.
Principal Best will ask trivia questions during announcements each morning. And the children will have an opportunity to submit their questions for the author to answer during her visit.
“Maybe one of yours will get picked,” Higgins said.
Though the book has its own lure, the potential prizes are plentiful and include books, robots, Dairy Queen gift certificates, and the chance to have breakfast or lunch with their teachers.
“There are all kinds of teachers who would love to have lunch or breakfast with you,” Higgins said.
In Thomas’ fifth grade classroom, the older students will no doubt pick up on more of the idioms and clever plot in “Say What?”
“We love the word play in this,” Thomas said.
While the older students said they were looking forward to the reading adventure, they were also excited about making mission stops and winning prizes. And one spirit day gives kids a chance to dress like adults and adults the chance to dress like kids.
“I love the book,” Thomas said. “A lot of us can relate to our parents being silly.”
