One School, One Book

 With the ups and downs, challenges and triumphs of this year, we wanted to create an opportunity to again bring everyone together.  With the generous support of the PTA and Educational Foundation we are excited to kick off a “One School, One Book” shared reading opportunity.  Reading a novel across an entire school provides a common and shared experience for every child and adult, sparking a community wide conversation.  Our hope is that this conversation takes place in homes, across families, and well beyond our East Prairie community.  Our aim is to further establish a culture of literacy developed in partnership between the home and school, as well as, promote a shared message of compassion, kindness, and empathy.

We will begin this collective journey next week through the novel Wishtree by Katherine Applegate.  Check out the Wishtree book trailer for an inspirational preview of what is to come.

Hardcopies of the book are available for families to borrow in the main office.  You can also check out copies from the Skokie Public Library.  In order to ensure access for everyone wanting to participate we will be sharing chapter-by-chapter read alouds featuring familiar EPS faces.  We will also be sharing each week, questions to help stimulate conversation, as well as enjoyable and engaging extension activities for the whole family.  As we wrap up the book, we’ll have a safe and socially distanced community project to help tie everything together.  Throughout, you will be able to post your thoughts, ideas, projects, and pictures to our Wishtree Padlet Wall.

“Different languages, different food, different customs.  That’s our neighborhood: wild and tangled and colorful.  Like the best kind of garden.”

- Katherine Applegate, Wishtree

We are ecstatic to share this opportunity during this moment, together.  We feel it is the right read at the right time.  Happy reading!