Author: margyburnsknight

 

In addition to my work as an author I am  Winthrop’s Play Outside Coordinator tps://www.facebook.com/WinthropPlaysOutside/   and The Winthrop Schools  Service Learning Coordinator.http://www.winthropschools.org.

As the Service Learning Coordinator I have dreamed and often talked about  how the Winthrop Schools  might  co- host a community read with our fabulous public library.http://www.baileylibrary.org.  All I needed was a book and an author. Last December I read Cynthia Lord’s A Handful of Stars http://www.cynthialord.com/ and knew I found the book!   I lent my copy to a 6th grade teacher who read the book to her class and she told me the students wanted to make blueberry enchiladas  and paint bee houses.I knew I had a book and activities, now all I needed was the author!

2016 is the 100 birthday of the Bailey Library so I pitched the idea in mid- winter to  the library director, Richard Fortin, as a community read to celebrate 100 years of reading. As soon as Cynthia Lord confirmed her  June 21st visit to Winthrop I  started handing out the book and by June, thanks to many teachers and librarians , grades 2-8 had listened to some or all of the story . I delivered seven copies to Adult Education and twelve to the high school for their book club. Many , many  adults  checked the book out too!

Before Cynthia’s visit  we had four intergenerational events at the library.  Deb Barnett from the Eat Well  Program showed us how to make  yummy blueberry enchiladas https://extension.umaine.edu/food-health/eat-well/. Marilyn Meyerhans, the owner of Lakeside Orchard  ,http://www.lakesideorchards.com talked about the role of migrant workers in Maine and at her orchards.

Middle School students and the public decorated bee houses and we had a lively community discussion about the book. Cynthia’s wonderful , informative talk about how and why she wrote her story  was a perfect way to end our community read. I was thrilled to be involved in this celebration of reading.http://www.centralmaine.com/2016/05/26/winthrop-library-plans-community-read/

 

 WMS teacher Chris McEwan and Cynthia Lord

Karen Toothaker  and Cynthia Lord