Introduction

At least once in everyones life they are faced with a situation that puts their back against the wall. A time when the decision is made quickly and that individual hopes that their decision has been the correct call. The choice a person chooses most likely will result in changing that persons life. That is what occurred on this occasion and the journey has changed the school forever.

As a member of the School Decision Making Committee (SDMC) in 1997, I was assigned the chairmanship of the Reading Committee for the School Improvement Plan (SIP). My responsibility was to a committee to develop the reading goals and implementation used by suggestions other committee members proposed. This made perfect sense after all, I was the Librarian. Now our assignment provided by the principal was to find a way to make reading more exciting. Ideas were bouncing around at the committee meeting about different items that might increase interest. One idea really stood out but nobody at the time realized it.

A few weeks before the meeting took place, a author entered the Tijerina lives and change the school forever. Linda Lowery Keep had called and volunteered her services as an author by flying into Houston from Boulder, Colorado to conduct a author visit of three days at no cost. This was an offer the school could not refuse. Ms. Keep arrived on a Sunday and spent the first half of the week reading stories, dancing around the library and singing with the children. The students and Ms. Keep developed a wonderful relationship during their time together. Both learned a lot during the trip and both came away better people. Ms. Keep became the first author to ever visit Tijerina. The staff learned much about what was right and what was done wrong during those fateful three days.

When the reading committee convened, two fifth grade teachers Patricia Estrada and Robbie Greer brought up the idea of having more authors come and visit due to the excitement the children had shown. The committee realized that authors usually did not come for free, they needed to find out how to get these people to visit and what would be the most effective method for success. The idea had been planted and seeds of imagination were about to sprout.What was decided was to develop a program that made books come alive. Have activities throughout the year that were related to topics certain authors wrote about. To come up with competitions that are fun and exciting for children.

What do you have Carl, the principal Lulu Aguirre asked at the next SDMC meeting. She stared at me and waited for a response that might please her.

Well, the reading committee recommends that the school puts on a festival that celebrates and promotes reading, I blurted out, this we believe will make reading more fun and exciting.

Very good, she responded, keep us posted on what progress you get.

From this response the tree of knowledge was about to blossom. The wheels were in motion. The Reading Committee did not realize where this journey was going to take us, but it was to become one of the most exciting projects the school has ever been associated with.

For the past five years the school has experimented, implemented, and fine tuned The Festival of Books. Things that worked, we kept. Area that dramatically fail, were thrown out or revamped. Through those years we have come up with a program to be proud of.

What follows is not a story but more an instructional manual. The paper is to inform teachers, librarians, parents and administrators on one method to promote literacy in their community. This theory will not meet everyones needs or approval, however, it may reach many of the children that are more difficult to reach while providing more challenges to children who become bored due to their advanced reading abilities.

Do not expect miracles, these instructions worked for our institution, yours may need other formulas to succeed. That is great! Remember these are suggestions, a beginning. Expand from our ideas or start with small steps.

The Festival of Books has been an exciting adventure for us. Few if any other institution has attempted bringing in so many authors during a one week period. You may decide on spreading the visits out through the year, fantastic! Do what feels good to you. Every chapter will proceed through the steps that must be taken for this activity.

Read the manuscript and evaluate the program and attempt to implement the procedures. This could change your life as a educator, it definitely will be a program your students will never forget and is why as teachers we are in the profession, to touch a childs life.

I am not a great prophet who gives all the answers to solve educations problems. No one can come up with all those answers. These are what has have been successful for us and just suggestions. This is our baby that we wish to share, hope you come away with some inspiration to develop a program of your own. Just use the philosophy of the ice cream guru Jerry Goldblum (Ben and Jerrys) when he proclaims, If it aint fun, Why do it? A great quote for any educator, read and see how much fun you can have with a project like this.