This regular blog feature is celebrating readers, instead of writers, most of this month (check back on December 30 for an amazing post from Nikki Grimes)! I hope you read last week’s post about a Duke reader who inspired me to be more open-hearted and brave. This week I am inspired by amazing librarian, Jennifer Buchert, at Copeland Elementary in the Cy-Fair school district.

Instead of complaining that her students aren’t immediately drawn to historical fiction, Jennifer gets them hooked with a focus on setting. Kiddos are encouraged to use materials (like the Legos in the photo below) to build their version of some element of the setting in the books they’ve read. These charming gentlemen built Fish’s (Liberty) shotgun house in New Orleans. They even gave him a nice green front lawn!

From the looks on their faces, does it seem that these boys have no interest in historical fiction? Or do they look like kids who are going to sit up and take notice the next time their wonderful librarian book talks a novel of historical fiction?

Jennifer’s creativity has inspired me to look at my challenges — writing and personal — from a new slant. No matter obstacles are in my way, I can always imagine a way up, over or around. Thank you, Jennifer, and thank you to all the teachers and librarians who work so very hard to find ways to draw connections between kids and books!