Global Reading In-School Challenge

The Global Reading Challenge at Ridgecrest will take place on Wednesday, February 11, 2009, from 1:30PM-2:30PM either in the lunchroom or the library.

Parents and/or classrooms may attend to support the 4th and 5th graders on the five teams we have at Ridgecrest this year. The winning team will go on to represent Ridgecrest at the District Challenge from 10:30AM-11:30AM on February 26th at the Shoreline Center (room to be announced).

Global Reading Challenge Books

The list for the 2008-09 Global Reading Challenge, sponsored by the King County Library System, is now available on the KCLS GRC website. They are a mix of classics, fabulous recent books, and a few I haven't read, so I'm excited to re-read favorites and some new titles.

• Looking for Bapu by Anjali Banerji
• Room One: A Mystery or Two by Andrew Clements
• Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (pronounced "dee-CAM-ill-o" I learned last year)
• Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
• Rules by Cynthia Lord
• Silk Umbrellas by Carolyn Marsden
• Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park
• Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
• Holes by Louis Sachar
• Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree by Lauren Tarshis

Global Reading Challenge

Soon the King County Library System's Global Reading Challenge will publish their list of ten books and teams of 4th and 5th graders from Ridgecrest will read as many as possible to prepare for the school and district Challenges.

Fourth and fifth grade classrooms will be hearing more in the next week about the GRC. Any student in those grades is eligible to participate, and we want a variety of reading levels and interests. The only requirements are

• students are willing to read at least four of the ten books
• students will attend weekly team meetings on Thursday afternoons (10/16-12/4) from 3 to 4PM in the library (if you cannot attend because of other events, please talk to Ms. Freeman and we can probably work something out so you can still participate)
  

I am also looking for a parent volunteer or two who would be willing to attend the Thursday meetings and help plan our weekly program, organize the teams. If you would be willing to help us, please call or email me, or just stop by the library to talk.

Last year we had seven teams with 47 students participating. I hope we can equal that amount this year! Turn in your purple forms indicating your interest to Ms. Freeman by Oct. 1st.