The Gals Meet Their Audience
Right after the book launch of THE MOLLYS B. in April, I hit the road to begin my school visits. I had been invited to give presentations at four elementary schools for K through 5th grade in two communities north of my hometown. (This is the sideline of becoming a published author I have been dreaming about for years.) While very excited, I was equally more than a little apprehensive. Never having actualized my dream to become a teacher, I was only marginally confident that I could stand in front of a classroom of children and have anything of merit to share with them.
Photo Credit: J Howeth
From the very beginning, I knew THE MOLLYS B. would not be an easy book to read to a group of children in the normal story-time way. Because of its format it is not like the standard “get comfy on the floor, kids in a half-circle, hold the book in such a way so everyone can see the illustrations while you twist your neck at an odd angle so you can simultaneously read the text” kind-of-experience. The dual story format is confusing in this context - the separate stories divided by only the gutter make it difficult for kids to track which story is being read as each character alternately takes the stage. Plus, the illustrations are so beautiful – humorous and whimsical - it’s easy to get lost in them. There’s a desire to look and linger.
Photo Credit: J Howeth
To solve this problem, I decided to create a slide show that displayed each page individually. Additionally, I prefaced the actual reading of the book with short lessons designed for the differing age groups (and attention spans). The younger children were challenged to think about the meaning of the word “parallel” in preparation for the book’s format while the older kids discussed varying aspects of the sinking of RMS Titanic with emphasis on the meaning of the word “irony.” It was great fun to watch them make the connection that the ship that was deemed unsinkable was, in fact, the polar opposite. Then I threw in a little theater in which the children got to vote on who their teacher would “be” – Margaret Tobin Brown or Molly Bovine. The teachers and I put on costumes (need I share with you that most classrooms voted for their teacher to don the cow ears?) and commenced reading the stories of these two remarkable females. The children had the movie-like experience of getting to see each page enlarged and were able to concentrate on which story was being told by attending to which one of us was speaking. I’m confident it was an effective solution that helped the children focus.
For me, the whole experience of my debut school visits was terrifically rewarding and terrifically humbling. (I chuckle every time I choose to use the word “terrific” considering that one of its meanings based in archaic times denotes an implication of fear or fright bordering on being disastrous. I distinctly recall that I was taught it should only be used when circumstances warranted it.) But in these modern days, the word’s primary meaning denotes greatness in size, amount, or intensity – and my favorite – it can be used to describe something as “magnificent” - and that’s how I am using it here.
Photo Credit: J Howeth
Unilaterally, the energy in the rooms was invigorating; the earnestness of their questions was remarkable; their eagerness to engage with me as a guest was heartwarming; their bright faces were delightful to observe . . . I learned so much and had a ton of fun. My experience with these children, approximately 800 of them, was terrific.
