I was making classroom visits at Los Angeles Elementary, about 30 minutes after the start of the October 8th reading clubs, when a visibly flustered woman approached me with a sense of mortification.
She explained that she had forgotten that the reading clubs were today and had been late to pick up her child from their house. She was afraid that it was too late to incorporate their child into the in-progress reading clubs. Behind her, stood a young, 8-year-old boy, engulfed in tears, too distraught to be able to word a sentence together.
The mom explained, "He is so sad because he thinks it's too late for him to join, I can't get him to stop crying!"
I reassured her that it was definitely not too late for her son to join in the reading festivities. I kneeled down to the sobbing boy and consoled him with the news that he would be able to join the reading club, and that I would walk him over myself to the neared 3rd grade classroom so that he wouldn't miss another second.
The boy immediately smiled and proceeded to walk with a hurried pace, eager to get to the classroom. Given that we had a special magic show scheduled to be performed post-reading clubs, out of curiosity, I asked the child if that was the reason why he was so devasted about potentially missing this month's reading clubs. He quickly replied, "What magic show?"
He continued, "I was sad because I love coming to the reading clubs because they always read really cool stories, and then I get to take a book home, and I collect all my books!"
At that moment, every ounce of effort that goes into producing the reading clubs was validated for me!
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