“Hello. I am ROZZUM unit 7134, but you may call me Roz.”
I love The Wild Robot by Peter Brown! The concept of a robot befriending wild animals on a deserted island and mothering a gosling seems mind-boggling at first, even for Roz. But it worked! Every year my students vote to read The Wild Robot and every year it does not disappoint. This year however, Roz and Brightbill captured the hearts of my students so much that they were moved to tears before the end of the book. By the time I knew it, I was crying with them too! (I’ve read the book countless times.)
Every day I read aloud to my classes. When I stop reading for the day, the class typically does one of two things: they collectively moan, “No!” or my favorite, “Mr. Potrzeba, read us just one more page!” Although I turn them down, I secretly love how invested they are. So, when we were nearing the end of The Wild Robot, I knew I had to be ready to show them the sequel, “The Wild Robot Escapes.” But I couldn’t find it. (A book loving student from a previous class probably has it.) I was crushed and the students could sense it.
On the last day before winter break, students brought in gifts. Their faces were lit up with excitement for what they had bought me. They were especially excited for Irene’s gift. There was a rumor going around about it! The kids must have known, because despite their own gift, they too agreed, Irene’s was THE BEST GIFT! They insisted that I open hers immediately. I listened and yes reader as you guessed it was The Wild Robot Escapes! Before I could say ‘thank you’, they voted for it to be our next read aloud.
No matter how busy we are we do three negotiable things in our classroom. 1. Every day I read to my kids. 2. They get class time to read themselves. 3. Our Class Chant. I encourage you to read to kids. Give them time to read. Know your classroom library. Know what kids like to read. Most importantly, share your love for reading. You never know what reader is waiting to emerge!
