Superintendent and Mayor announce Citywide Book Club book selections for 2006-07

Superintendent and Mayor announce Citywide Book Club book selections for 2006-07
12/4/2006 3:58 PM

Saint Paul, Minn. — Saint Paul Public Schools Superintendent Meria Carstarphen and Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman announced their choices for the Citywide Book Club today. For adults and secondary students, they chose “The Things They Carried,” a collection of 22 interrelated, short fictional episodes about Vietnam by Tim O’Brien, a Minnesota native.

In addition, they are recommending six other books by Minnesota authors for younger students—“The Birchbark House” by Louise Erdrich and the following picture books:
“On the Day You Were Born,” by Debra Frasier,
“The Best Pet of All,” by David LaRochelle,
“Children of Vietnam,” by Marybeth Lorbiecki,
“If You Want to See a Caribou,” by Phyllis Root, and
“Song of the Water Boatman,” by Joyce Sidman.

“The idea this year that the Saint Paul Reads Citywide Book Clubs rallied around was our school district’s 150th anniversary,” Dr. Carstarphen said, “so the book selection committee chose as its theme Minnesota authors.”

Joining the mayor and superintendent for the unveiling of the book covers at Common Good Books were book store owner Garrison Keillor, Saint Paul Public Library Director Melanie Huggins, Saint Paul literacy advocates, and six of the authors of this year’s books choices. Tim O’Brien was unable to attend.

“Modelling reading to kids is so important,” Dr. Carstarphen said, “and it is something that any of us can do at anytime, anywhere. If you take one thing away with you today from this auspicious event, I hope that it is a commitment to read to a child, or have a child read to you.”

A central goal of Saint Paul Reads is to help students improve their reading skills. Research shows that reading improves a student’s comprehension, grammar and vocabulary skills. This in turn improves a student’s capacity to learn in all areas.

The first book club selection, “Profiles in Courage” by John F. Kennedy, was made in 2001. Each year since, the superintendent has been joined by Saint Paul’s mayor in selecting a book, or books for different ages, in an effort to promote citywide literacy.

Saint Paul Reads Citywide Book Club partners include Saint Paul Public Schools, the City of Saint Paul, Saint Public Library, The Friends of the Library, The Pioneer Press, Support Our Schools, The Red Balloon Bookshop and the City & County Credit Union.

For more information about Saint Paul Reads, visit www.saintpaulreads.org.