I began working at Wheeler in the Fall of 2002. Kim Zwetchkenbaum, a parent of Drew and Abby, who were in 3rd and 4th grade, respectively (they had an older brother too, whom I didn’t teach), took me under her wing. Kim loved reading and was involved in various reading initiatives around the state. During my next year of teaching, Kim got me involved in Read Across Rhode Island (RARI), which was only in its second year. The book that year was The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. One of the events was a small gathering of the people who had been involved in the planning of the event, at Kim’s house. It was thrilling to hear the author speak in such an intimate setting. I was hooked. From then on, every year I would attend the culminating event, a breakfast with the author, held at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet, with the members of my book club.
Over the years, the focus of RARI changed. Rhode Island Center for the Book, which organizes the selection of titles and the programming around the books, began to choose books that focused on social justice issues and created events in which community members and local activists discussed how these issues are being addressed in Rhode Island. I originally wanted to find ways to get Wheeler students involved. I tried a few times but didn’t have much luck. At the kick-off event for the book, The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas, in 2018, a thought struck me - I could start with my Wheeler colleagues. That year, I organized the book discussion in collaboration with our library department, and this year will be our 5th faculty and staff book discussion. Our hopes are to bring colleagues from across the school together to discuss social justice issues, such as race, public health, or climate change, and to talk about how these issues affect us both personally and professionally. This aspect of the discussions has directly impacted Charlene Queen over the years:
“The Read Across RI book selections usually focus on and bring attention to some aspect or topic which is very much a part of our culture and daily lives whether we are aware of those issues or not. The books oftentimes offer perspectives that I may not have thought about or considered. I feel a sense of growth when I learn something new and informative about issues that face us today. I feel as though the book discussion time with colleagues is another way for us to connect as a community.”In the spring of 2020, we briefly thought about canceling that year’s discussion because so many people were feeling overwhelmed by virtual teaching. The turnout was small, but Suzanne Elliot captured the tenor of that virtual discussion beautifully. She observed;
“I particularly remember our discussion about the beautifully and powerfully written, Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore by Elizabeth Rush. This 2020 selection focused on climate change and our changing coastlines. A Zoom during the height of our Zoom fatigue, it was an energizing conversation sharing thoughts, concerns, and connections with colleagues.”
We are indebted to the Rhode Island Center for the Book, which donates books to schools and book groups to help encourage people around the state to read and discuss them. Over the last 5 years, we have distributed close to 100 copies of the selected books. Betsy Nickerson looks forward to learning about the new title each year, noting;
“I have participated in the Read Across Rhode Island book series at Wheeler for several years, and I always look forward to it because the selections are excellent and it’s a great opportunity for discussions with colleagues. Whether fiction or nonfiction, the books raise a variety of important and current issues such as racism, identity, and environmental justice, and I always find the conversations to be very valuable.”
Beginning last year, more people on campus have joined these discussions. In the spring of 2021, parents Valerie Allen and Cheryl Space reached out to the library department to lead a virtual discussion of the book Stamped by Jason Reynolds, with parents involved in the Diversity Committee. The event felt to me like a bright spot in the midst of one of the hardest years of teaching I have ever experienced. This year, I worked with Upper School Librarian Mirielle Sturmann to establish a book discussion with Upper School students. They will meet over the course of a few weeks in April to talk about The Firekeeper’s Daughter.
This year’s book, The Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley is sure to generate deep discussion. This multi-layered thriller is hard to put down. The main character, Daunis Fontaine, just finished her senior year in high school and has decided to stay in Sault Ste. Marie, MI to help care for her white maternal grandmother, who has just suffered a stroke. Daunis is also struggling with the recent death of her uncle, who died due to somewhat mysterious circumstances. Her father’s family, the Firekeepers, are members of the Sugar Island Ojibwe tribe, but because her father’s name is not on her birth certificate she is not an enrolled member. After Daunis witnesses the murder of Lily, her best friend, by Lily's meth-addicted boyfriend, Travis, she is approached by the FBI to go undercover to discover who is bringing this deadly new form of the drug into the Anishinaabeg community.
We will discuss the Firekeepers Daughter on Monday, April 11, 3:30-4:30, in the Lower School Library. For more information about Rhode Island Center for the Book and upcoming statewide events focused on this year’s title checkout their website at https://ribook.org/rari/