I read aloud to my K-3 students on a weekly basis throughout most of the school year.  Throughout January and February we focused on the 2008 Monarch books.  Our school voted for Traction Man, but, as usual, the state winner was something else.  I read Traction Man aloud with my best British accent.  (The book’s author, Mini Grey, is English and the book just begs to be read that way!)  I choose to think that it was my reading that pushed it over the top in our school!

Reading the Monarchs is a team effort at our school.  This year I read 15 of the titles while the teachers read aloud the chapter and longer picture books.  Students vote at the end of February.  We stress thinking for yourself and not letting others influence your vote.  Twenty large cans (from the school cafeteria) spray painted Monarch orange (by the high school shop teacher) are used for voting each year.  One of the twenty covers is taped to each of the cans and students vote by dropping a navy bean in the can of their choice.  We have them vote one at a time while the rest of the class looks the other way for privacy.

This year the last class to vote was a first grade.  Since they are learning to group by tens, they helped total the votes.  They were excited to be the first to know our school’s winner!

There is great value to participating in a childrens’ choice award.  The exposure to great books and the lessons about voting rights and privileges are only part of the benefit.  The Monarch creates a special focus and reading community while it lasts.  And it causes students to look at books and their relationship to them critically.  It becomes important to the students.  This year one first grade girl was home sick with a high fever, but she begged to come to school because we were voting for Monarchs that day.  Her mother contacted me and begged me to include her daughter’s vote.  We did, of course!

Next year’s titles are already announced.  We could begin sharing them with students, but at our school we prefer to read them within a condensed time period to help K-3 students better focus.  We are already looking forward to next January….