by Myrna Fields

Owen Valley Middle School Spencer

       “Oh, we couldn’t possibly host an author.  You need connections to get one to come.”

      Fortunately, this comment from a nearby school corporation couldn’t be farther from the truth. Without special connections, Owen Valley Middle School hosts an author every year. Without a doubt, visiting authors are highly successful reading motivators for our students.

      In April 2007, John Ritter, author of The Boy Who Saved Baseball, was our guest.  Preparation for his visit started early in the school year with the purchase of multiple copies of all his books.  They were prominently displayed in the media center with information about his upcoming visit. 

      As April drew closer, the entire school read The Boy Who Saved Baseball, a novel in which the fate of a 100-year-old stadium rests on the results of a single baseball game.  Many students were then inspired to engage in a service-learning activity involving preservation of historic sites in their own community. 

      On the day of the visit, the entire student body enjoyed hearing about Mr. Ritter’s life and learning about the motivation for his books.  During the day, Mr. Ritter was a guest at a Read and Feed.  This special event featured a room decorated to look like a scene from the book where students visited and felt as if they were actually part of the story.  Students also played a game designed to encourage discussion of the book.  An added treat was enjoying snacks that were mentioned in the book.

      A random drawing was the system used to select students to attend the Read and Feed. Planned autograph sessions during the day provided time for students to have their books signed by the author.

      On the following school day in  language arts classes, all students then celebrated John Ritter’s books and life.

      Throughout the year, our student-operated book shop stocked copies of John Ritter’s books and made them available for sale at a reduced price.

      John Ritter’s visit was a resounding success.  Long lines of students waited patiently for him to autograph their copies.  Watching students make a beeline for his books on our shelves was another clear indicator of how motivating the author’s presence was. Owen Valley Middle School students now see John Ritter as a friend as a well as an author who opened his life to them and invited them in.