The Taft High School of the Los Angeles Unified School District had its Passport to Reading 2008 event yesterday, Saturday. I was one of 40 writers and illustrators who participated. The concept of this event is wonderful - getting 3,000 students and parents involved in a literary event. Taft had done this event in the past; the last one they did was in 2002. Unfortunately, yesterday's event was poorly attended. Organizers talked of too many events going on that day. Indeed it seemed as if there were more authors and illustrators than students. But I will say that the students who showed up - even if it was just for extra credit - were attentive and interested and asked intelligent questions. My escort was a smart young woman, Danielle Mekahel - here shown, who talked to me about her visits to Israel.
I also was interested in meeting and talking to some of the authors, most of them writers of Young Adult material. I was able to grill them about this genre.
The organizers of the Passport to Reading event (Dr. Ogo Okoye-Johnson and Kathleen Sheppard among them) should be congratulated for their efforts in trying to instill a love for reading among their students!
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