Reading Takes You Places Each time we read a good piece of literature, we are changed by the experience: we see

the world in a new way. For these reasons, literature can be a powerful vehicle for understanding cultures and experiences different from our own. ~E.M. Bieger In story time and library skills classes at SGS this year, students are reading literature from different countries and regions, focusing on learning about culture, social studies and geography. Students are hearing from guest speakers who have visited the country/region we are studying to share their personal experiences and allow students to ask questions. The goal is to encourage students to learn more about the world, to be exposed to cultural diversity, and to be accepting of people who are different. The idea for this year-long theme came from district librarian Amy Brownlee, who spent the month of July in Ethiopia as part of a teachers study trip funded by a Fulbright-Hays grant. While in Africa, Brownlee and 16 other American educators visited schools and libraries and learned about Ethiopian culture and society while touring the region. Brownlee has shared her Ethiopia experience with students and is using it as a springboard to bring attention to cultural diversity. I told my students that this year in the library we will be traveling around the world in our imaginations. Well read books set in different areas of the world and talk to people who have visited or lived in those places to get an idea of the diversity that is out there. The lesson I want them to learn is that although we are very different in some ways, we all have a lot of basic things in common. This fall, students have read books that take place in different African nations: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, and Namibia. They heard about and saw photos of Amy Brownlees experiences in Ethiopia, Seth Svatys trip to Kenya, and Jennifer Underwoods travels in Kenya and Uganda. Students are excited to point out the countries were learning about on a map or globe, Brownlee said. Some of them have said, Maybe someday I can visit a faraway place. Its exciting to see the kids connect with another culture. Next semester, students will focus their studies on Asia, Europe, and Central America.