I eagerly participated in Read Across America for the third year with another great visit to Prairie Norton Elementary School and got to read for Mrs. LaGue’s wonderful first grade class.

The pictures show the front and back of the cute  thank you card they gave me with their names and date on it.

Again, I chose to read them my favorite silly book Walter the Farting Dog by William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray, illustrated by Audrey Colman and made it through without laughing so hard that I couldn’t read. (That happens sometimes.) I told them that  I’ve lost the knack of reading and showing pictures at the same time, which amused their teacher. So I either showed the picture first or made them be patient until I read the page.  They were OK with it both ways with lots of giggles.

Mrs. LaGue said I had enough time to read another story.  I really didn’t want to leave! In honor of  Donald Driver’s recent retirement from my team, the Green Bay Packers, I chose the children’s book he wrote on following your dreams and never giving up called Quickie Makes the Team.  Last year he was reading  for Read Across America the same day I was!  The message in the book is great and one children need to have reinforced.  It’s about a little boy who wants to play football and everyone tells him he is too small.  A kind neighbor encourages him and his parents to go for it.  Football fans know how this worked out!

Walter the Farting Dog was more entertaining, though.  Maybe next year I’ll just read it and let them spend more time looking at the pictures.  Hey, it works as long as I have different children each time!  I wrote a blog last year about my experience with Prairie Norton and this same book: Having Fun Helping Read Across America Celebrate Dr. Seuss’s Birthday.

The children wanted me to read The Cat in the Hat, but I could tell that their teacher had plans for that book that she wanted to do herself.  I’m sure they loved whatever she did.

I’m looking forward to next year already.  Thank you Danielle Culbertson and the Ohio State University’s College of Arts and Science with the College of Education and Human Ecology for putting it together.