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| At Bassett High School |
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Sunday, April 20, 2008
By KIM BARTO - Bulletin Staff Writer
After studying a book in English class, ninth-graders at Bassett High School had a chance to pick the author’s brain recently.
Mary Compson’s class had a conference call with Kevin Cropp, author of “The Time Keeper,” a novel about a teenage boy’s tumultuous relationship with his dying mother.
The class has been corresponding with Cropp via e-mails, but talking with him directly was even better, Compson said.
“They were so excited,” she said of her students. “They had a lot of questions that were generated by his story, especially when they found out it was based on real events.”
Students took turns asking about Cropp’s life and inspirations for the book.
“How many books have you published?” asked Johnny Priddy, 15.
Cropp said this is his first. “It’s not that easy to finish a book and not that easy to get one published,” he added.
“When you were young, did you want to be a writer or a baseball player?” asked Justin James, 15.
And Nanniah Whittle, 14, saw the author’s jacket photo and wanted to know: “Do you still have long hair?”
After the call, 15-year-old Michael Biggs said, “I feel I can understand the book a lot better now that I know more about the author.”
Compson chose “The Time Keeper” for her class because she was looking for something that would speak to teenagers. Many of her students could relate to the story, she said, having faced loss and conflicted family relationships.
An anonymous donor gave $500 to buy the books in December through www.donorschoose.org, where teachers can request funding for educational needs and donors can pick a project to support.
Corresponding with an author is a new experience for Compson’s class, but it’s been such a success that Compson says she plans to do it again.
“A lot of ninth-graders think the world of reading doesn’t apply to their lives,” she said. “Making this connection with the author changed that for a lot of them.”
Cropp encouraged the students to keep reading as much as possible.
“Nothing can replace reading,” he said during the conference call. “When you read, you have to make the images come alive in your mind. There’s no room for imagination when you watch TV.”
Students said the book helped them realize how important it is to appreciate loved ones.
Michelle Church, 15, said she took away the following lesson: “Always be respectful of your family and friends.”
“Don’t take people for granted,” added Josh Hodges, 16.
“You never know — they could be gone in a flash,” said Nanniah. |
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