(Above) Super Penguin author Rob Witzel answers questions from contest winning South View students.
Some excited students welcomed local author Rob Witzel to South View Upper Elementary School Thursday (Jan 26th) afternoon. It all began when District 118 Director of Curriculum MaryEllen Bunton contacted South View principal Robin Fluno, and asked if the school would like copies of Witzel’s super hero based book, Super Penguin. When the book was received excitedly, a decision came to have interested 5th and 6th graders write either a review of the book, or an alternate ending of the book.
As Principal Robin Fluno explains, the excitement of the students, and those who won, was great to see.
AUDIO: They asked every day, “When is he going to choose the winners?” And so they were very thrilled when they chose the winners, and this day finally came. Maybe one day one of them will now write a book, and it will come back into the schools; and they will make other kids feel the way that they do.
Librarian Kayla Butler said seeing enthusiasm about books is always encouraging.
AUDIO: I’m super glad that they were excited to write, and excited to read it. So, it makes me feel like I’m doing my job right.
For Rob Witzel himself, he could see a little of himself in the contest winners he selected.
AUDIO: It’s were encouraging. You know I was their age once, and loved to write. This was kind of cool to see these guys early on, and know their bright future’s in front of them.
And the winning South View students let us know what one of their favorite books is.
AUDIO: SUPER PENGUIN !!
The winners who wrote book reviews were sixth graders Freedom Hawthorne Luther, Lariah Medina, and Jose Juarez Ramos. The winners who wrote alternate endings were fifth graders Elliana Torres, Aaliyah Smith, and Alayna Ali; and sixth graders Desmond Lam, and Gabriela Serna Ramsey.
