As Fast As Words Could Fly

Fun Fact #1: Our school year ends on June 20. 

Sigh. Our 4th graders move to middle school next year, and they are chomping at the bit already. I'm telling you, they are acting like they are at a barnyard birthday party instead of school. It's exhausting.

Fun Fact #2: We eat lunch in our classrooms.

Sigh. Beside having to organize a massive clean up every single day, we are supposed to be continuing instruction while they eat - for instance, reading aloud, having them finish assignments, etc... Since they (and many of their parents, P.S.) believe that eating their lunch is just a continuation of recess, it can be a challenge, and it's much worse at this time of year. For instance, I had a sub last week and during lunch, in walked a guest speaker who was visiting our class every day that week, to find my boys in a dog pile instead of eating lunch.

So, I've been looking for ways to keep them calm and relatively quiet while they eat. Often I read aloud, but sometimes, especially recently, my voice needs to rest at lunch. Luckily, Google helped me find Storyline Online and we have been enjoying it all week.

Storyline Online is a program run by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. streams videos of celebrities reading picture books aloud. There are 56 free videos currently available and the site streams 24 hours a day.

Yesterday, we watched Dule Hill read As Fast As Words Could Fly (2013), a  story based on actual events in the life of author Pamela M. Tuck's father, who was a teenager during the Civil Rights movement in 1960's North Carolina.

Fourteen-year old Mason helps his father, a civil rights activist, by transcribing letters for him and receives a manual typewriter as a thank you gift.

Mason begins to practice and finds that he really enjoys typing. His progress as a typist continues as local activists win the right to desegregate the local high school. Mason and his two brothers will be the first African-Americans to attend the previously all-white high school. It is not an easy transition for them - the bus driver refuses to pick them up, the principal is unwelcoming, and their classmates and teachers ignore them.

Mason's typing skills earn him a job in the school library, and eventually the opportunity to represent his school at a regional typing contest.

I won't share the ending, so I hope you will either read the book or watch Dule Hill's version online. He delivers a solid, moving performance and my class was completely silent and engaged the entire time - he completely drew them into the story and rather than returning to their usual noisy state when the video ended, there were hushed comments and quiet reflection. #teacherwin

Tuck's website includes a list of discussion questions  you can use with your class, if you would like to extend their learning.

Eric Velasquez beautifully illustrates this story, as well as nearly 30 others. His realistic style lends support to the book's genre, and encourages readers to visualize the character's experiences as part of history.

You won't regret adding this lovely book to your collection. You can find it on Amazon.