READ IT AND SPEAK

Frontpage story by Joe McKenna

The fact that you’re reading this means at some point, somewhere, someone introduced you to the idea of reading. Could it be that sitting down and concentrating on a long line of sentences might influence you in a positive way? Well, it beats watching TV.

The One Book One Community initiative is an offshoot of the One Book One City project that began in Washington State, USA in 1998 as the ‘If All of Seattle Read the Same Book’ project. Started by author and librarian Nancy Pearl in an attempt to promote literacy and encourage community, the idea has continued to spread across the world.

The concept is simple. Everyone reads the same book over the course of the same period of time and is encouraged to discuss it and exchange opinions and viewpoints.

Home School Community Liaison at St Patrick’s Boys National School in Ringsend, Helen Sherry, recently started a community-based initiative based on Nancy Pearl’s original model and opened the programme at St Andrew’s Resource Centre on Pearse Street.

Children and adults in the community were encouraged to read ‘Across The Divide’ by Irish author Brian Gallagher. The book focuses on the relationship between Liam and Nora, two children from opposite sides of the class divide and is set against the backdrop of the 1913 lockouts in Dublin. Helen spoke with NewsFour about the project.

“This is the first time we’ve done it in this area but most Home School Liaisons are doing it every year or every other year in some areas. The choice of book has been great because there’s so much local history and music in it. The area features quite heavily in the book, so it really helps that people can connect with their own area in that way.

“We plan activities around the book and the children learn about the time period in school. The idea is that it generates a buzz around the book and around the area because everyone is talking about it. So it’s not just in school they hear and talk about the book, it’s everywhere and hopefully it encourages them to read more through their life.”

Above: Author Brian Gallagher launching the event.