Zora and Me Culminating Event

Open Book Program Participants Perform Excerpts from Zora and Me

Open Book participants from Williams Prep are all smiles as they accept the First Place Trophy for their performance based on Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon. The skit was performed during an Open Book Program Culminating Event on June 9, 2012 at Williams Prep Academy School, 2710 S. Dearborn Street in Chicago.

Open Book participants from Joplin Elementary accept their Second Place Trophy for their performance based on Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon. The skit was performed during an Open Book Program Culminating Event on June 9, 2012 at Williams Prep Academy School, 2710 S. Dearborn Street in Chicago.

Open Book participants from Schmidt Elementary accept their Third Place Trophy for their performance based on Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon. The skit was performed during an Open Book Program Culminating Event on June 9, 2012 at Williams Prep Academy School, 2710 S. Dearborn Street in Chicago

Williams Prep took home the First Place Trophy for their performance based on the book Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon during the Open Book Program Culminating Event on June 9, 2012 at Williams Prep Academy Middle School, 2710 S. Dearborn Street in Chicago. More than 200 African American inner city students, 9-14, and their teachers and parents attended the event sponsored by the Institute for Positive Living’s Open Book Program.

Joplin Elementary won the Second Place Trophy and Schmidt got the Third Place Trophy.

In attendance were Open Book participants from Mayo Elementary, 249 E. 37st Street, Scott Joplin Elementary, 7931 South Honore, Schmid Elementary School, 9755 S. Greenwood Ave., and Williams Prep Academy Middle School, 2710 S. Dearborn Street.

Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon is inspired by the early life of Zora Neale Hurston. The novel, set in Eatonville, Florida imagines Zora Neale Hurston’s life from about fourth to sixth grade. Reading the book gave Open Book participants a chance to meet and get to know the famous author Zora Neale Hurston.

The Open Book Program focuses on stimulating interest in reading quality, culturally relevant children’s literature through a variety of activities including literary circles, drama, and Internet experiences. During each program segment, participants do an in-depth study of one or two books.

Authors and author/illustrators have included Sandra Belton, Ashley Bryan, Debbi Chocolate, Sharon Flake, Jan Spivey Gilchrist, Nikki Grimes, Catherine Ingram, Jewell Parker Rhodes, M. LaVora Perry, Harriette Gillem Robinet, Charles R. Smith, Jr., Hope Anita Smith, Glennette Tilley Turner, Darwin MacBeth Walton, Walter Dean Myers, and Camille Yarbrough.

“Author interaction is a key ingredient in the success of the Open Book Program,” states founder Marrice Coverson, president of the Institute for Positive Living and executive director of Open Book. “The talk-show format gives students the opportunity to interact with one another and to experience the books through the dramatic productions that each school has prepared.” For information on the Student/Author event or the Open Book Program, contact Marrice Coverson at 773-924-9802. Information about Open Book including examples of student work can be obtained on the World Wide Web at (www.openbookprogram.org).