For all the Harry Potheads
'Harry Potter' author to read for N.O. public school students
Posted by mlorando September 12, 2007 2:05PM
Categories: Books
By Susan Larson
Book editor
Some 1,600 New Orleans students will meet author J.K. Rowling when the "Harry Potter" author visits the city next month.
The third- through 12th-graders -- 20 from each of the 80 Orleans Parish public schools, including charter schools -- will be selected to attend Rowling's reading Oct. 18 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
Rowling will read from the final book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," accept a few questions, and sign a copy for each student in attendance.
It's all part of Rowling's brief U.S. tour, which includes just two other stops. She appears at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles on Oct. 15 and at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Oct. 19.
None of her appearances is open to the public; in New York and Los Angeles, attendance was limited to 40 students from 40 different schools. At some schools in those cities, students will compete in essay contests on themes drawn from Rowling's work; in others, the drawings will be random.
And how will the New Orleans students be picked?
"We hope to tie it to some incentive based on attendance and good conduct," Recovery School District Superintendent Paul Vallas said, adding that there will be additional in-school events to build on Rowling's appearance.
In addition to the books distributed directly to readers in attendance at Rowling's appearance, Scholastic is donating 10,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" to New Orleans public school students, and 100 complete sets of the Harry Potter series to every school and public library in Orleans Parish. That's double the number of books donated to schools in New York and Los Angeles.
Although her plan to visit New Orleans was first reported months ago, the formal announcement came Wednesday in the brightly refurbished library at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School for Science & Technology.
Students giggled as school superintendents gamely donned Sorting Hats, in order to "give them the wisdom" to select the lucky attendees for Rowling's appearance here.
"This is the best I've looked in years," said Darryl Kilbert, superintendent of the New Orleans Public Schools.
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," released July 21, 2007, broke literary records with its first printing of 12 million copies; 8.3 million were sold in the first 24 hours. Fleishman tried to help the students gathered at his feet to put the superstar author's appearance here in perspective.
"At the end of the day this is about you -- learning to read so you can read anything and everything," he said. "At Scholastic we call it a life-or-death skill."
Scholastic has long supported recovery efforts along the Gulf Coast. With its Rebuilding for Learning Initiative, it has aided in rebuilding six school libraries in the region, three in New Orleans.
The decision to come to the Gulf Coast was Rowling's, Fleishman said. Kyle Good, vice president for corporate communications and media relations, said that Rowling plans a tour of the city during her brief visit.
**As much as I am not a fan of the books and movies, I think it's awesome that's she's making a special trip outside of N.Y. and L.A. I just wish the school officials would make the kids work a bit harder than their suggested "tie it to some incentive based on attendance and good conduct." How about a good old-fashioned book report? Make them earn it and discover where hard work can get you.
Posted by mlorando September 12, 2007 2:05PM
Categories: Books
By Susan Larson
Book editor
Some 1,600 New Orleans students will meet author J.K. Rowling when the "Harry Potter" author visits the city next month.
The third- through 12th-graders -- 20 from each of the 80 Orleans Parish public schools, including charter schools -- will be selected to attend Rowling's reading Oct. 18 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
Rowling will read from the final book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," accept a few questions, and sign a copy for each student in attendance.
It's all part of Rowling's brief U.S. tour, which includes just two other stops. She appears at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles on Oct. 15 and at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Oct. 19.
None of her appearances is open to the public; in New York and Los Angeles, attendance was limited to 40 students from 40 different schools. At some schools in those cities, students will compete in essay contests on themes drawn from Rowling's work; in others, the drawings will be random.
And how will the New Orleans students be picked?
"We hope to tie it to some incentive based on attendance and good conduct," Recovery School District Superintendent Paul Vallas said, adding that there will be additional in-school events to build on Rowling's appearance.
In addition to the books distributed directly to readers in attendance at Rowling's appearance, Scholastic is donating 10,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" to New Orleans public school students, and 100 complete sets of the Harry Potter series to every school and public library in Orleans Parish. That's double the number of books donated to schools in New York and Los Angeles.
Although her plan to visit New Orleans was first reported months ago, the formal announcement came Wednesday in the brightly refurbished library at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School for Science & Technology.
Students giggled as school superintendents gamely donned Sorting Hats, in order to "give them the wisdom" to select the lucky attendees for Rowling's appearance here.
"This is the best I've looked in years," said Darryl Kilbert, superintendent of the New Orleans Public Schools.
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," released July 21, 2007, broke literary records with its first printing of 12 million copies; 8.3 million were sold in the first 24 hours. Fleishman tried to help the students gathered at his feet to put the superstar author's appearance here in perspective.
"At the end of the day this is about you -- learning to read so you can read anything and everything," he said. "At Scholastic we call it a life-or-death skill."
Scholastic has long supported recovery efforts along the Gulf Coast. With its Rebuilding for Learning Initiative, it has aided in rebuilding six school libraries in the region, three in New Orleans.
The decision to come to the Gulf Coast was Rowling's, Fleishman said. Kyle Good, vice president for corporate communications and media relations, said that Rowling plans a tour of the city during her brief visit.
**As much as I am not a fan of the books and movies, I think it's awesome that's she's making a special trip outside of N.Y. and L.A. I just wish the school officials would make the kids work a bit harder than their suggested "tie it to some incentive based on attendance and good conduct." How about a good old-fashioned book report? Make them earn it and discover where hard work can get you.