by Dennis Dalman
Students, parents, teachers and guests enjoyed a fun fest at St. Francis Xavier School March 10 at the conclusion of the “One School One Book” program.
The program involves all students in the area’s Catholic elementary schools reading the same book during evenings with their families. The storybook is “A Boy Called Bat” by Elena K. Arnold.
It’s a story of a boy nicknamed “Bat” whose life tends to be full of unexpected surprises, including a little skunk his veterinarian mother brings home one day to be cared for until it can be given to an animal shelter. But “Bat” loves the skunk at first sight and begins to prove to his mother how it would make a perfect and well-loved at-home pet.
The book won praise from critics, one of whom called it a “sweet, thoughtful, powerful story.”
SFX Principal Heidi Schloe explained how the “One School One Book” program worked. During the weeks of the program, parents and other family members could read the book aloud to one another, or they could watch via YouTube a school-staff member reading the book to a family. Each day there would be trivia quizzes based on the book.
One of the characters in the book is a skunk. And that is why so many participants at the March 10 event were sporting outfits predominating in black-and-white.