First, we’re having a GREAT time with the One School-One Book program…. Getting “thank you” notes from parents already about how it’s “forcing” some family reading time that they seemed to have lost over the years.
— Paul Marinko - Principal at St. Paul's Lutheran School - Fort Wayne, IN
Since last spring, our entire school has excitedly embraced the One School, One Book Program. We will soon begin our spring selection: A Cricket in Times Square -- the third book we've adopted since the spring of 2010!

We are so thrilled with the positive impact this program has had on our students, families, and staff
— Laurie LaRue - First Grade Teacher at Edgewood School - Bristol, CT
I think the OSOB program is brilliant. My seven year-old attends Orleans Elementary in Massachusetts and they (we) are reading Masterpiece. Since the grades levels range from one to five at this school, finding a book to suit all is difficult. My daughter can follow the big picture somewhat but we have to reinforce what we’ve read because it’s a lot to take in for her.
— Glenn Krzeminski - Parent of student at Orleans Elementary - Orleans, MA
The One District, One Book program promoted by Read To Them...is a powerful way to systemically address and promote a culture of literacy throughout the entire school system.

My school actually adopted a hamster and even used it as “pet therapy” for many of the behaviorally challenged children in our school.
— Kenny Moles of West Virginia

Suggested Activities

There are six suggested activities. Here are 3 of them:

1. Dominic’s hats - In chapter 1, Dominic packs four hats, priding himself on the “effects” they produce (dashing, rakish, solemn, martial). Later in the book, he wears some of these hats. You could do a lot with that. See what hats are in your house or classroom – and let children play around and see how many effects they can come up with. Write down the adjectives for all the different effects on the blackboard. Or come up w/ your own list of effects/adjectives and challenge children to come up w/ these effects using the various hats.

3. Dominic’s bandana – William Steig isn’t very specific about what Dominic packs in his bandana when he hies out on the road to adventure. But since nearly every kid has at least thought about running away, I’d ask kids what they’d take w/ them if they were to set out on the road to adventure.

5. Barney Swain’s banquet – William Steig describes a very imaginative feast at Barney Swain’s wedding banquet, complete w/ everything from oat fritters to honeysuckle juice. Other authors have played w/ these ideas before and kids always respond well to it. As a class, see if they can come up w/ a full menu of creative ideas, fancy animal food based on what dogs and pigs and donkeys and turtles and boars and geese and mice and goats and elephants actually eat. Challenge them to come up w/ at least one kind of food for every animal in the book.