BLUE SPRINGS, MO – Daniel Young Elementary is a small but mighty elementary school in the suburban region of Blue Springs, Missouri. Having first heard about One Book Connects US (OBC-US) through a colleague in her district, Reading Specialist Lauren Hurt loved the idea of every student, staff member, and family reading the same book in a true-blue reading experience.
“When everyone is experiencing the same story, it creates a common language and a shared reference point that sparks conversation across grade levels,” Hurt says. “It breaks down the age and role barriers, and reminds students that they are part of something larger than just their own classroom. This shared experience supports literacy while also fostering meaningful dialogue about characters and emotions. It shows students that reading is not just an academic task, but something that brings people together.”
Daniel Young Elementary was one of dozens of schools that participated in this year’s One Book Connects US program. Students and families across the country read the E. B. White classic, Charlotte’s Web, together.
Hurt launched her OBC-US program with a school-wide reveal video, allowing students and staff to feel excitement for the program from the start. The kick-off concluded with students all receiving a copy of Charlotte’s Web to reinforce that this program was not only something special, but something everyone would take part in together.
“Teachers integrated the story into daily conversations, which helped keep the momentum going in classrooms,” Hurt says. “To engage families, we provided clear communication and [many] opportunities to participate together, like our Family Involvement Night [which] connected to the book’s themes.”
The students at Daniel Young Elementary engaged with a wide-variety of activities to enrich their read of Charlotte’s Web: themed spirit days, bookmarks with quotes from the book, giveaways, raffles, and even the opportunity to try county fair food. Teachers harvested meaningful quotes from the book to display on bulletin boards around the school and to spark school-wide discussions.
Students created character and theme-based crafts (pictured below) that depicted webs, pigs, and a variety of other Charlotte’s Web elements to bring the book to life.
In the classroom, there was an emphasis on vocabulary and language by studying adjectives used to describe characters along with words to describe themselves and others.
“This led to meaningful conversations about traits, feelings, and identity,” Hurt shares. “Many classes also extended the book into writing activities with poetry inspired by the story’s themes and characters.”
Daniel Young Elementary teachers were able to stretch Charlotte’s Web into other subjects, too. Students guessed How Many Pig Bites (pink Starbursts) were in a container to incorporate a fun math activity, and enriched students with life sciences by bringing a live tarantula and a pig named Wilbur for students to meet during Family Involvement Night.
“Seeing students’ faces light up when they met ‘Wilbur’ in real life was pure joy and truly magical,” Hurt says. “It brought the book to life in a way [students] will never forget, and made the story feel real. That moment perfectly captured what OBC-US is about.”
For schools that are launching their first OBC-US – or any kind of school-wide event – Hurt advises that staff buy-in is key.
“When teachers and staff are genuinely excited about the book and the experience, that enthusiasm naturally carries over to the students and families,” Hurt says.
Hurt used a number of strategies to bolster staff buy-in, such as: emphasizing the purpose of the program, inviting teacher input, and celebrating all kinds of creative ideas to ensure everyone felt ownership of OBC-US. She also endeavored to make the school’s experience visible and joyful by establishing school-wide traditions (such as quoting Charlotte’s Web around the school, decorating common spaces, and themed spirit days) to maintain program momentum.
“Small, meaningful connections to the book are often the most impactful,” Hurt shares.
We couldn’t agree more!
According to Hurt, the impact OBC-US has had on her school community has been incredibly positive. She noticed students felt excited and connected knowing they were part of a shared experience, and that family engagement increased, as well.
“My goal was for [everyone] to be connected through a common story,” Hurt says. “I wanted reading to feel joyful and collective, not something that lives only within a school day. OBC-US helped bring us together around a shared purpose, created joyful memories for our students, and reinforced the message that reading is something that connects us all. I hope it has sparked a deeper love of reading in our students.”
As Hurt and her school look ahead at future OBC-US programs, she is most looking forward to continuing to build and strengthen the sense of connection across her school.
“OBC-US became more than a reading initiative,” Hurt says. “It became a joyful, shared experience that students, families, and staff looked forward to each day. I am excited to see how these traditions can grow year after year. I’m especially excited to see how teachers continue to innovate in finding new, creative ways to bring the book to life!”
