In honor of National Reading Month, Austin Road Elementary School students have been participating in exciting programs and activities designed to promote a love of reading. Sponsored by the PTO, the school’s annual One School, One Author reading program is a beloved tradition that encourages students to develop a deeper appreciation for books by exploring meaningful themes and engaging in discussions that connect with their everyday lives.
This year’s featured author is Victoria J. Coe. Students in different grade levels are reading books from her popular Fenway series: kindergartners and first graders will read “Fenway and the Bone Thieves,” second and third graders will dive into “Fenway and Hattie,” and fourth and fifth graders will explore “Fenway and Hattie in the Wild.” Thanks to the generosity of the PTO, every student will receive their own copy of the book being read in their grade.
“What makes One School, One Author such a unique and impactful experience is that the entire school comes together to read books by the same author, featuring the same characters, at the same time,” Principal Bryan Gilligan said. “The themes of friendship, respect, kindness, acceptance and perseverance resonate through all of the books, reinforcing the core values we emphasize here at Austin Road.”
To keep the excitement building, fifth grade teacher Sue Downey and STEAM teacher Trish Huestis have organized a series of creative activities and challenges. The program kicked off with a movie trailer, featuring Fenway as he explores Austin Road Elementary School. Additionally, Downey and Huestis created “Flat Fenway” bookmarks for every reader, and students have been sharing pictures of their Flat Fenways in fun locations via the school’s Padlet. They also introduced fun facts about the characters while the author graciously sent short, engaging videos discussing her writing process.
To support young readers at home, the Austin Road staff also recorded audio versions of each chapter of all three books. These recordings are available for families, allowing students to follow along as the stories are read aloud online. Families can access the audio on the school’s One School, One Author homepage at https://sites.google.com/mahopac.org/osoa2025/home.
Principal Gilligan expressed his appreciation for Downey and Huestis’ dedication to making this initiative a success.
“There’s a lot of thought and care that goes into selecting the author and books each year, not to mention planning all of the activities that support the program,” Gilligan said. “Our goal is to build a community of readers, and Sue and Trish have gone above and beyond to inspire a love of reading in our students, both at school and at home.”
