HHS Book Club speaks at Brown Bags and Books
Janie Richey has a way of getting people to smile while she gets them to do what she wants.
She wants them to read.
There is a long list of students from Harrisburg High School who credit her with starting them on a lifetime love of reading books.
Richey has a been a fixture of the Harrisburg High School scene for many years.
Graduating from high school in 1966, she attended Southeastern Illinois College, earned a bachelor of science degree in education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and later a master's in instructional media. She started with Harrisburg Schools in 1972. She spoke Wednesday at the Harrisburg District Library's Brown Bag and Books meeting, a monthly affair that encourages citizens to come have their lunch and discuss books.
Harrisburg High School librarian Richey showed up with a group of her current students and she and they promoted a summer reading program at the summer-long free lunch program.
Last year was the first year for the student inspired summer reading program and it was popular with the young people eating at West Side Elementary. The cooks and servers confirm the popularity of the reading program. Seems the kids were quite worried that student Amy DeNeal, 18, and Nathan Butler, 15, were not coming on a day when they arrived a bit later than usual.
The summer program was DeNeal's brainchild. She located a publisher who would provide the books for the children at no cost above shipping. Local supporters stepped up and funded that expense. There are a lot more readers in Harrisburg this year as a result.
DeNeal and Butler do more than hand out freebies.
They read to the kids. They spend time with the children. They do this every Wednesday, all summer long.
The effect cannot be measured now, but will be measurable in the future when those readers take upon themselves the duties of adulthood.
Current member of the Harrisburg High School Book Club, Tyler Morgan, 15, a sophomore, said, "When I got in high school, Mrs. Richey pushed me to read and I started to read and I started to read a lot. I read about eight to 10 books a year now. She is a pretty good teacher. She is the reason I love reading now."
Amy DeNeal, 18, said, "Reading gives you a way to travel without actually traveling."
Her father, School Board President Tom DeNeal, read to her Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy when she was very young, in early elementary school,
She said that Richey has known her since third grade.
"She is so inspirational," she said. "I have probably read over 1,000 books - about 100 each year."