On Monday, students in grades 4 and 5 at Riverside Elementary School gathered together in the library for an unforgettable morning filled with laughter, poetry, storytelling, and a renewed sense of just how much reading can mean in a young person’s life. Award-winning author, traveling librarian, literacy advocate, and former Newbery Medal Selection Committee member John Schu paid a visit, and from the very first moment, the energy in the room shifted into something extraordinary.
The experience was difficult to place into a single category. It was part author visit, part celebration, part comedy show, and part deeply personal conversation about the power of books. Students arrived curious and left inspired, with the time in between filled with joy, laughter, and meaningful moments.
From the start, Schu had the room engaged. Students eagerly raised their hands, shouted out answers, read aloud alongside him, and reacted with excitement throughout the presentation. He gave away books, asked questions, shared poetry, and had the room erupting in laughter one moment and listening with quiet attention the next. The energy throughout the morning was unmistakable, and his ability to connect with students in such an interactive and authentic way helped make the visit especially memorable for everyone in attendance.
Some of the most powerful moments came when Schu spoke honestly about his own childhood, about growing up with learning challenges, and about the books and poems that helped him feel less alone during difficult times. For students in the audience who may carry their own challenges, those moments of honesty created an especially meaningful connection. Here was an accomplished, joyful, and creative adult sharing that stories had once helped him through some of life’s hardest moments. That is a message that reaches far beyond any single school visit.
The presentation itself was as immersive as it was meaningful. Students participated in dramatic read alouds, sang songs from favorite books, joined in poetry, and experienced storytelling in a way that felt active and alive. They were not simply watching an author speak. They were experiencing the joy of reading in real time and being reminded why stories matter.
Staff, too, found themselves drawn into the experience. Teachers and other members of the Riverside community were visibly moved throughout the presentation by Schu’s passion, the students’ enthusiasm, and the moments that reminded everyone in the room, regardless of age, why literature and learning matter so deeply. The visit was just as meaningful for the adults in attendance as it was for the children.
One of the morning’s most memorable moments came near the close, when Schu led students through a poem honoring the teachers, librarians, and staff who show up for them every day, the people who help make their world bigger, brighter, and more beautiful. Students rose to their feet and applauded the educators around them. It was the kind of moment that is difficult to plan and impossible to forget.
The Oneonta City School District is grateful to John Schu for sharing his time, his stories, and his genuine love of young people with the Riverside Elementary community. Students left that morning with signed books and full hearts, reminded that reading matters, creativity matters, and their own stories matter too.
GO 'JACKETS!
