The Last Kids on Earth

It is so fun to watch kids get really excited about and engaged in a learning activity.  Last week, our librarian, Ms. Jen Johnson, was given about 30 minutes to be with our combined 5th grade class.

First, she gained their attention with a personal story about her brother preparing for the imminent threat of Hurricane Irma, activating their minds for what a person might face in a crisis.  Then, she prompted them to think about what important things might need to be addressed in the event of a flu epidemic.  Finally came the irresistible part: what would happen if there was a zombie apocalypse?!

Ms. Johnson explained this idea is the theme of a series of graphic novels by Douglas Holgate and Max Brallier written at the intermediate reading level, called The Last Kids on Earth  (http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/LKE/the-last-kids-on-earth).  The publisher describes it as "Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets The Walking Dead."  As you can imagine, the 5th graders were hooked.

They worked in small groups to devise what they would need/do in such a situation, and I've captured two work samples as evidence of their efforts.  The teachers and librarians have been glad to see their enthusiasm for the activity...and that these books are now flying off the library shelf and have a wait list to borrow.

If only reading could always be this exciting?  How can we get ourselves interested in something to read and make a habit of passing that on to our kids?