Read Across America a big hit

Teachers and students focused on what education should be about - the joy of reading and discovering knowledge from books - during the March 3 celebration of Read Across America. It was a welcome and festive break from the doom and gloom of what education should

not

be about - budget cutbacks that might result in the loss of quality teachers, programs and reading materials for schools throughout California.

Throughout the state, teachers and students took time to celebrate the birthday of children's author Dr. Seuss, whose use of rhyme makes his books an effective and fun tool for teaching young children the basic skills they need to be successful.

The theme of this year's Read Across America, "Read... It's a Trip," was taken literally by hundreds of youngsters in Los Angeles and Compton, who took a trip to Dodger Stadium for one of the largest event celebrations ever. They were greeted at the stadium entrance with Dr. Seuss books, large red-and-white-striped hats, and plenty of smiles. Some of the children, who were "off track" from their elementary schools, were brought to the event by Boys and Girls Club leaders. Once they donned a hat, they were allowed to enter the stadium. "You have to wear it; it's like a ticket," 7-year-old Vivian Leal told another student solemnly.

With the ballplayers at spring training in Vero Beach, celebrities of a different sort took over the field in the form of an "All-Star Read-Off." Joining CTA President Wayne Johnson and President-elect Barbara E. Kerr was an impressive lineup that included NEA National Read Across America Chairs Ming-Na from "ER" and Esai Morales from "NYPD Blue"; California Chair Dulé Hill from "The West Wing"; Dodger CEO Bob Graziano and former Dodgers Lee Lacey and Wes Parker; John O'Hurley from "Seinfeld" and "What's My Line"; Olympic gymnast Kathy Johnson Clarke and her husband, actor Brian Patrick Clarke; and Barbara Bain from the original "Mission: Impossible" television series, founder of Book Pals with the Screen Actors Guild Foundation.

Children enjoyed a lively pregame performance of "The Sneetches" by Mira Costa High School drama students. Michelle Green, author of

A Strong Right Arm

about Mamie "Peanut" Johnson's pitching career with the Negro League, threw out the "first book" with a good right arm of her own. Then it was time to "play ball" with celebrity teams reading

Green Eggs and Ham

at the podium, located behind home plate.

As the celebrity readers read in teams, students picked as "designated runners" ran the bases when the audience shouted out the last line of each verse - "I do not like them, Sam-I-am" - as loudly as possible.

Clearly, the celebrities were having as much fun as the students.

"Oh, look, two runners on third," quipped former Dodger Wes Parker. "Just like the real Dodgers."

"We haven't won a World Series in a long time, but if we win this year, we'll wear these hats," promised ex-Dodger Lee Lacey.

Along with reading their Seuss lines, the guest readers took some time to pitch the joy and importance of reading to their young audience. The message was clear: People who can read and learn usually do not strike out in the game of life.

"We could not be doing what we do for a living if we had not picked up the joy and love of reading when we were young," said Esai Morales. "It's amazing how when you learn to read, all those squiggly lines suddenly have meaning that can help you to achieve your goals."

"Reading m
akes you dream of all the things that you can be one day," said Dulé Hill, who listed careers ranging from actors who must know how to read and memorize scripts to astronauts who must know how to operate a spaceship.

Off the field, celebrity readers voiced concern about the challenges facing public schools. "There is a huge illiteracy problem in this country," said Ming-Na. "I am the mother of a 2-year-old, who was interested in books at the age of six months. It's important to read to children, and to make students motivated. I want to see them having fun reading."

"Because we don't have as high a literacy level as we should have, we have to make reading cool," said Morales. "Read Across America is a lot of fun and a good way for people like me to give back to the community."

The children came away from the event with renewed enthusiasm for the written word. "It was really fun," said Melissa Rizo, 10, a student at nearby Solano Avenue Elementary School. "You can see that they really want kids to read and that it's really important."

Designated runner Shelton Boykin, another Solano 10-year-old, said that it was one of the best days of his life. "Seriously, just being on the field where the players play and sliding on the bases they slide - that could be me some day!"

Patricia Schwarz, a fifth-grade teacher at the school and member of United Teachers Los Angeles, said her students could see that reading is meant to be fun, not work.

"I don't want my students to read just because it's assigned to them," she said. "I want them to want to read. And events like this can make that happen."