Pictured: Seaford Manor Elementary School fourth graders, from left, Christian Kalina, Logan Basso, Kate Flemen and Emily Belfatto showed a few of this year’s selections from March Madness: A Tournament of Books.
Photo courtesy of the Seaford School District
March Madness: A Tournament of Books was back at Seaford Manor Elementary School this year, a literacy initiative styled after the popular college basketball contest.
In partnership with the Seaford Public Library’s children’s department, 16 picture books were selected. The books were paired in head-to-head matchups until it was down to eight, then four, then a final two – “The Sour Grape” by Jory John and “Dex: The Heart of a Hero” by Mark Buehner.
Each book was read aloud by a Seaford administrator, teacher, or a staff member of the public library. The videos were shared on the school website, so each class could watch and then submit a vote.
“All of the participants were very enthusiastic in their read alouds,” said fourth grade teacher Jillian Copius, who coordinated the book tournament with first grade teacher Kristen Whitman.
Ms. Copius said that different books are chosen every year so students get to hear many stories during their time at Manor. This year’s selections included a mix of fiction and nonfiction books with a variety of themes.
On April 5, the day before spring break, the winning book was revealed. This year’s Tournament of Books champion was “Dex: The Heart of a Hero,” which was read by Seaford Middle School principal Dan Smith.
Ms. Copius said that the goal of this annual tournament is to foster a love of reading and also to create a community of readers. The students connect with adults throughout the district over a shared love of books.
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