LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Since it began 17 months ago, the Reading Roadtrip has concentrated on Kindergarten through second grade. These are critical times in kids’ lives, when reading skills are first developed, and the joy of reading can take hold.
However, the Reading Roadtrip took an exit marked “Central High School.”
Ninth grade English teacher Nicole Smith invited Craig O’Neill to come read Greek Mythology in her class. It’s a preparatory Advanced Placement class, so the students are all good readers -- perhaps the best readers the “Roadtrip” has come across.
Also, Greek Mythology? That adds to the degree of difficulty, in that it’s tough to relate the stories to kids in 2019.
Craig accepted the challenge by reading the myth of “Echo and Narcissus.”
First off, it’s the story of a young girl, Echo, who falls for Narcissus, but she gets rejected. Turns out, Narcissus is all stuck on himself.
It’s so bad that Narcissus dies, because he fails to eat after becoming entranced with his own reflection in a pool of water.
This led to a discussion of rejection -- of people who are conceited and of the rampant Narcissism (named for our hero) related to social media.
The hour went by incredibly fast and was so strong, it has us realizing that high schools need to be added to the stops of the now mythical Reading Roadtrip