Ernie Gabrielson was standing in line at the bookstore next to a little boy. As they struck up a conversation, the boy told Gabrielson how much he loved to read. The older man, an avid reader, retired teacher, principal, and coach, insisted on paying for the boy's books. Gabrielson felt such happiness from that act that he decided to continue to give books to other children--almost whenever he sees them.

He only approaches children who are with their parents, of course, and only after receiving parental permission. Gabrielson gives books to kids at bowling alleys, grocery stores, and museums. And, about three times a week he takes the bus to the local mall and hands out books--childhood classics like "Black Beauty" and "Huckleberry Finn" to contemporary bestsellers like "Harry Potter"--at the food court. And inside every book is a card that reads, "Reading is the path to everywhere! I hope this small gift is a step along that path. --Ernie Gabrielson."

Gabrielson's own love of reading was sparked by his high-school English teacher. She assigned "The Count of Monte Cristo," by Alexandre Dumas. When he went to the library and discovered it was 1,300 pages long, he balked. The teacher negotiated with him--she'd give him credit if he read 100 pages of the classic. She knew what she was doing, remembers Gabrielson, "You can't put that book down."

To read more about this generous man and his mission "to light a spark in kids," go to http://www.azstarnet.com/accent/258358areerbuilder.com/.

If you are a subscriber to Reading A-Z (www.readinga-z.com) think about having your students color a copy of their favorite book to give to a friend. Have students include a note on why they enjoyed the book and stating that they hope their friend will too. Or you could set up a pen-pal program where they send books to pen pals.

There is no better breakfast than a good “read” with my coffee. In a sea of bad-news articles, I am always happy to read some good news. And I especially love reading articles about people who make a difference, particularly when they are about teachers. It makes me proud of my years as a classroom teacher and grateful to now have the opportunity to serve members of this elite profession.

The good news? Four Tucson teachers  were recently honored for excellence for helping their students surpass achievement norms.

The Rodel Charitable Foundation spent close to a year combing through reams of achievement data for students in low-income schools to pinpoint teachers whose students showed significant academic achievement over a three-year period. They also contacted the school principals and asked which teacher they’d clone if they could. They combined all this data and came up with some outstanding finalists.

One of the finalists, Edith Corrales, teaches ELL students in a Sheltered English Immersion class as well as third-graders who are reading at a higher level. How does she reach students who struggle with English so effectively? Maybe it’s because she was once one of them. She knows what it’s like to be part of a bilingual program, and she remembers being a third-grader in the same school district where she now teaches. She could read in Spanish, but just hadn’t mastered English yet.

ELL students who are capable readers and learners in their native languages are sometimes stymied when reading in English. Letters of the alphabet sound different in English, and sometimes the alphabets are different as well. So, when Edith’s teacher asked her to read out loud from a book, the then third-grader was nervous. To Edith’s surprise, when she opened her mouth the words flowed. From that day on, says Corrales, “reading became something I enjoyed.”  It became a joy she wanted to pass on to others who were experiencing the same struggles she had as a student.

Corrales is dedicated to her students and her principal calls her one of the finest teachers he’s ever been associated with. My hat’s off to you, Edith Corrales and all the teachers like you. Thank you for instilling the joy of reading to a new generation.