Northfield third-graders showcase hardcover books at Nordonia Hills City school board meeting

At the Feb. 17 meeting of the Nordonia Hills City School Board, Northfield third-graders presented hardcover books they authored and illustrated as part of a months-long writing project.

Callie Butler, the district's gifted intervention specialist at Northfield, told the board the students spent months developing characters and plots and working through the full writing process. "My favorite part was our author Share Day," Butler said, describing a parent event where each student read a portion of their work.

Four students read short excerpts and described their inspirations. "My name is Luke Fasiana. I have made a book called Chacon to the Moon," one student said. Another, Easton Thomas Rumbel, summarized his book and explained that the typing portion was his favorite because "that's basically all writing except that we typed it instead." Other students shared stories about bullying, peanut factories and imaginative plots.

Board members and attendees applauded the young authors. The superintendent noted that parents would be able to view the books after the meeting and thanked the teachers and volunteers who supported the project.

The presentation was part of the meeting's communications segment; the board moved on to reports afterward.