FCPS Kicks Off “One School, One Book” Project

Fayette County Public Schools has launched a One School, One Book (OSOB) initiative as part of the districtwide promotion of adolescent literacy. All 13 middle schools, along with Rise STEM Academy for Girls and The Learning Center, are on board this fall. 

Crawford Middle, which had dropped daily clues since their Back-to-School Bash, unveiled their book choice Friday at a schoolwide assembly. “Same Sun Here,” co-authored by Kentucky native Silas House, is about an Indian immigrant in New York City and a Kentucky coal miner's son who became pen pals. “We truly all live under the same sun, and it’s all about belonging,” said civics teacher Sara Green. 

“The goal is to get kids excited about literacy,” Green said, noting that familiar themes of communitywide interest will help students appreciate the value of their common humanity.

Each school picked a novel centered on belonging, community, or safety. Every student, teacher, administrator, front office staffer, custodian, cafeteria worker, and bus driver gets a copy to read as FCPS aims for 100 percent participation in the vibrant learning activities. 

“We know students learn and thrive when they feel connected, so through our Stronger Connections grant, we have the ability to launch something special using the power of literacy to create shared experiences that spark conversations, strengthen community, and deepen every middle school student’s sense of belonging,” said Soraya Matthews, chief officer of Student Belonging & Success.

What Are They Reading?

• Beaumont – “Restart” by Gordon Korman
• Bryan Station – “The Unteachables” by Gordon Korman
• Crawford – “Same Sun Here” by Silas House and Neela Vaswani
• Edythe J. Hayes – “The Lions’ Run” by Sara Pennypacker
• Jessie Clark – “Fish in a Tree” by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
• Leestown – “When Stars are Scattered” by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
• Lexington – “Mascot” by Charles Waters
• Mary E. Britton – “Look Both Ways” By Jason Reynolds
• Morton – “Restart” by Gordon Korman
• Rise STEM – “The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl” by Stacy McAnulty
• SCAPA at Bluegrass – “Invisible” by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
• Southern – “Ghost” by Jason Reynolds
• Tates Creek – “The Unteachables” by Gordon Korman
• The Learning Center – “Honor Flight: Celebrating America’s Veterans” by Jeff Gottesfeld
• Winburn – “Invisible” by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

The schools planned high-energy kickoff events and invited special guests such as Mayor Linda Gorton, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, first lady Britainy Beshear, and former college basketball players. Each OSOB committee, guided by their librarian, has also mapped out how best to tackle their book in the coming month. For instance, readers might meet in small groups to discuss the themes, create a hallway display using origami paper, write an essay about the main characters, or debate the overall merits of their school’s selection. 

“We hope this experience reinforces that literacy is a shared community value, not an isolated task,” said Nikita Reed, a chief school leadership officer for middle schools. “Our students also have the opportunity to build their home libraries and our schools to create a vibrant reading culture.” 

Throughout the previous school year, the FCPS principals, assistant principals, and deans of instruction studied how the brain becomes literate. Building on that foundation and momentum from this summer’s inaugural Middle School Literacy Summit, the district organized the unifying One School, One Book initiative. 

“Many adolescents enter middle school with persistent gaps in foundational reading skills, and without intervention they fall further behind,” Reed said. “We want to continue to provide our leaders, teachers, and students with the tools and resources to be successful.”