Round 2 Judges: March 10 - March 20
Suzette Benson
Former Middle and High School English Teacher in Jamestown
Former Elementary Principal in Westfield
Current Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction at Erie 2 – Chautauqua – Cattaraugus BOCES
My earliest memories are of my dad reading stories to me, making up wonderful poems and creating games with vocabulary words. It is no wonder that I became an English teacher. While I no longer teach English, I am still a voracious (there’s a word for you) reader!
As a little girl, I loved poetry and fairy tales and still remember those that I memorized as a child. I have started to recite them to my grandson who is 7 months old. As a teen, I was still partial to reading and writing poetry, but I also loved mysteries, gothic horror stories and fantasy novels. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley gives me chills every time I read it. As a mom, my daughters quickly figured out that if we went to a Mall they weren’t necessarily coming home with a package unless they could get me into the book store. Consequently, they always asked to go to there and they always got a book! As a teacher, I read many genres but taught the literary classics. The authors/poets that I loved teaching the most were Chaucer, Homer, Shakespeare, Poe, Frost, Dickens, Twain and the Bronte sisters. My favorite novel is, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
These days, I just love to read anything I can in my spare time. The places I am able to visit, the people I am able to know and the history I am able to learn from books continues to amaze me. I hope to someday be an author of children’s books. For now, I am content to share my love of words and poems and stories with my grandson, Alex and I am forever grateful to my dad for sharing his love of those things with me.
Former Middle and High School English Teacher in Jamestown
Former Elementary Principal in Westfield
Current Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction at Erie 2 – Chautauqua – Cattaraugus BOCES
My earliest memories are of my dad reading stories to me, making up wonderful poems and creating games with vocabulary words. It is no wonder that I became an English teacher. While I no longer teach English, I am still a voracious (there’s a word for you) reader!
As a little girl, I loved poetry and fairy tales and still remember those that I memorized as a child. I have started to recite them to my grandson who is 7 months old. As a teen, I was still partial to reading and writing poetry, but I also loved mysteries, gothic horror stories and fantasy novels. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley gives me chills every time I read it. As a mom, my daughters quickly figured out that if we went to a Mall they weren’t necessarily coming home with a package unless they could get me into the book store. Consequently, they always asked to go to there and they always got a book! As a teacher, I read many genres but taught the literary classics. The authors/poets that I loved teaching the most were Chaucer, Homer, Shakespeare, Poe, Frost, Dickens, Twain and the Bronte sisters. My favorite novel is, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
These days, I just love to read anything I can in my spare time. The places I am able to visit, the people I am able to know and the history I am able to learn from books continues to amaze me. I hope to someday be an author of children’s books. For now, I am content to share my love of words and poems and stories with my grandson, Alex and I am forever grateful to my dad for sharing his love of those things with me.
Jennifer Borgioli, Consultant, Learner-Centered Initiatives, Ltd.
I didn’t read as a kid – I inhaled books through my eyeballs. School and town librarians quickly learned my name, face, and when to hide the newest VC Andrews novel. Yet, I was – and remain - a terrible speller and mispronounce a vast majority of the words I learn from the page the first time I say them aloud. I’m currently reading AMZING stuff around the history of education in American and how much of what we’re going through now are echoes of battles from the 1890’s. (Yes, the 1890’s). I remain an unabashed and unashamed reader of romance novels and still pull all nighters to finish the latest JD Robb novel. I’m usually about a year behind the cool kids when it comes to YA fiction and consider one the great tragedies of my life that I didn’t read the Harry Potter series until the months before the last movie came out.
I didn’t read as a kid – I inhaled books through my eyeballs. School and town librarians quickly learned my name, face, and when to hide the newest VC Andrews novel. Yet, I was – and remain - a terrible speller and mispronounce a vast majority of the words I learn from the page the first time I say them aloud. I’m currently reading AMZING stuff around the history of education in American and how much of what we’re going through now are echoes of battles from the 1890’s. (Yes, the 1890’s). I remain an unabashed and unashamed reader of romance novels and still pull all nighters to finish the latest JD Robb novel. I’m usually about a year behind the cool kids when it comes to YA fiction and consider one the great tragedies of my life that I didn’t read the Harry Potter series until the months before the last movie came out.
Kim Joslyn, Library Media Specialist
Chautauqua Lake CSD
My name is Kim Joslyn and I am the library media specialist at Chautauqua Lake. I am a K-12 librarian, which I love because I get to interact with all of the students in the building. I have always, always loved reading. I can remember being in my reading group in first grade and going to the library to get books. My mom used to beg my best friend and I to go outside and play in the summer so we would take our books and go outside to read.
I love reading YA books and my favorite books are probably post-apocalyptic and dystopia stories. I have been obsessed with wondering what would happen at the end of the world ever since I read The Stand by Stephen King. Let's hope it doesn't happen in my lifetime because the whole idea is terrifying to me!
Chautauqua Lake CSD
My name is Kim Joslyn and I am the library media specialist at Chautauqua Lake. I am a K-12 librarian, which I love because I get to interact with all of the students in the building. I have always, always loved reading. I can remember being in my reading group in first grade and going to the library to get books. My mom used to beg my best friend and I to go outside and play in the summer so we would take our books and go outside to read.
I love reading YA books and my favorite books are probably post-apocalyptic and dystopia stories. I have been obsessed with wondering what would happen at the end of the world ever since I read The Stand by Stephen King. Let's hope it doesn't happen in my lifetime because the whole idea is terrifying to me!
Karen Kondrick, Grade 6 Teacher
Ripley Central School
I was born the daughter of a poor public librarian... Luckily you can borrow books from the library for FREE! No, I really was. Growing up I loved to read nonfiction. As a young mother it was Thomas Harris & James Rollins. I could solve a murder or conspiracy plot pages before my hero. Once I was introduced to young adult literature, I have never been happy anywhere else. Dystopia is my weakness, but I will cry right along with any character. One of my jobs currently is to read books from publishers to help narrow down a ballot for the NYS Reading Association's children's choice book award, The Charlotte Award. This gives me the opportunity to read every genre, and talk, talk, talk about books. I love this Battle of the Books, so many of my old and new favorites are competing, I can't wait to see who wins.
Ripley Central School
I was born the daughter of a poor public librarian... Luckily you can borrow books from the library for FREE! No, I really was. Growing up I loved to read nonfiction. As a young mother it was Thomas Harris & James Rollins. I could solve a murder or conspiracy plot pages before my hero. Once I was introduced to young adult literature, I have never been happy anywhere else. Dystopia is my weakness, but I will cry right along with any character. One of my jobs currently is to read books from publishers to help narrow down a ballot for the NYS Reading Association's children's choice book award, The Charlotte Award. This gives me the opportunity to read every genre, and talk, talk, talk about books. I love this Battle of the Books, so many of my old and new favorites are competing, I can't wait to see who wins.
Alison N. Spacciapolli, Pine Valley Central School
English 8, 11, & 9-11 Honors
From an extremely young age I have found great pleasure in reading. My parents used to tease me that I would never know directions to and from places because I always had a book in my face in the car! I simply loved to read! It is from this passion that I chose my career path of 7-12 English Education; getting paid to read and explicate literature was my dream job, and still is! It is also from this love of reading that both of my daughters have developed a love for text as well, which deep down means the world to me. With a good book you are able to be transport anywhere, be anyone, and do anything; all important notions for today’s youth. I am thrilled that I get to share in the voyage with my students on a daily basis!
English 8, 11, & 9-11 Honors
From an extremely young age I have found great pleasure in reading. My parents used to tease me that I would never know directions to and from places because I always had a book in my face in the car! I simply loved to read! It is from this passion that I chose my career path of 7-12 English Education; getting paid to read and explicate literature was my dream job, and still is! It is also from this love of reading that both of my daughters have developed a love for text as well, which deep down means the world to me. With a good book you are able to be transport anywhere, be anyone, and do anything; all important notions for today’s youth. I am thrilled that I get to share in the voyage with my students on a daily basis!
Marcy Sweetman, Staff Development Specialist
Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES
One of my earliest memories is being told to put the book down and go outside and play! This was frequent statement in my house as I lived very close to the local library and was a frequent visitor. I consider myself a voracious reader, almost to the point of obsession. I read both fiction and non-fiction equally, quite honestly, there is not one genre I will not read.
Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES
One of my earliest memories is being told to put the book down and go outside and play! This was frequent statement in my house as I lived very close to the local library and was a frequent visitor. I consider myself a voracious reader, almost to the point of obsession. I read both fiction and non-fiction equally, quite honestly, there is not one genre I will not read.