Families in Suffolk Elementary Schools Share Reading Adventure This November

Families across Suffolk are following the adventures of a beloved hamster this month as part of the All Suffolk Reads program. Throughout November, Suffolk students and their families in grades PreK-5 will read the children’s book The World According to Humphrey by Betty Birney.

Through the program, families read and discuss one chapter from the book each night. Schools support the program with trivia questions, prize drawings, and other fun book-related activities.

Students received their free copy of The World According to Humphrey at a launch-day event on November 1. Families also received a free parent guide, including discussion questions and read-aloud tips, along with the book. The goal is to help children build language skills and develop a love of reading by stimulating family reading and book discussion.

This marks the fifth All Suffolk Reads book over the past two-plus years. Last spring, families read School Days According to Humphrey.

The program is a part of the region-wide All District Reads program. All District Reads is a nonprofit organization that partners with schools and participating communities to encourage reading aloud in households and classrooms of all elementary school students, with special advantages for low-income students.

The organization's goal is to foster family literacy, as research shows that children raised in households with access to books have an academic edge over children raised in homes without access to books.

The program has included 56,000 students in the last three years and has added more than 100,000 books to the home libraries of participating families.

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Students receive the book The World According to Humphrey at a kick-off event for All Suffolk Reads.

Photo: Courtesy of Suffolk Public Schools

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Students receive the book The World According to Humphrey at a kick-off event for All Suffolk Reads.

Photo: Courtesy of Suffolk Public Schools

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Students receive the book The World According to Humphrey at a kick-off event for All Suffolk Reads.

Photo: Courtesy of Suffolk Public Schools

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Students receive the book The World According to Humphrey at a kick-off event for All Suffolk Reads.

Photo: Courtesy of Suffolk Public Schools

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Students receive the book The World According to Humphrey at a kick-off event for All Suffolk Reads.

Photo: Courtesy of Suffolk Public Schools

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Students receive the book The World According to Humphrey at a kick-off event for All Suffolk Reads.

Photo: Courtesy of Suffolk Public Schools

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Students receive the book The World According to Humphrey at a kick-off event for All Suffolk Reads.

Photo: Courtesy of Suffolk Public Schools

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Students receive the book The World According to Humphrey at a kick-off event for All Suffolk Reads.

Photo: Courtesy of Suffolk Public Schools

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Students receive the book The World According to Humphrey at a kick-off event for All Suffolk Reads.

Photo: Courtesy of Suffolk Public Schools

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Students receive the book The World According to Humphrey at a kick-off event for All Suffolk Reads.

Photo: Courtesy of Suffolk Public Schools

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Students receive the book The World According to Humphrey at a kick-off event for All Suffolk Reads.

Photo: Courtesy of Suffolk Public Schools

Other local schools also joined in the fun this year. Elementary students in Norfolk Public Schools, Portsmouth Public Schools, and Northampton County Public Schools also participated in district-wide reading programs this fall.

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