World Read Aloud Day (WRAD) is an annual event where schools invite authors to read from their books and share the love of reading with students and teachers. On Wednesday, February 1, 2023, I had the pleasure of visiting two different classrooms to share my books with students across the country.
Thank you staff and students from the fifth graders at Kenosha School in Wisconsin who wanted to know my favorite poems from WISHES, DARES, AND HOW TO STAND UP TO A BULLY. 
Three classes joined in and asked me some wonderful questions about writing, how I chose the names for my characters, the setting, and why the book is in verse. Thank you Ms. Andre, Ms. Steele, and Ms. Langerman, and all your students for their interest and enthusiasm.
My second visit of the day was with the George A. Jackson Elementary School in Jerico, NY. District Media Specialist Danielle Melia and her 3RD, 4th, and 5th grade classes were excited to hear some of the poems from WISHES, DARES, AND HOW TO STAND UP TO A BULLY. Some students asked questions about the book and how I got my idea for the story.
THANK YOU to the media specialists, teachers, and students for inviting me into your classrooms and for your enthusiasm about my book. HAPPY WRAD!
Darlene Beck-Jacobson 