February 11, 2011

Today we read a great book called:

My Great-Aunt Arizona by Gloria Houston. Jessie and TJ are going to tell you about it:

From  TJ

My Great Aunt Arizona is sort of like a book about the life of a girl named Arizona. 

Arizona is exactly like Jessie. She loves to read, sing, "Square dance to the fiddler on Saturday Night", and she likes to grow flowers.She loved going to school with her brother Jim. Soon, she had read every book in the school she went to. So, she traveled to another school in a place called Wing. But, soon her mother died. So, she wasn't able to go to the school in wing because there was nobody to care for Papa and Jim. So, she stayed in Henson Creek where they lived. But then, Papa got a new wife. So, she would be able to go to a school where she could learn to be a teacher. Her Aunt Suzie offered her to stay with her and help with the chores. The work Arizona did was hard but, at night she was able to study and do the things she liked to do. She soon returned to her home. She was a teacher at last. She taught at the same school she went to as a kid. She started teaching at ANOTHER school when she married a man that built the school she was teaching at. She taught a class of 4th graders that called her "Miz Shoes". She soon had a daughter and brought her to school when she was teaching. For 57 years, she taught the 4th Graders. She also taught her brother Jim's only son. One of the things she said a lot in this book was this: "Her students would ask her "Have you been to the faraway places you always talk about?" "Only in my mind." she answered. "But some day, you will go.""

From Jessie

My Great Aunt Arizona is a book about the life of a girl  named Arizona. Arizona is just like me. She loves to read, plant flowers, sing, and "square dance to the fiddler every Saturday night". Arizona attended a one-room school with her brother Jim. At recess they played games like "William Matrimmatoe". Pretty soon she had read every book in the one-room school. So she traveled on her papa's mule to a different school in a town called Wing. One day, Arizona's mother died, so she could not go to the school in wing because there was no one to take care of her papa and Jim. So she stayed home and took care of her papa and Jim. But, she still loved to read and dream. She dreamed of the far away places she would visit one day.

One day, papa brought home another wife. Arizona could go to school now and learn to be a teacher. Her aunt Susie invited her to help at their house. Aunt Susie made Arizona work very hard, but every night she had time to study and dream of the far away places she would visit one day. Soon, she went back home and she was a teacher at last! Arizona taught in the one-room school house where she and Jim had once sat. she made new chalk boards. She had flowers growing in every window. She taught the children their letters and numbers. She told them about the far away places they would one day visit. "Have you been there?" the children would ask. "Only in my mind" She replied. "But someday you will go". Soon after that, Arizona married the carpenter who built the new Riverside School down where Henson Creek joins the river. So she became "Mrs. Hughs" and when she taught the fourth grade students they called her "Miz Shoes". And when her daughter was born she brought her to the school while she taught. Every year, Miz Shoes had a Christmas tree growing in a pot. The kids would decorate the tree with paper decorations every year and then they would plant it out in the school yard. Soon, there were so many trees that they were like guards guarding the school yard. Arizona's students had kids who were taught by her, and they had kids who were taught by her. 

Arizona died on her ninety-third birthday. She never got to go to those far away places she always dreamed about. But she travels with those she taught, and those she touched.