Nov. 21, 2022-- Intermediate East's Rocket Readers book club led a special holiday read aloud and craft event with the Y-Kids program at Hooper Avenue Elementary School Nov. 17.

Middle school students read Thanksgiving-themed books, led the groups in designing book-related art, and then awarded four students with a gift bag of goodies including an author-signed edition of SEL Book Excellence Awards finalist Hello Sun Moon and Stars, complete with bookmark, gratitude journal, and more.

“The elementary students were captivated and completely engaged from beginning to end," said Intermediate East teacher and Rocket Readers advisor Angela Germano. "They can’t wait for us to come back."

“This is magical,” one YMCA counselor commented during the event.

Kimberly Shapiro, Ocean County YMCA youth development coordinator, summed it up well.

“Our Y-kids program is so thankful to have the opportunity to have students from TRIE Book Club share their reading skills with our Hooper Y-kids," she said. "We are looking forward to experiencing future programs together. We are so thankful for our new friends."