LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — Students at Heir Force Community School had the opportunity to connect with a best-selling author whose work they have been studying in class.
During a virtual Zoom session, students discussed the books of Angie Thomas, a New York Times best-selling writer known for novels that explore themes of identity, family and social issues. Her works, including The Hate U Give and On the Come Up, have also been adapted into films.
School leaders say giving students direct access to authors helps deepen their understanding of literature and encourages a stronger connection to reading.
“To get kids excited about reading, get kids who have opportunities to read about experiences that relate to things in which that they deal with on a day to day basis, whether it's identity, whether it's family dynamics, whether it's peer pressure, whether it's social issues that affect them on a day to day basis,” said Willie Heggins.
As part of the lesson, students also kept journals while reading Thomas’ books, analyzing key elements of storytelling and reflecting on themes presented in the texts.
