April 21, 2004
Young authors pick ripe topic
National Cherry Festival Queen visits creators of "C is for Cherry" book
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Twenty second grade students just joined the esteemed company of published authors.
This week, students in Donna Brakel and Karen Alpers' class at Holy Angels released the alphabet book "C is for Cherry," a celebration of Traverse City.
Students each wrote a page about a relevant topic and illustrated their work for the book. The book includes one topic each starting with the letters spelled out Traverse City, Michigan. Topics range from R is for River and V is for Vineyards to S is for Ships and Y is for Year Round Sports. Each student and the teachers also wrote one sentence about why they like cherries for the work.
The resulting 32-page hardcover book is dedicated to the cherry industry for all it has done for the region.
"Traverse City grows more sour cherries than any place in the world," wrote Megan Seida. "Sour cherries are used for juicy pie and other desserts."
Students researched their topic at home and at school before writing their one-page essay. The project draws together history, art, writing and penmanship for the students and Brakel noted that it is an excellent integrated lesson for them.
"We did 'L is for Lighthouse' with last year's class and this is more specific to Traverse City," Brakel said. "When we did the lighthouse one, too, everything that I wanted to teach them was in the book."
The school's three other second grade classes are also writing their own books using the same format of two pages per child: one page for a drawing and one page for text.
"The other classes are writing about flight, Holy Angels School and quilts," Brakel noted.
Brakel's students celebrated their book on Friday afternoon with a visit from Kelly Plucinski, the 2003-2004 National Cherry Festival Cherry Queen. Relaxing in the class rocking chair, wearing her sparkling crown and queen's sash sprinkled with pins and patches from her travels, Plucinski listened as each student read the essay they wrote.
"I really like this book, I learned a lot about the Traverse City area," said Plucinski, a theater performance major at Oakland University.
Plucinski then talked to the students about her work as the Cherry Queen and answered their questions. She said that she wanted to be queen as a way to promote cherries, which are so important to the region, and then described the process by which she was chosen. She also asked the students some questions and encouraged them to participate in the festival in July.
"I love being the Cherry Queen and I'll be really sad when I have to pass it on," said Plucinski, who told the children of her travels to Texas and California in her role. "But I'll be really excited for the next girl."