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Megan Tran, 15, enjoys reading, especially the “Twilight” book series.

This past week, though, she set those books to the side to concentrate on a new book, one that she is reading with her fellow students, as well as faculty staff and parents at the Academy at Smith. The school kicked off its first “One School, One Book” campaign Monday in a communitywide focus on the importance of reading. There will be daily readings and discussions from the selected book, “Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story,” and the book will be used as a basis for teaching reading, writing, comprehension and grammar.

Megan read a little about Carson in her health team class, so she is excited about learning more about the man’s struggle to become a doctor and some of the challenges he faced along the way. Megan also anticipates this reading project will be a community-builder.

“We’ll get to talk with someone we might not normally talk to because we’ll have this book in common,” she said. “I think this will bring people closer.”

Principal Patrice Faison and parent participant Rebecca Rice agreed.

“This endeavor will promote an atmosphere of oneness,” Faison said.

Rice and her husband, Kevin, plan to read the book along with their ninth-grade daughter Jessi.
“It’s something the whole community can get involved in,” Rice said. “When we’re around people we’re not normally around, it will give us something to kick off a conversation.”

School counselor Gwen Adamson was the catalyst for the reading project. She participated in Greensboro’s One City, One Book project, reading “A Lesson Before Dying” in 2002 and attended several book discussions at the library. She recalled a man noticing the book in the back seat of her car and asking her how she was enjoying it.

“A conversation ensued that might not have happened otherwise,” Adamson said. “My hope is that the Smith community will bond and feel a sense of togetherness and connection.”

She believes “Gifted Hands” was an excellent choice for the project.

“It addresses the medical profession (two thirds of our students are medical), it is high-interest reading, and it shares the many obstacles Dr. Carson overcame,” Adamson said.

Smith teacher and former nurse Sandra Blakney said she is excited about the project, “particularly because the subject is Ben Carson, one of my heroes.”

“Overall, everyone will benefit by becoming more aware of the accomplishments of an African American who was told that he was never going to make it in life,” Blakney said.

Teachers have adjusted their schedules so that students and staff will be reading the book at the same time each morning. Parents will be invited to attend some of the discussion sessions. The project will culminate with popcorn and viewing the movie about the book.

Faison said she can feel the energy building about the book project.

“We really are excited about this project, and if all goes as planned, we will definitely read another book next year, if not next semester,” she said.

Contact Jennifer Atkins Brown at 574-5582 or jennifer.brown@news-record.com.