Council Rock North Celebrates Teen Read Week

Students at Council Rock North marked Teen Read Week with a presentation by two published authors – who both just so happen to be teachers at their school.

American literature teacher Jim Kristofic and English teacher Carrie Hagen spoke with students during a special event Thursday morning that marked Teen Read Week, an American Library Association event that is celebrated nationwide.

Kristofic is the author of “” -- a memoir that explores his experience coming of age in Ganado, a Navajo reservation in Arizona.

Hagen, who has been an English teacher for Council Rock School District for the past 12 years, published her first non-fiction book, "," in August. The book chronicles a kidnapping case in Philadelphia’s Germantown section at the time of America’s centennial celebration.

Council Rock North librarian Kathleen Pagano said she was thrilled to have two published authors on hand to inspire and encourage the students. Oftentimes, adolescents read less as they get older, she said. Teen Read Week is held to spark an interest in teen readers, she added.

“There are readers out there; this is just to reach kids who have fallen off the reading wagon and hopefully spark an interest,” she said.

Hagen and Kristofic addressed students in grades nine through 12. The goal, explained both Kristofic and Hagen, was to explain how a book is crafted, where ideas come from and how the finished product is ultimately created.

“The idea is that books are made up of piles and piles of other books,” Kristofic said. “When you carry a book in your backpack, you’re actually carrying 80 books.”

Hagen, who is currently on a leave of absence to promote her new book, said she was happy to be back at the high school. “It feels like I haven’t left,” she said.

Hagen said the best advice she can give the young readers and writers is to “push through rejection – that was the hardest part of the process for me.”

In fact, both Hagen and Kristofic touched on the topic of rejection in their presentations. Kristofic actually brought a stack of rejection letters to show students and as he held them up said, “this is just some of them. I have a whole shoebox at home with more.”