Huskies HEART Reading!

This year's theme, "Huskies HEART Reading!," celebrates the joy that comes from connecting across all cultures, languages, and identities as a community of readers. Hosmer Literacy Week 2025 is sure to be a huge success!

This year we have having a Book Swap! We are currently seeking donations of gently used children's books to be used for several Literacy Week events. These can be delivered to the main office (Attn: Room 300) or sent to school with your child to be collected by our literacy coach. Thank you in advance for your support!

6:00-6:15pm: Literacy Night Launch with Ms. Moulton & the Husky (Amphitheater)

6:15-7:30pm: Literacy Activities

• Bingo for Books & Watertown Public Library Station (Cafeteria)
• Literacy Games/"Grab & Go" (Room 118)
• Read Alouds: English (Room 119) & Multilingual Texts (Room 121)
• Escape Room: "Escape the Library" (Room 120)
• Bookmark/Book Spine Creation (Room 123)
• Book Swap (Room 124)
• Husky Photo Booth (Amphitheater)

Mystery readers are a vital part of our Literacy Week festivities! If you are interested in becoming a mystery reader for a classroom that is not your child's homeroom, please reach out to our literacy coach, Mia Mulvey (mia.mulvey@watertown.k12.ma.us). She will work with you to coordinate a time for your visit. Mystery readers are welcome to share a favorite book or we are happy to provide one for you. Teachers will also be in touch with opportunities specific to their individual classrooms. Don't miss out on this wonderful community building opportunity!

On Wednesday, April 9th, Tracey Baptiste will join us to share about her life, the inspiration behind her bestsellers, and her process as an author. She will also spend time meeting with a small group of Hosmer students. Keep reading to learn more about this phenomenal author!

"Tracey Baptiste is a New Jersey based New York Times bestselling author, best known for The Jumbies Trilogy: The Jumbies, Rise of the Jumbies, and The Jumbie God's Revenge. The horror-tinged series draws on Caribbean folklore and mythology from Tracey’s native Trinidad and Tobago. Tracey also writes non-fiction and historical books such as African Icons: Ten People Who Shaped History and Because Claudette. Her popular novel Minecraft: The Crash debuted at #5 on the New York Times Bestseller list in July 2018. Tracey’s books have received starred reviews from School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus and have been named in best books of the year roundups for NPR, Kirkus, School Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, the New York Public Library, Brightly, We Need Diverse Books, and Bank Street.

After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in English and Comparative Literature at New York University, she fell in love with teaching, earned her Master of Arts in Education from New York University, and worked in elementary schools for several years. She finally returned to writing during her years as an editor at McGraw-Hill. Tracey now writes full-time, though she satisfies her love of teaching by doing school and library visits around the world and offering classes and mentorships on her website: www.traceybaptiste.com."