Andre Stark is a professional actor, producer, and director. He is also an important member of Boston BookPALS, Performing Artists for Literacy in Schools. As a BookPAL, Andre visited a second grade student named Kevin at his school in Cambridge every other week this fall to read aloud. For weeks, the two escaped through stories and laughed together about the antics of Curious George and the many whimsical characters created by author Bill Peet.
Kevin and his family lived in a homeless shelter while he attended the Amigos School. Just before Christmas, Kevin�s family was blessed; they were finally going to have a place to call home in South Boston. As exciting as the move was, Kevin was sad. He would be losing his BookPAL friend, Andre, whom he had begun to call his �big brother�.
When BookPALS Boston Coordinator, Jane Turner Michael, learned of Kevin�s disappointment in being separated from Andre, she hatched an idea to make Kevin�s move to his new school in South Boston an easier transition. Kevin�s new school is also a BookPALS school, so Jane made arrangements for Andre to make a surprise visit to read aloud to Kevin and his new classmates.
A huge grin transformed Kevin's face when he saw Andre come in to his new classroom. Kevin�s mom also came to school that day to share in the special surprise for her son. The visit was scheduled days before Martin Luther King�s birthday this January. Andre chose to honor the great civil rights leader by reading a book about his life. Andre was terrific with the kids. They were all so quiet, focused and interested in Andre�s
discussion about Martin Luther King. Right-on sharp, they asked really good questions, and shared their own amazing knowledge of the great man and his ideals. Kevin and his new classmates won't soon forget Andre�s taking time out of his busy day to read to them, to talk with them about what one man can do to change people's lives and make them better.
Kevin and his friends had another special surprise visitor that day, too. Megan Donelan joined Andre and Jane at the Condon School. Megan is a sophomore at Concord-Carlisle Regional High School. People would describe her as energetic, enthusiastic, caring, involved and the list goes on. Megan recently turned 15. As with other teenagers, you�d think she�d be excited about planning a birthday party, unwrapping gifts and sharing ice cream and cake with her many friends. But this year Megan didn�t want presents. Instead, she asked her friends to donate the money they would spend on her gifts to BookPALS. Megan asked that this money be spent to buy books �books that would be gifts for kids she didn�t even know. Through Megan�s generous birthday donation, brand new books were bought and given to Kevin and to each of his new classmates. Jane Turner Michael truly enjoyed telling the kids about Megan's gift of books. Their eyes got so big when they realized that Megan had chosen not to receive any birthday presents for herself just so she could give a gift to each one of them! WOW!! Who would do something like that! They looked at Megan with such disbelief and much respect. It was a moment not soon to be forgotten. The children gleefully tore off the bright wrapping and looked in wonder at the beautiful, new book that was now their very own. Clutching their own books, they looked at each other and smiled at the books their friends, too, were proud to be holding. It was a very special moment, indeed.
Like Martin Luther King, Andre and Megan, by example, showed Kevin and his classmates how they, too, can make a difference in people�s lives.
BookPAL Andre Stark with second grade class in South Boston.
http://www.bookpals.net/content/article.php?story=20050420211027382