By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

Student readers at Geneseo Middle School have selected the James Ponti novel “City Spies” for the 14th annual On the Same Page Community-Wide Read.

“City Spies” is the first of a five-book series that focuses on a team of teenage spies working for M16. Sara is recruited for the team based on her hacking skills, just as the City Spies must stop a potential international disaster at a youth summit in Paris.

Volunteer sixth, seventh, and eighth grade readers select the OSP book each year.

Jeanne Brucher, Geneseo Middle School Librarian, said, “This is a student-led project. Each spring we start with about 20 books, and it takes the student readers until October to narrow to their final selection.”

Brucher expressed “thanks” to support from the Geneseo Education Foundation, Geneseo Kiwanis, and PTA; there is no cost to participate in the program. Copies of the novel will be available in various locations in the community for community members to take, read, and pass along. Copies may also be picked up at the school office.

Each year, students plan a culminating event to tie to the book. This year GMS will host an Escape Room event on Tuesday, March 12, at Geneseo Middle School, 333 East Ogden Ave. The event will start at 7 p.m. The OSP Reading Team will be designing escape rooms based on the “City Spies” characters.

Brucher said, “Anybody who thinks they have what it takes to become an international super spy is invited to bring their families and put their sleuthing skills to the test.”

For more information about the On the Same Page Program and to watch the student-produced book talk video, visit https://gcsdblogs.org/onthesamepage, or contact Mrs. Brucher, program coordinator at GMS, 309-945-0599.

LINKS:

On the Same Page Website https://gcsdblogs.org/onthesamepage

GMS 2024 Book Talk on YouTube https://youtu.be/XhD6aYGtPAs