The 3rd annual Bell Top Book Club officially began on Tuesday afternoon with staff revealing the title to students at a school-wide assembly. Teachers Melissa Gilligan and Tracy Cornell unfurled a poster, which was designed by art teacher Mary Kay Ostwald to look like the book cover, and announced this year’s title as “The One and Only Ivan” by Katherine Applegate.

As part of the Bell Top Book Club, every student in the school received their very own copy of the book. The entire school will read the book together, while completing related activities. There will be daily trivia and a fundraiser to benefit endangered species such as gorillas through the World Wildlife Fund.

After the students received their books, they followed along as Principal Marty Mahar read the first 10 pages aloud.

“In true Bell Top fashion, all staff have jumped on board and gone above and beyond to help foster the love of reading for our students,” said Mr. Mahar.

Thank you to the Bell Top PTO for once again supporting this program.

Parents can follow along by liking the BT Book Club Facebook page.

About the Book
“The One and Only Ivan” won the 2013 Newbery Medal and is a #1 New York Times bestseller. It tells the story of a gorilla that has spent 27 years in captivity at a shopping mall. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from the wild, he is forced to see their home through new eyes.

Mr. Mahar reads from “The One and Only Ivan” at the Bell Top Book Club’s first meeting pic.twitter.com/ZSMYc6wxNT

— East Greenbush CSD (@EGreenbushCSD) January 19, 2017