Fourth grader Edison is ready to reconnect with his Everybody Wins! mentor, Greg Hardy, ASAP. They met weekly last school year in Claremont, New Hampshire’s Bluff Elementary School and read more books than Edison can count. He’s pretty sure Greg is going to have to work hard to catch up to him when they start again this year, given all the books he read this summer. “I read 80 to 100 books this summer,” he said, including all the Hardy Boys books. He and his mentor Greg had already read all of Harry Potter and The Hobbit during the school year.
Clearly, Edison is a superb reader. He would read no matter what. But he really enjoys reading with Greg, because they can discuss the books, argue about them, examine them, and laugh at the good parts. Everybody Wins! Claremont school coordinator Toni Williams said they are incredible to watch. “They chatted about everything from fantasy to science to fishing; and they developed a real trust and friendship,” she said.
Mentor Greg Hardy said, “I found Everybody Wins! to be a true win-win proposition. I think I got as much out of the program as my mentee did, maybe even more. I loved reading to my own kids when they were young and this was a nice, nostalgic reminder.”
Edison’s mom, Kate, said Everybody Wins! has been a positive influence on Edison. “It gives him a connection and friendship with someone who enjoys reading as much as he does.” Having Greg as a mentor gives him “a great role model.”
They’ve had great conversations that got them into the whole Harry Potter series, she said. She added that Edison has a picture of himself with his mentor on his bedroom wall. “One-on-one is nice for Edison; I think it’s really good for him.”
“I really have a good time with Greg; he brings us books from home,” Edison said, to supplement the Everybody Wins! books at school. “I like school ok, but I’d rather sit in the school library all day and read.”
