Breakfast With a True Hero

This month our teacher reading group met to discuss Jason Wright's Christmas Jars, our December read, and our guest of honor was non other than the author himself! What an awesome time we had! He is such a warm, funny, down-to-earth man, and in spite of the great success and acclamation his books have brought him, he remains very humble and approachable. We sat completely mesmerized for an hour while he entertained us with real-life Christmas jar stories, inside tidbits about his books, and funny little family stories. We didn't want our time with him to end! And not to have us leave empty-handed, he brought along copies of his books to give away. Knowing we're teachers and how much we LOVE to give tests and quizzes, he turned the tables and gave us a quiz instead! The teachers answering the questions correctly received books as prizes. Afterwards, he sat and signed everyone's books. What a morning! We certainly hope he'll visit again - maybe when we read Recovering Charles. Jason Wright is welcome at J. Frank Hillyard Middle School anytime!

Do You Believe in Christmas Jars? (D-3)

I can't believe that we have finished reading Christmas Jars! I don't know about you, but I didn't want the book to end. These last few chapters have certainly been emotional - well, at least for your teacher - I'll speak for myself! I've read the book four times now, and I still get goose bumps and all choked up and teary-eyed at the end. What a great story, but more than that, what a great concept - the Christmas Jar.
Please take a few minutes and let me know your final thoughts and reactions to the book. Share with me what you liked and enjoyed about it - or what you didn't, if that's the case.
One last thing...what I want more than anything, is for you to take this story and make it a part of you. I don't mean necessarily that you have to start a Christmas Jar and find someone to give it to. I want you to simply look for ways that you can make someone else's day a little brighter, or their life a little better. Please try to make it your priority each day to pass on a little kindness to someone else. Make your life about others, not centered solely around you, and you will be a much happier person. If you can do this, I will be a very happy teacher.
Love,
Mrs. H

Freedom from Fever! (D2)

Now that the frost has gotten rid of the fever and Philadelphia is returning to normal, what will happen to Mattie? Can she and Eliza run the coffeehouse successfully? Will Mattie’s mother return?

Is There Hope for Hope? (D-1)

The reading of chapters 14 and 15 of Christmas Jars has been very emotional for us as readers, but not nearly as heartbreaking as it was for Hope. The deaths of her mother and now Adam Maxwell, as the author Jason Wright puts it, have left "two gaping holes in her soul." Even with giving her first Christmas jar away to the homeless man in the park and gaining the feeling of "blessing someone other than herself," Hope still has the unresolved issue of seeing the Maxwell family and explaining all of her lies.
How do you envision the meeting going, or do you think she will back out once again? What do you predict for Hope as we draw nearer to the conclusion of Christmas Jars?