SUSAN LOESCH

Today in houses of worship all over the country animals joined their owners as the day’s services recognized St. Francis by holding a Blessing of the Animals. For the occasion, we had a beautiful fall Sunday, two pet carriers, two harnesses and leashes, two bandanas and…ONE cat!

My plan was for Barney and Shadow to go with me to Little Rock’s Unitarian Universalist Church where the congregation was making this day a benefit for FuRR (Feline Rescue and Rehome) and the Humane Society of Pulaski County.

I guess Barney had other plans for the day; he was nowhere to be found, even when I offered cat treats and opened a can of Fancy Feast as a bribe for his appearance.

Maybe I misread the contract for his job as FuRR PR Ambassador. Could it have said, “Will not work two Sundays in a row?”

Shadow, on the other hand, was raring to go! When we arrived, we were met by many dogs, some other cats and a great chicken named Lucy who had come with her family.

Another FuRR volunteer brought 3 wonderfully adoptable felines, Markham, an adult who knows no stranger and is always ready to play, and black kittens, Google and Blackberry, who think there is nothing in life BUT play!

Before the service started, we got to hear about two FuRR-adopted kitties, Flora and Bailey, from their forever families. Such lucky cats!

We met the Rev. Bob Klein and others in the church who welcomed us and made us feel at home.

A procession of animals and their owners began a service which included each animal’s introduction and a little about them.

Pretty Flower, a 16-yr.-old black-and-white kitty has been to the church’s Blessing of the Animals for all 5 years it has been held.

There were both cats and kittens there, and meeting them didn’t get a single hiss out of Shadow! I think he thought it was just one big party all for him.

There was a slide show playing during the service which included photos of cherished pets who have died, and it touched my heart to see Big Footsie, Alex, and, sadly, our first Library Cat, Piper, who died of cancer only a week ago.

As people spoke about their animal friends, a candle was lit on the red-covered altar in remembrance of each.

Shadow was totally in his element! The dogs’ intermittent barking and the chicken’s clucking didn’t bother him a bit.

HIS attention was on the children, as one after another came up to pet him and talk to him.

“What is his name?” “How old is he?” “Why is he so calm?” “Can I pet him?”

Hanging out with kids: now that is something Shadow understands and loves.

I think he has missed this since he hasn’t been able to go to school with me.

What a joyous celebration of our animal companions and all animals and the ways they bless us!

The service was closed with Rev. Klein’s, “Meow. Woof. Amen.”

Amen, indeed!

SUSAN LOESCH

As our fall semester gets underway I thought it might be fun to tell you how our Library Cat Program got its start. To do that you have to meet Piper, a bobtail orange tabby who has just had his 10th birthday.

Piper came into my life in September, 2000, when he was just 5 weeks old. He had been
found in a drainpipe at a big grocery store; someone heard him crying. He was rescued by Care for Animals, and they asked me to foster him.

Oh, my goodness, did I fall in love with him! The first thing this little ball of fluff did was cuddle up under my chin and nurse on my neck. To this day he still does that, especially when he is nervous.

He began coming to school with me and seemed to enjoy it.

We began to connect our Library Cat Program with the new Accelerated Reader program. Our first “prize books” were called Piper‟s Picks.

Everyone loved to feed Piper chicken, his favorite food, especially baby food chicken.

He enjoyed his first Halloween with the students and at Christmas had his picture taken with Santa for the first time.

He had his favorite kids, most of whom have now graduated from high school. One of
his favorites was Harry, who earned the very first AR reading poster. He posed with
Piper for a sign that said, “Piper and Harry say, ‘Reading is Happy!’ ”

He also accompanied Jasmine to the Art Room where they posed as living models for a drawing class.

In the late spring of 2001, Big Footsie came into our lives, and it was obvious that he had all the traits of a great library cat. In the fall of 2001, both Footsie and Piper came to school, and Piper showed Footsie the ropes. He got the hang of eating treats — and plants
— really fast.

Piper and Footsie led our elementary kids to a fun “Rally Round the Sign” when our
school sign said “Home of Piper and Big Footsie, Only Library Cats In Arkansas.” We all
hiked down to the sign and took lots of pictures.

Not long into the year we had a huge first birthday party for Piper in the library. He had such a good time, but already Footsie was showing signs of taking over. … He opened a
huge bag of cat food which had been a gift to Piper and began to eat it!

As time went by, Piper let us know that he was more of a homebody than a working cat.

The job he really wanted was greeting me when I got home from school and washing my face as he purred a welcome.

Footsie, on the other hand, was more career-oriented, so he moved into the Head Library Cat position, and Piper became our Head Library Cat Emeritus.

Our kids still know Piper and ask for him to visit, so he comes a few times a year. He is always there for our Library Cat Christmas, a whole school party which all the library cat
staff attends.

Piper usually spends that day curled up in my office bathroom sink! He receives visitors there, and everyone knows where to go to see him.

At the end of the party day, most of the library cats are tired and sleepy, but not Piper. He has rested all day and is ready to play when he gets home!

Now Piper spends his days snoozing, hanging out with his buddies and greeting me every
afternoon with heartwarming enthusiasm. He continues to be my “soul-mate kitty.”

Piper wasn’t our Head Library Cat for very long, but he laid the foundation for the whole program. And what a great job he did!

SUSAN LOESCH

Can you believe it is almost time for school to start? That means it’s time for a back-to-school visit to the doctor for the School for the Blind Library Cat staff, which requires making a trip to Pinnacle Valley Animal Hospital to see their vet, Dr. Cole Bierbaum.

Wouldn’t you know that we would end up picking the hottest week of the year for our trip — or rather trips. Getting all these guys checked out is way too much for one visit, so we did it Noah’s Ark style — two-by-two. Barney and Tank went the first day and Shadow and Hexie the second.

Dress was casual — it was way too hot for bandanas, and only Shadow and Tank wore collars. We seem to have had an epidemic of lost-collar-disease this summer, but that is a whole ‘nother story.

When we arrived, Ms. Lauren led Tank and Barney into “Big Footsie’s Room,” officially known as Exam Room 3. It got the Big Footsie designation over the 6-month period when Foots and I had a standing 4 p.m. Friday appointment for a blood-pressure check after his heart disease was diagnosed.

We almost always were in this room, and there are pictures of him displayed there. I always feel at home there and feel Footsie’s presence.

Tank needed a little reassurance, and Ms.Lauren was quick to pet him and make him feel comfortable. In exchange for the attention, she ended up with a fur coat of her own; when Tank gets nervous he sheds.

And I mean he REALLY sheds. Barney, however, was his usual laid-back self and just chilled on the exam table waiting for Dr. Cole to come in.

Dr. Cole did surgery on Tank’s eyes last fall when he was rescued from a feral colony where he was
coming to eat. His eyes were closed and so infected that we thought he might be blind.

A little surgery fixed him up, and other than having to wear an Elizabethan collar, or cone, to make sure he couldn’t reach up and scratch at his stitches, it was all smooth sailing.

Today his eyes were pronounced perfect, and Dr. Cole listened to his chest and gave him a shot for his cough.

Barney had his persistent skin issues checked out and was told to keep up the good work; he is healing nicely.

It was good news all around, and after the exam Dr. Cole lifted Tank up to see Big Footsie’s picture. I am not sure Tank appreciated that he was looking at a real icon of the cat world.

On the way out, we picked up two kitties for Feline Rescue and Rehome (FuRR). Dr. Cole is also our FuRR vet, and he had altered two kitties for us. Ms. Kristi held pretty black Trashbag up to tell her goodbye.

She got her unusual name because the family caring for her thought they were seeing a black trash bag blowing across their yard when they first saw her. Both she and Howey, who came from life on the streets of downtown Little Rock, will have much better lives now.

Barney and Tank must have told Shadow and Hexie all about their adventure because neither of them was visible when it was nearly time to leave the next day. They finally made an appearance with barely enough time to make our appointment.

When we arrived, Hexie went exploring and met the front desk staff. There is always a canine visitor or two behind the desk, and she met them, too. Luckily, Ms. Laura was able to keep the doggies from getting too close a look! I think they were more interested in Hexie than she was in them.

Back we went to “Big Footsie’s Room.” Shadow got lots of pets from Ms. Laura and then took his usual 3 seconds to feel completely at home. He jumped on the counters, found a package of treats, climbed through the leaves of a big plant and found Big Footsie’s pictures on his own.

Shadow got some blood drawn for tests and didn’t protest at all. As he stretched out on the exam table to help with Hexie’s exam, I mentioned that. Big Footsie always hit the door with a growl and a hiss.

Even mild-mannered Alex picked up where Footsie left off; just to take a look in his mouth we had to roll him up in a towel, into a “kitty burrito,” or risk his drawing blood as he refused the exam.

“These guys are a lot better behaved than Footsie and Alex, aren’t they?” I commented.

Dr. Cole laughed and said he didn’t know if he would be able to deal with that! Up until this point it seems to have been a library cat requirement to turn into a lion at the vet’s office.

Before having her exam, Hexie slipped into the adjoining exam room to say a kitty hello to Bunny, a
beautiful long-haired white kitty who was adopted from FuRR years ago by Ms. Susan. Bunny was
spending time at the clinic being treated for renal disease, and his mom had come to visit.

Bunny and Hexie came into the FuRR program at about the same time, and they actually knew each other way back when.

Bunny is fun to pet and hug; it is like squeezing a big white cloud. We hope he feels better fast and is soon back at home.

Hexie’s exam centered on issues she has with her enucleated eye, and Dr. Cole changed her medication slightly.

She lost an eye to infection when she was little. Hexie was such a good patient and should soon be fine.

On the way back to the waiting room, I introduced Shadow to Ms. Libby who knew Big Footsie well.

“Hi, Shadow,” she said. “You have some big footsies to fill, don’t you.”

Shadow donned his harness so that he could safely explore the waiting room. He found the scale and checked his weight: 10.4 pounds. He looked at all the collars, toys and treats for sale and
then settled down in a bin with the sign, “All Natural Dog Cookies $ .50.”

He would have been perfectly happy staying there a while watching all the activity but we had to leave. Shadow was not at all happy being put back into his carrier, but I did get him a package of treats.

So now the Library Cat staff is all ready for school to start. And me? Not so much! Summer vacation has passed all too quickly.

If you would like to know more about Pinnacle Valley Animal Hospital, check out their web site at
http://www.pinnaclevalleyanimalhospital.com.

You can meet Dr. Bierbaum, Dr. Laura Mehaffy and all the staff members there, and as Barney, Tank, Shadow and Hexie will tell you, they are all great!

SUSAN LOESCH

“C’mon, guys, let’s go,” I called out. “Barney, Shadow, Hexie, Tank, it’s time for a field trip!”

Silence. Guess they thought if I couldn’t find them they wouldn’t have to go. “OK, guys, the adventurer of the week will be … all four of you.”

Still no takers. Eventually, though, everyone but Shadow was wearing a bandana and waiting fairly patiently in a carrier.

I went from one end of the house to the other, looking in all the typical hide-from-mom spots. Then I saw it. There was a lump in the curtain, and as I lifted the edge to take a peek, there was Shadow.

He came with me willingly; I don’t think he was really hiding, just making me work for the honor of his presence.

Off we went to the July Feline Rescue and Rehome spay-neuter clinic, a low-cost clinic FuRR holds every month. We did have a serious purpose: For all the library cats to get their rabies vaccinations updated.

I had been a bit sad this week; it was the first anniversary of Big Footsie’s death.

I remember the July clinic last year, filled with hugs and tears. Footsie was a big part of the FuRR family and his loss hit everyone. Today when I walked into the clinic, I was met with a picture of Footsie on a sign that said “Big Footsie Celebration Ribbons,” purple ribbons decorated with a paw print sticker, for everyone to wear, as well as many people sporting their Big Footsie t-shirts.

Celebration. What a wonderful word to use on this day!

First out of the carrier was Tank, who had a reunion with one of his rescuers. She hadn’t seen him since last winter when he was pulled from a feral colony where he was eating, with eyes infected and closing.

This time, he was fat and handsome, a whole new cat.

In addition to his vaccination, he received, as did all the cats, an exam by our technicians. “Tank, your ears look just great,” one told him.

Next came little Hexie. Into the arms of her former foster mom she went; they were happy to see each other again. “Are you enjoying your job at the library, Hexie,” her foster mom asked? “Oh, you aren’t sure yet?”

I think she enjoys her job, but she wasn’t at all sure about enjoying the clinic. And sure enough, she soon had reason to be unsure. Going by “ladies first,” Hexie was the first to be vaccinated by our FuRR vet, Dr. Cole Bierbaum.

“Hexie, is that SKULLS on your bandana?” someone commented.

I explained that I couldn’t find her girly pink one, so we went with Alex’s bad to the bone bandana. You couldn’t get much further from Hexie’s personality, nor Alex’s.

Barney came out a little hesitantly. After being held and admired by several people, he came back to my arms where he relaxed and posed like the proud handsome fella he is.

After a look-see by Dr. Cole, Barney was given a shot for skin allergies in addition to rabies. TWO shots? Poor Barney. He looked at me like he thought both shots were all my fault. I am definitely going to have to come up with extra treats for the Barn when we get home.

“Barney, I read all about you on the blog,” someone told him.

“Hey, Barn, you are famous,” I whispered to him.

And then out came Shadow. All decked out in Footsie’s Harley-Davidson bandana, Mr. Shadow made himself perfectly at home, wandering around the intake room, checking out the Footsie ribbons and peeking with interest at the hustle and bustle in the clinic area.

“Ohhhh,” said one of Footsie’s biggest fans, upon seeing Shadow for the first time. Other than missing Footsie’s extra toes, Shadow could be a young Big Footsie. He even has quite a bit of the same endearing badness.

Before getting his vaccination and exam, Shadow and I made a trip outside the new Little Rock Animal Village building, which is where we hold our clinics.

At the entrance to the building is a walkway made of bricks that people have purchased in honor or in memory of cherished pets or friends. There, right in front, is a brick with Big Footsie’s name on it, a salute to Footsie and to the shelter from which he was rescued so many years ago.

Shadow looked at the brick and finally stretched out on it.

“Shadow, you never knew Big Footsie,” I told him, “but you are carrying on what he started!”

Was Shadow impressed?

Ummm. He is a cat, so there is your answer!

“We have another field trip next weekend,” I told the library cat staff as I let them out of their carriers at home.

Before I could get the whole sentence out, I realized that there was not a library cat in sight.

Somehow they knew exactly what I was saying!

SUSAN LOESCH

CATS IN THE STACKS

Sometimes it is good to sit back and just listen to what my students have to say. Markissha was one of my sixth graders this year, but she and I go back a long way, to when she was a little kindergartner. She is often quiet, but when she speaks she has a lot to say.

It is Markissha who designed the Accelerated Reader t-shirt last year, the one with the caption “Big Footsie says, ‘AR is Purrr-fect!’” And it was Markissha who reminded us all many times this year, when we had one of the new library cats here, “But, remember, we can’t ever replace Big Footsie.”

It is Markissha who is providing our Cats in the Stacks today. Her class created a Middle School Newspaper, and this was her article.

Arkansas School for the Blind Middle School
Newspaper of the Year

The Mixed Up Emotions in the A.S.B. Library
By: Markissha T.

Going to the library at school is always fun but it can be sad. We had three library cats that died. They will be remembered, but can never be replaced.

Those three library cats were named: Big Footsie, Alex and Snuggle Bunny. Big Footsie was the best out of all of them, because of his work with Accelerated Reader.

We have this reading program called, A.R. which stands for Accelerated Reader. It is where you read a book and if you pass it you get points. Within A.R. there is a program called Footsie’s favorites. If a book you pass is a Footsie’s favorite, you get a piece of gum and you also get pictures taken with a library cat.

Footsie became head library because he was Piper’s assistance. Piper didn’t like being a library cat, but Footsie did. He was a very nice cat. He liked baked chicken. He also liked to knock books down. Footsie liked to be petted. He loved to come to school. All Ms. Loesch had to do was say, “Big Footsie time for school,” and he would get in his carriage.

Snuggle Bunny had a very short life. She was very friendly. She had very soft whitish fur.

We thought Alex would be the head library cat for a long time because he had been Footsie’s assistant. He had thick yellow fur. He liked to play. I fed him treats one time. He liked those. It was a shock when he died.

Library cats are very important to our school because the library cats encourage kids to read. They also teach kids how to care for animals and they encourage kids to do well on other things as well as the reading. When we took that big ACTAAP test all the cats were asking of us was to try hard and do our very very best just like they do in A.R.

When we read A.R. books they aren’t always Footsie’s favorites but if they are not you still get credit and we also have A.R. rallies where we find out what everybody’s percentage is and they get prizes.

That’s my favorite of A.R and when we have A.R. rallies it brightens the cats’ days.
I love the cats and that is why I sometimes have mixed up emotions in the A.S.B. library.

SUSAN LOESCH
CATS IN THE STACKS

Not long before school was out we received our long-awaited yearbooks.

Every year our library cat is pictured in the Faculty section, having sat for a school picture just like all the students and staff. Footsie became a pro at it, with school pictures that ranged from serious to one looking like a mug shot!

I love to look back at previous yearbooks and read notes written to him. In his last yearbook Makayla told him, “I love you so much, big guy. You make my heart feel happy.”

Alex did himself proud this past fall on school picture day, and in the new yearbook his picture leads off the Faculty section.

Every year I buy a yearbook, put a sticker on it saying that it is “Big Footsie’s Yearbook”, and ask all the kids to sign it.

When I put it on the counter this year, Mary looked at it a little and then asked me, “What are you going to call it this year?”

I didn’t understand at first what she meant, and she said, “Well, we don’t have Big Footsie any more, so we can’t call it Footsie’s yearbook.”

We talked about it a little and I asked her opinion.

“We could always call it Alex’s yearbook if you think that is a good idea,” I told her, “Or we can call it something else. You can decide.”

So Alex’s yearbook it is, and I printed out a sticker to go on the cover to say that.

As always, lots of the kids wanted to sign the book. Their entries ranged from simple signatures, to Lea’s “I will always remember and love Alex. And all of the library cats,” written with hearts surrounding the words.

And there was Trinity’s heartfelt message, “Alex and Staff, Staff thank you for stepping up when Alex had to leave us. You have all done a great job and are all very loved. Alex, my sweet orange kitty, I have and will always miss you. You were one of the best library cats and will be missed by me forever. I love you.”

I had dreaded seeing a yearbook without Big Footsie in it, but he was there, too.

On a page near the front of the book was a photo of the elementary kids gathered at our school sign on Remembering Big Footsie Day last September.

The sign read:

“We Remember Big Footsie.” And the accompanying caption read “Big Footsie lives on in the memories of all the lives he touched. Forever will he be loved.”

And next year’s yearbook? Who will be in it and what will we call it?

Our English teacher who does our yearbook has assured me that if Shadow and Barney share the Head Library Cat job she will guarantee us two spots in the Faculty section rather than our usual one.

That is an offer that just may be too good to pass up.

SUSAN LOESCH
CATS IN THE STACKS

High school graduation, alumni gathering, and Hexie’s last work day, all on the same day!

Hexie is on duty one last time for the year. As she was roaming the library first period, all decked out in her pink bandana, she was doing what has become her own “Hexie thing.”

She goes from student to student rubbing against their legs to greet them. As one student said this morning, “She reminds me of my dog, she always comes and rubs against me!”

Another asked if she would be coming back next year. She will, and he was glad. It hasn’t taken long for everyone to fall in love with this petite girl with the one bright green eye.

“She is just the right cat for here, isn’t she,” commented a teacher.

Only a couple of my 6th graders were here, and they wanted to take a last picture with Hexie.

Taylor was proudly wearing his newly-won award, the Principal’s Award. He said something to make me laugh, and I laughed out loud. I had told his class how, in secondary, library isn’t as fun any more. No more hanging on the beanbags, watching video and having a good loud time while we learn.

“I know I can’t make you laugh in here next year,” he said, taking my warning to heart. I assured him that he can; I will just laugh quietly!

Later in the morning, alumni drifted in. Do you want to know how to feel old, really old? Just visit with a couple of former students, one who has been gone for 15 years and the other for 26!

It couldn’t possibly have been that long, could it? A few weeks ago a more recent graduate came by for a visit. She has graduated from college and just gotten married and is moving out of state. “You aren’t old, Ms. Loesch,”  she said.” Boy, I wish!!

On this graduation day, there is a little less structure than most days. Awards assemblies in the morning, a school-wide lunch, and then high school graduation.

I sat during part of the ceremony with tears in my eyes. It wasn’t because of the graduation itself, or the kids leaving, but during the keynote speech.

As Rep. Kathy Webb spoke to the kids, she talked about the many people who they have to thank for lessons learned. She mentioned family and teachers and friends…and Big Footsie, who many have known since elementary days, and who, she said, taught them about life and all creatures and love and loss. He truly did that, as did Alex. And as our new library cats will do for seniors still to come.

SUSAN LOESCH

Thursday was Tank’s last work day for the year and my 6^th graders’ last day in elementary.  What a day!

The day before, Shadow and I had gone to their classroom for a graduation picture. Many of these kids were Big Footsie’s and mine from the time they were kindergarteners.

They are all so excited and look so grown up; I smile at memories of them in their early years at the School for the Blind and it looks very natural to see a black cat in Makayla’s arms.

I always love seeing the kids dressed up and lined up waiting to walk down the aisle in their caps and gowns.

“Oh, I’m going to pass out,” said Makayla.

“No, you aren’t,” I told her. “You don’t want me to have to go back and tell Tank that you keeled over on the stage, do you?”

A laugh, calmed nerves, and graduation begins.

Tank was kept busy earlier in the day with lots of visitors. He got all the petting and treats any library cat could hope for.

The speech students have come to the library during the year as a reward for good work, always armed with treats for whoever is here.

Their teacher brought us all the treats which were left, so Tank had a real buffet!  Other teachers and students came by to say good-bye, and of course we had lots of picture-taking.

It seems like only a few weeks ago that I began this school year without Footsie, and with Alex with me.

It has been a hard year for us in some ways, but we made it.

SUSAN LOESCH
CATS IN THE STACKS

The final Accelerated Reader rally has come and gone! Our little band of two dozen elementary students outdid themselves this year, reading about 1,200 books, with over half being Footsie’s Favorites.

Barney was on hand as the kids gathered to get their prizes and reading posters.

He watched proudly as Makayla won the trophy for reaching the highest percentage over her goal, 260%, and got a hug from her as she showed it to him.

I had dreaded this rally a bit. Last year had been such a big year for Footsie, with his newspaper article and all the things he participated in on campus.

At the end of the year the elementary students designed their own t-shirt for everyone who reached their AR goal.

It was bright yellow with a black cat on it and the caption, “Big Footsie says, “Reading is Purrrr-fect.” He was on hand at last year’s final rally and got a shout-out from our superintendent.

We were looking forward to a restful summer and a fun 2010 school year.

After Footsie’s death, Alex took over the job with so much style, filling an empty spot in both the library and in our hearts and we expected to see him at many AR rallies to come, but of course that was not to be.

Still it was fun seeing the kids’ reaction to their reading posters and touching that Alex and Snugglebunny were represented.

It was a little bittersweet, though, and left me feeling sad.

Barney did a great job at the rally and I know that we will see great things from him and the rest of the staff.

Little Hexie is here today.

We had one reading poster picture to take for one of my sixth graders.
She was so busy exploring the library to see what had changed since the last time she was here that we had to bribe her with treats to get her to pose!

Our littlest preschoolers had a bear hunt today, and their teacher had hidden one bear in the library.

When they came in Hexie greeted them and after much petting they finally began searching for their bear.

I think the kids were more interested in visiting with Hexie than hunting. Their teacher and I explained about her missing eye.

Almost as soon as they left, in came my first graders. Hexie helped select a video, and I had this conversation with one of my first graders.

“I like Hexie’s tail. It sure is soft. How did she get just one eye?”

I explained that it had become badly infected when she was a kitten and had to be removed.

He thought about that for a minute and then said, “Oh. OK. I thought it just fell out.”

That is one good thing about working with kids. I can be sad for a minute but never for long. One of them will always say something to make me smile!

SUSAN LOESCH
CATS IN THE STACKS

It is time for one of our year-end traditions, Accelerated Reader reading posters — which have turned the library into a photography studio!

Every year Big Footsie picked books in the AR program to become “Footsie’s Favorites.” For each of these that a student reads and passes the quiz on, their name goes on a paper cat that goes on the wall and they get a prize from Footsie. By this time of year the wall is pretty impressive, with colored cats stretching all the way back into the stacks. Footsie always liked to get up on the shelf and check them out.

We talked a little this year about whether, without Footsie, we should continue to call the books Footsie’s Favorites, and we decided that we would keep the name.

When questioned about how Footsie can still select books I tell the kids that he uses his “library cat magic” to let me know which books he chooses.

At the end of the year, each student who has read Footsie’s Favorites gets to create a reading poster. They choose which library cat wil join them in the photo, and they come up with their own caption.

I make these into big posters, which are handed out to the students at the last AR Rally of the year. This year we have 24 students who have earned posters; the number of Footsie’s Favorites read ranges from three to a whopping 73, with a total of more than 600!

Students have had the choice of Tank, Barney, Hexie, Shadow, or, if I already had pictures with them, Alex and SnuggleBunny, and all six cats will be featured in posters!
Yesterday I put a pink bandana on Barney because it matched what a couple of the girls were wearing. I totally meant to take it off before Mary or Trinity saw it, but I forgot until Mary came in, saw Barney, and sasked, “OK, what’s with the pink bandana?”

Off it came. Fast!

Today, Tank started out posing like a pro. By mid-morning, though, I was having to resort to feeding him treats to get him to stay put.

Or could it be that he just has me treat-trained?

There are always poster captions like “Reading is purrrfect” and “Library is fun” as well as the more thoughtful “Reading takes your mind on special adventures” and “Let reading take you around the world.”

One of this year’s captions is for sure destined to be my all-time favorite.

One of my fourth graders wants his picture taken with one-eyed Hexie when she comes tomorrow, and this is his caption: “It doesn’t matter if you have 1 eye or 2, reading is great!”