Rain School

Oh, the excitement of the first day of school in Chad. Thomas is following his older brothers and sisters along the path to school and he is full of questions. Will he get a pencil? Will he get a notebook? Oh the possibilities and the wonder of it all! But when they arrive at "school," they are surprised to find a teacher but no building. There are no walls or doors or desks. With the warmth of their teacher's can-do spirit, the children set about to build their own schoolhouse using the materials at hand. Mud bricks, mud walls, mud desks and a roof of grass and saplings emerge as the children work diligently. Then, the long-waited day arrives and their teacher stands before them with a blackboard and the children meet the letter A. Sitting on wooden stools, their eager minds devour the knowledge she has to share with them. After nine months school is over because the rains will soon come and come they do. Under the pounding of the raindrops, the school slowly melts away but next year the children will return to build their school again and for now, "The letters have been learned." "Excellent job"..."Perfect, my learning friends." James Rumford taught school in Chad and was deeply struck by the hunger and determination the children had for an education. This is one of those books that stirs us. A wonderful! 32 pages Ages 5-9