Ripley students draw scenes from the book, Nim's Island during a family event at the school.

RIPLEY — If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be stranded on a tropical island, just ask any student from Ripley Central School, and they will tell you.

The entire school, from pre-K to Grade 6, as well as faculty members were given copies of the book “Nim’s Island” by Wendy Orr, who wrote the first draft of the book at age 9. The book is illustrated by Carrie Millard.

Not only did every student at Ripley either read or learn about Nim’s Island, but they all took part in “Nim’s Island Night,” a family event held throughout the school last month.

According to the publisher’s synopsis, Nim is a young girl whose father sails off to study plankton for three days, leaving her alone on their island. But she’s not afraid. “She can chop down bananas with a machete, climb tall palm trees and start a fire with a piece of glass . . .” But when her father’s cell phone calls cease coming, she has to be stronger and braver than ever before.

The evening consisted of stations, such as Coconut Raft where students created boats that would float, a photo booth in which students dressed up with items from the book, a wall mural where pupils could draw images from the book, and Coconut Bowling, where, after answering questions about the book, students had a chance to knock down pins with a coconut ball.

Ripley Librarian Karen Kondrick said she chose Nim’s Island because it was not too long. “I thought the idea of a young girl surviving on an island would be interesting to all of our students, pre-K to 6. After all, who doesn’t like an adventure?” she said.

Kondrick said that all students and faculty had a schedule with dates and chapters to read. “This gave us an opportunity to share our excitement with each other every day about the adventures we read about the night before,” she said. “Families were given an activities handout and teachers were each given one, as well.”

The idea for this school-wide activity came from the mother of a Ripley student who participated in a similar program at Cassadaga. “She enjoyed it so much, she wanted our students to have a chance to do it, too,” Kondrick said. “The PTO donated the funds to purchase the books this year, and we have grants we will apply to fund it next year.”

The Ripley Central School District places a strong emphasis on reading, and makes fostering excitement for reading a priority throughout the year. “What makes Ripley special is that our teachers don’t just teach reading; they model it. From our staff book clubs and the 52-book challenge to our monthly reading celebrations, we are a community of readers,” said Ripley Principal Sara Centanni.

The idea of having the whole school read a book together generates a sense of unity, Centanni said. “I think that when everybody reads the same book, it fosters a sense of community and gives everyone something to talk about together,” she said.

Kondrick reiterated these thoughts. “Our entire school is so involved in reading being part of our identity. Teachers have participated in book challenges for the past three years, and our students see it,” she said. “They see how much we enjoy reading and see it as a normal part of adults’ lives. We feel that to be a great teacher of reading, you need to be a reader yourself.”

Centanni said the selection of “Nim’s Island” was perfect for the school. “It is a book that is doable for families to read together,” she said. “The book also captured many of the strengths we try to promote at Ripley.”