On March 2, students all over the country celebrated Read Across America Day, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss’s Birthday.

Because this was the first time in five years that Read Across America Day fell on a Friday, Book Buddies’ usual meeting day, they had the opportunity to do something special for the occasion.

Rather than their usual one on one readings, Book Buddies members went down to Weyanoke Elementary School and split themselves up into classrooms to read aloud from their Dr. Seuss favorites. Sporting hats — and in some cases, whiskers – Book Buddies brought 45 “Cat in the Hats” to students in grades K-5.

In some classes, Book Buddies members also sang “happy birthday” with the students, or they helped them as they tried to create their own hats.  In others, members just had fun with the classics, acting the stories out and even bringing the kids up to read out loud to their friends.

“I read the Lorax and it was a very popular book with the kids,” senior Alice King said. “After every page they would all raise their hands and want to make comments.”

The students discussed the stories with each other to understand what was going on, and they were intrigued by Seuss’s illustrations.

“They would ask, ‘what’s this’ and ‘what’s that?’” senior Apurva Kasanagottu said. “I would just tell them to guess, because I had no idea!”