North Woods Elementary Hosts Annual Fall Book Walk

Elementary students and high school mentors gathered to read through a story spread across the school field.

Updated on Oct. 22, 2026 in Secondary Education

Screen-print poster illustration of paper markers along a winding path in a field, evoking an outdoor community literacy event. — North Woods Elementary students and Logan High School mentors partnered for an annual Fall Book Walk in La Crosse on Tuesday. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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North Woods Elementary students joined forces with Logan High School mentors for the school's annual Fall Book Walk. Participants walked around the school field to read the story Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox in sequence.

Why it matters

The event integrates physical activity with literacy to boost engagement for young readers. Pairing elementary students with high school mentors provides positive role modeling within the local school community.

Students at North Woods Elementary engaged with the story Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge, which was displayed sequentially on posts across the school field. The event relied on Logan High School students to serve as mentors for the younger readers.

The players

North Woods Elementary

A local primary school serving the La Crosse community.

Logan High School

A local secondary school providing older student mentors for district initiatives.

The details

During the Fall Book Walk, pages from the featured picture book were posted at intervals around the school grounds. Students walked the field in sequence, stopping at each station to read the next portion of the story together. This format encourages literacy by moving learning outdoors and fostering social interaction between different age groups in the La Crosse school system.

October 22, 2026: North Woods Elementary students participated in the Fall Book Walk.

The Home Front

This activity aligns with the nationwide trend of incorporating outdoor literacy programs like the StoryWalk Project into elementary school curricula. These initiatives aim to increase engagement by moving books into active, community-based environments.

Families can replicate this activity at home by posting pages of a favorite storybook along a backyard fence or walking path to keep children physically active while reading. Check with your local school district to see if they offer similar mentor programs for your students to participate in next year.

The takeaway

Combining movement with reading can make storytime more exciting for primary students. Consider creating your own backyard book walk to encourage daily reading habits in a fun, outdoor setting.