Crossroads turn classroom into ‘Starbooks Café’ to honor military children

Second-grade students at Crossroads Elementary School transformed their learning space into a cozy “Starbooks Café” to celebrate the Month of the Military Child, sharing book reviews and fostering a love of reading with families and younger classmates.

Families visited the café-style event, where students presented original book reviews developed using DoWEA College and Career-Ready Standards for English Language Arts. The young reviewers expressed opinions about books and supported them with reasons and evidence, while “tasting” a variety of genres at green tables arranged like a neighborhood café.

Reading teachers dressed as baristas served coffee and treats to visiting parents, adding warmth to the gathering. In the afternoon, the second-graders shifted roles to become mentors, reading aloud to prekindergarten and kindergarten students and guiding them through their own book-tasting experience.

“This is the best day ever!” one student said as she recorded her favorite books alongside her parents.

The event strengthened connections between students, families and staff while reinforcing the importance of literacy and community. By honoring military children and their families through shared reading, the celebration highlighted the value of civic appreciation and patriotism within DoWEA’s school communities.