From Shakespeare to the Spice Girls, from Wrestling to Whales, the Middle School Literary Expo covers a wide spectrum of topics in its study of the language arts.

Drew Smith and teachers such as Claudia Rudnet and Michele Frascogna have labored to transform the Mineola Middle School Library into a collection of posters, projects and periodicals representing the many different fields studied by the sixth, seventh and eighth grades.

This day Claudia Rudnet's class performs a comic scene featuring the mischievous hi-jinx of Puck and his hapless victim who is given the head of a jackass in a scene from A Midsummers Nights Dream.

The students decked out in colorful costumes perform as professionals. Speaking Shakespeare to their classmates' delight, they bring the literary work to life.

After the performance audience member Cassandra Burke credits the performance with furthering her understanding of the play and Lori Gayson describes how impressed she is with the performers' hand motions and emotions.

Caitlin Callahan said, "It was a well prepared performance." "They did a really good job," added Joey Selby.

These performances have become the highlight of the expo, for both the students and the teachers. "You get to see kids shine in a way they don't naturally shine," said Rudnet.

Smith illustrates the point recalling the previous night's performance done for the parents. He said the performance ended with applause from the audience and beaming smiles on the faces of the students.

"I couldn't even estimate how important that is. It is a confidence builder," said Smith. Added Frascogna, "It is something they will never forget."

Thanks to a schedule developed by Frascogna, each student gets two visits during the school week to visit the expo; once as observers, once as performers. Anywhere between 20 to 25 students gather to watch between eight and 15 students perform a scene on the stage.

The Literary Expo began as a simple exhibit and developed into an interactive learning experience. Along with the scenes from the plays, the expo is a temporary display of the hard work of the literary students, that includes projects and reports on many aspects of literature.

Student Danielle O'Connor said she was proud to see her own work displayed at the expo.

The teachers guide the students through the subjects and in the preparation for the expo. Their goal is to have 100 percent participation from the students.

The toughest part is the transformation of the library into the Expo. The teachers describe the process as three very long days at the end of months of individual work, but the teachers unanimously agree it is all worth it.

The format gives the students something to do while they visit, resulting in a better appreciation of the language arts and a bit of pride in their work according to the teachers.

The idea for the expo came to Smith about six years ago as he was sitting in his basement. It was a way to showcase the literary talents of the students the same way the Winter Concert is a musical showcase.

"We do a lot of great stuff that a lot of people don't get to see," said Smith.

Now once a year everyone can see the fruits of the students' literary labors in a temporary "garden" set up in the Middle School library.