It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 4/28/25

Share

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how it offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other.

The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.

Happy reading!

Bold_line

 

Tuesday: Student Voices: What Kellee’s Middle Schoolers are Reading, Loving, and Promoting

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “The Power of Story: Inspired by the Classroom” by Trevor B. Spisto, Author of The Tiger and the Crane

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

Bold_line

Kellee

This is my week off; I will see you next week! You can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

My head is spinning with the semester ending, so I have to miss this week. I will see you in two weeks!

Bold_line

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “Bringing History to Life” by k.m. Huber, Author of Call of the Owl Woman

Bold_line

Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on at least 3 other blogs. If you tweet about your Monday post, tag the tweet with #IMWAYR!

 Signature andRickiSig


(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

Author Guest Post: “The Power of Story: Inspired by the Classroom” by Trevor B. Spisto, Author of The Tiger and the Crane

Share

“The Power of Story: Inspired by the Classroom”

Hello everyone, my name is Trevor Spisto, and I’m excited to write a blog post for Unleashing Readers about my novel The Tiger and the Crane.

I’m a dual-certified high school history and special education teacher in Staten Island, New York. To my fellow educators, I believe The Tiger and the Crane offers great opportunities for cross-curricular activities in the classroom, a popular initiative within the New York City school system. The book is rich with literacy themes and devices that English teachers can use to structure lessons, while history teachers can dive into the novel’s historical context.

Set in late 19th-century China, the story takes place in an animal village threatened by British poachers encroaching on their land. A crane named Mung ventures beyond the village to scout for danger and discovers an orphaned tiger cub. Believing the tiger could be raised to defend the village, Mung faces resistance from many villagers, led by Ku, a binturong, who argue that the tiger will only bring destruction. Determined to prove that nurturing the tiger is key to the village’s survival, Mung reluctantly promises to convince the cub that he is a goat, easing the villagers’ fears by masking the tiger’s true nature.

My work as a special educator was a point of inspiration for the story, more specifically, my responsibility for writing IEPs, which stands for Individualized Education Programs. These documents outline different teaching approaches that work well for certain students. The act of writing an IEP gives special education teachers unique insight into students that other teachers might not be privy to. For example, writing an IEP requires the case manager’s job is to reach out to parents to gather information about the student. While parents are expected to play a prominent role in providing details for the IEP, the reality can sometimes differ from expectations.

Parent-teacher conferences and phone calls home provide teachers with a window into a student’s life. These interactions offer opportunities to forge relationships with parents, although they are often not particularly extensive. During the IEP process, however, that window becomes much larger. I’ve had spectacular experiences with parents where it became abundantly clear that some of my students come from amazing homes that provide love and support while others come from devastating situations that are no fault of their own. They are young minds trapped in a difficult environment that ultimately shapes their values, morals, behavior, and philosophies that influence everyday decision-making. Analyzing these situations firsthand deepened my understanding of how important a child’s environment is in shaping their character and served as inspiration when writing The Tiger and the Crane.

English teachers will find plenty of material to work with using the book in their classes. All the characters in The Tiger and the Crane are richly developed with motivations and emotions that drive their actions. Teachers can facilitate literary circles around the characters’ reasoning and decisions. Themes such as leadership, fear, kinship, jealousy, manipulation, and the desire for power can be explored, helping students gain a deeper understanding of both the characters and themselves. Additionally, foreshadowing, chapter titles, and the reliability of the narrator can serve as valuable points of analysis for students.

From a historical perspective, the story aligns with units focused on imperialism in the 19th century. A crucial aspect of understanding history is grasping historical context, and The Tiger and the Crane provides a strong foundation that teachers can use to assess students’ comprehension of real events like the Macartney Mission, the Opium Wars, and the Boxer Rebellion. Teachers can also use The Tiger and the Crane to draw parallels between the novel’s characters and indigenous populations, highlighting the effects of imperialism on subjugated peoples. The animals in the story face the encroachment of foreign powers on their lands and struggle with technological disadvantages—challenges that native populations in Asia and Africa also encountered during the 19th century. While these complex topics can be challenging to introduce in the classroom, The Tiger and the Crane presents them in a narrative form that makes them more accessible and engaging for young minds.

The Tiger and the Crane can serve as a valuable tool for teachers but more importantly, it can spark an interest in books among young readers. As educators, we all strive to inspire a love of reading, and I hope this novel becomes a part of the collection of books in a classroom that nurtures that passion in students.

Published October 8, 2024 by Monarex Hollywood

About the Book: The setting of The Tiger and the Crane is an animal village within a vast forest in Qing dynasty-era China. This historical backdrop gives the story a timeless quality, as the clash between the two sides highlights parallels to real-world colonization and its impact on indigenous communities and wildlife. The narrative explores whether Xingfu, the tiger cub, will grow into his nature as a predator or adapt to the nurturing environment of the village. Mung, the red-crowned crane, proposes that Xingfu will assimilate into the village if raised properly, a responsibility he takes on himself. Meanwhile, Ku the binturong and the villagers’ doubts reflect real-world questions about inherent traits versus the influence of upbringing

About the Author: Trevor was born and raised on Staten Island, New York. By nineteen, Trevor penned his first feature-length story, which was developed into an animated film screenplay and later turned into the novel, The Tiger and the Crane.  During that time Trevor earned his Master’s in Special Education and began his teaching career.

Beyond writing, Trevor’s passions include immersing himself in great novels, traveling to historically rich destinations, playing games, and cherishing moments with friends and family.

Thank you, Trevor, for sharing your inspiration!

Student Voices: What Kellee’s Middle Schoolers are Reading, Loving, and Promoting

Share

My Student Literacy Leaders (students who help out in the library as their elective) recently were asked them to pick books they’ve loved that they feel should be checked out more than they are.

For these titles, they completed reading promotion projects which included Book Snaps (a snapshot of a book that is supposed to help get kids interested in the book), Title Talkers (a summary and extra info about the book to help share books with students), and Book Trailers (like a movie trailer but for a book).

Here are the titles they decided to promote (alphabetical by title) with some examples of their projects:

  • 12 to 22 by Jen Calonita
  • All’s Faire in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson
  • A-Okay by Jarad Greene

  • Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
  • Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

  • Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova
  • Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen’s Witch by Katy Farina, Created by Ann M. Martin
  • Bedhead Ted by Scott SanGiacomo

  • Big Apple Diaries by Alyssa Bermudez
  • Blended by Sharon Draper
  • Class Act by Jerry Craft

  • Concealed by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
  • Coraline by Neil Gaiman

  • Cross Game: Vol. 1 by Mitsuru Adachi
  • Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
  • Daybreak on Raven Island by Fleur Bradley

  • Delirium by Lauren Oliver
  • The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

  • The Dirt Diary by Anna Staniszewski
  • Divergent by Veronica Roth
  • The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander

  • Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone
  • The Dumbest Idea Ever by Jimmy Gownley
  • Escape by K.R. Alexander
  • Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

  • Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
  • Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander
  • Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega and Rose Bousamra

  • From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
  • Frost Blood by Elly Blake
  • Fruits Basket: Omnibus 1 by Natsuki Takaya

  • The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable by Dan Gutman
  • Goddess Girls: Athena the Brain by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
  • Go with the Flow by Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann
  • Grace Needs Space by Benjamin A. Wilgus and Rii Abrego

  • Ground Zero by Alan Gratz
  • Holes by Louis Sachar
  • Hooky: Vol. 1 by Míriam Bonastre Tur

  • House Arrest by K.A. Holt
  • How I Became a Spy by Deborah Hopkinson

  • How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
  • Huda F Caresby Huda Fahmy
  • Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

  • I Survived: The Destruction of Pompeii, 79 A.D. by Lauren Tarshis
  • I Survived: The Eruption of Mt. St. Helens, 1980 by Lauren Tarshis
  • I Survived: The Nazi Invasion, 1944 (Graphic Novel) by Lauren Tarshis and Álvaro Sarraseca
  • Join the Club, Maggie Diaz by Nina Moreno

  • Just Roll with It by Veronica Agarwal and Lee Durfey-Lavoie
  • Katie the Catsitter by Colleen A.F. Venable and Stephanie Yue
  • Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
  • Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer
  • Legend by Marie Lu

  • The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time by Akira Himekawa

  • The Lizzie Borden Ax Murders by Carla Mooney
  • Looking Up by Stephan Pastis
  • The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

  • Making Friends by Kristen Gudsnuk
  • Matched by Ally Condie
  • Measuring Up by Lily Lamotte and Ann Xu

  • Midnight at the Barclay by Fleur Bradley
  • Miss Quinces by Kat Fajardo

  • Moo by Sharon Creech
  • The Murders of Tupac and Biggie Smalls by Sue Bradford Edwards
  • No Place by Todd Strasser

  • One Punch Man by ONE
  • Orange: The Complete Collection, Volume 1 by Ichigo Takano

  • Orbiting Jupiter by Gary Schmidt
  • Orphan Island by Laurel Snyder
  • Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

  • P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
  • Querido Evan Hansen by Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Ben J. Pasek, and Justin Paul
  • Puzzled by Pan Cooke
  • Real Friends by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham

  • Refugee by Alan Gratz
  • Renegades by Marissa Meyers
  • Restart by Gordon Korman
  • School Trip by Jerry Craft

  • Scout is Not a Band Kid by Jade Armstrong
  • The Selection by Kiera Cass

  • Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
  • Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
  • Sick Kids in Love by Hannah Moskowitz

  • Sink or Swim by Veronica Agarwal
  • Sisters by Raina Telgemeier
  • Slacker by Gordon Korman
  • Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
  • Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

  • Trapped by Michael Northrop
  • The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat and Joanna Cacao

  • Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm and Savanna Ganucheau
  • Twins by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright

  • Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
  • Unplugged by Gordon Korman
  • Unwind by Neal Shusterman
  • War Cross by Marie Lu
  • When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

  • White Cat by Holly Black
  • The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
  • Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland
  • Wonder by R.J. Palacios
  • The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Thank you to my students for sharing their favorite books and creating these great reading promotion projects!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 4/21/25

Share

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how it offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other.

The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.

Happy reading!

Bold_line

Author Guest Post: “The Girl Who Gets the Girl” by Zakiya N. Jamal, Author of If We Were a Movie

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

Bold_line

Kellee

Middle Grade

  • Adrift by Tanya Guerrero: This book was so good in so many ways and disappointing in others. I read this for my teacher book club, so I look forward to hearing what others say about it. I wish there had been more of an exposition, so I really knew the characters before tragedy hit. I found the imagery, survival aspects, and suspense surrounding Coral’s time alone on a deserted island wonderful–the part where she is fishing and killing fish for the first time made me gaggy, so you know it was written well! But I wish that there was more of Coral’s story; I didn’t find Isa’s story as intriguing. However, I know one teacher felt the opposite of me and liked Isa’s story better than Coral’s, so I think it really depends. In the end, I enjoyed the book enough and am glad I read it.

Young Adult

  • Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore: I reread this book with my friend Jewel (we’re talking about it tomorrow!), and the review I wrote the first time I read this book in 2012 actually still holds truth: There was so much hype about this 3rd book in the Graceling trilogy and I can see why people feel that it lived up to the hype and why others didn’t. This book was different than the other 2. This one was much more a mystery than an action/adventure like the first two. This book is not a journey and is not about a woman that is scorned for one reason or another. This book is about a queen and it primarily takes place in her kingdom. But that does not mean that this book is any less exciting. Bitterblue is filled with twists and turns and unexpected conflicts. I did love how characters that were more skeletal in Graceling are really beefed out in Bitterblue- especially Helda and Giddon. Even if you are not impressed with this story, you will definitely be blown away once again by Kashore’s writing and world building. She is a master.

You can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

This is my week off; I will see you next week!

Bold_line

Kellee

Bold_line

 

Tuesday: Student Voices: What Kellee’s Middle Schoolers are Reading, Loving, and Promoting

Sunday: Author Guest Post: “The Power of Story: Inspired by the Classroom” by Trevor B. Spisto, Author of The Tiger and the Crane

Bold_line

Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on at least 3 other blogs. If you tweet about your Monday post, tag the tweet with #IMWAYR!

 Signature andRickiSig


(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

Author Guest Post: “The Girl Who Gets the Girl” by Zakiya N. Jamal, Author of If We Were a Movie

Share

“The Girl Who Gets the Girl”

When the idea for If We Were a Movie was first presented to me, it was a rivals-to-lovers story between a boy and a girl. I loved the idea but immediately knew I wanted to tell a sapphic love story, i.e. a rivals-to-lovers story between a girl and another girl. Later, when I’d written various versions of the book and I knew it was going to be published my mom asked me, “What made you decide to make this a love story between two girls?”

I am queer. If I was to put a more specific label on myself, I’d say I’m bisexual. I believe I have always been this way, but I didn’t realize it until around 2019 when I met someone who was not a cisgender guy and started crushing on them. Hard. But even though I’d made this discovery about myself it still took me some time before I was able to say it out loud. Whether it was internalized homophobia or a general shame about my identity, I found it difficult to find the words.

But writing a story about two girls falling for each other? That was easy.

In If We Were a Movie, the main character Rochelle, and her love interest, Amira, are fully out and proud, and their group of friends include a number of LGBTQIA+ identifying people as well. There isn’t a coming out story, not because I don’t think we still need those stories (we do!) but because I wanted to give Rochelle and Amira something I didn’t have at their age and I know, unfortunately, a lot of kids don’t have now. For Rochelle and Amira, being queer is simply a part of them amongst so many other facets of who they are. It is a part of their identity that is known and never questioned by themselves, each other, or anyone else.

When I first started writing If We Were a Movie, way back in 2022, I was writing it for me. It was healing for me to write a character who was so authentically herself and who lived in a world where being queer was just as accepted and understood as being straight. But now when I think about my mom’s question and why I wrote this story it’s a bit more than that. I knew writing a queer love story full of joy was what I needed at the time, but I also knew there was going to be a reader out there like me who was still struggling to accept themselves.

For me, reading books like Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston and You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson, helped me understand and accept that my feelings were not only normal but should be celebrated. They were mirrors for me to see myself in a way I didn’t think was possible for me before. And that’s what I hope If We Were a Movie is for someone else. Because while romances between a boy and a girl are great, there are plenty of those but still aren’t nearly enough about the girl who gets the girl of her dreams.

Now, there’s at least one more.

Publishing April 22nd, 2025 by HarperCollins

1

About the Book: Lights. Camera. Love? Rochelle “the Shell” Coleman is laser focused on only three things: becoming valedictorian, getting into Wharton, and, of course, taking down her annoyingly charismatic nemesis and only academic competition, Amira Rodriguez. However, despite her stellar grades, Rochelle’s college application is missing that extra special something: a job.

When Rochelle gets an opportunity to work at Horizon Cinemas, the beloved Black-owned movie theater, she begrudgingly jumps at the chance to boost her chances at getting into her dream school. There’s only one problem: Amira works there… and is also her boss.

Rochelle feels that working with Amira is its own kind of horror movie, but as the two begin working closely together, Rochelle starts to see Amira in a new light, one that may have her beginning to actually… like her? But Horizon’s in trouble, and when mysterious things begin happening that make Horizon’s chances of staying open slimmer, it’s up to the employees to solve the mystery before it’s too late, but will love also find its way into the spotlight?

About the Author: Zakiya N. Jamal was born in Queens, raised in Long Island, and currently resides in Brooklyn. In other words, she’s a New Yorker through and through. She holds a BA in English from Georgetown University and a MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in Writing for Children and Young Adults from The New School. Her debut novel If We Were a Movie will be published in 2025 by HarperTeen. You can find her on social media at @ZakiyaNJamal.

Thank you, Zakiya, for sharing your inspiration and writing this “one more” that so many readers will love!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? #IMWAYR 4/14/25

Share

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
For readers of all ages

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly blog hop we host which focuses on sharing what we’re reading. This Kid Lit version of IMWAYR focuses primarily on books marketed for kids and teens, but books for readers of all ages are shared. We love this community and how it offers opportunities to share and recommend books with each other.

The original IMWAYR, with an adult literature focus, was started by Sheila at Book Journeys and is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. The Kid Lit IMWAYR was co-created by Kellee & Jen at Teach Mentor Texts.

We encourage you to write your own post sharing what you’re reading, link up below, leave a comment, and support other IMWAYR bloggers by visiting and commenting on at least three of the other linked blogs.

Happy reading!

Bold_line

Tuesday: George O’Connor’s Visit to Kellee’s Middle School

**Click on any picture/link to view the post**

Bold_line

Kellee

It’s my week off! You can always learn more about any of the books I’ve been reading by checking out my read bookshelf on Goodreads.

Ricki

I had to take a break this week because my son’s team made it to Odyssey of the Mind Worlds, so I’ve been planning that!

Bold_line

Author Guest Post: “The Girl Who Gets the Girl” by Zakiya N. Jamal, Author of If We Were a Movie

Bold_line

Link up below and go check out what everyone else is reading. Please support other bloggers by viewing and commenting on at least 3 other blogs. If you tweet about your Monday post, tag the tweet with #IMWAYR!

 Signature andRickiSig


(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

Student Voices: George O’Connor’s Visit to Kellee’s Middle School

Share

I am so lucky because my principal began an initiative at my school where we get to have an author visit our school yearly (2024: Jerry Craft, 2023: Christina Diaz Gonzalez, 2022: Nathan Hale, 2020: Neal Shusterman, 2019: Jennifer A. Nielsen). The author sees all students in the school, so it is a great community literacy event for my school, and I love being able to bring this experience to all of my students each year!

 

This year, we hosted New York Times Best-selling Author George O’Connor!

We are so thankful to George O’Connor for being with us all day. Not only did he present to over 1,000 students, he did a signing time for any student who wanted his autograph; he did an author lunch with students who read over 6 of his books; he stayed after school to draw us a special image, finish signing anything left to sign, including bookmarks for each of our Olympians Community Night finishers (our literacy night that we hosted 2 days before his visit), and take pictures with the library team. It  was phenomenal!

Here are some reflections from my students after the visit. I asked them to think about what they learned, what they enjoyed, how they were impacted, or anything else they wanted to share:

  • I really liked the day. It was a fun experience learning about him and how he became an author.
  • I really liked the day! Meeting the author was exciting, and their presentation was inspiring. The workshop helped me think creatively, and I enjoyed sharing ideas with my classmates. It was a great experience that made me love reading and writing even more!
  • I liked it. George O’ Conner was funny and I liked how he gave a description of the god’s story.
  • I really like how the authors show the process of how they make the books that we read everyday
  • he said that we shouldn’t try to erase our mistakes and try to learn from them
  • George O’Connor taught me that you have to keep trying for your dreams because he got rejected from a job at marvel but eventually got it.
  • My biggest takeaway is that nobody is perfect, and it takes a while to get where you want to be.
  • My biggest take away from George O’Connor’s visit is that it’s ok to make mistakes. He talks about even as an adult, and artists, he still regularly makes mistakes, and going over how it is ok to do so was so refreshing to hear in a world where people are so often afraid to be anything but perfect. Really motivating and inspiring!
  • My biggest take away was when he told us that he started drawing at such a young age and has always had a passion for the Olympian books he has written.
  • An author visit is important because it inspires us to read and write. Meeting a real author shows us that we can be writers too! They share their stories and challenges, which motivates us to keep trying. It makes reading more fun and exciting, helping us appreciate our own creativity!
  • This visit was very important because these author visits can really help people get inspired and help them not doubt themselves.
  • This visit was important because it made me understand how George O’Connor made his books and his journey in general. It’s important and powerful to have an author visit our school because it gives us a chance to learn from people who have experience in actually making a book.

  • His advice about drawing about not being perfect was a HUGE takeaway for me.
  • My biggest take away was that nobody is perfect because I draw a lot and I make mistakes and I learned that it is okay to.
  • My biggest take away from this visit was that our changing moment in life can happen wherever and whenever.
  • My biggest takeaway was that your imagination can take you anywhere in life.
  • That it takes a long time to do things perfectly and to achieve something you are want so you have to be patience
  • George O’ Connor taught me some very valuable life lessons and made the presentation funny.
  • It impacted me because it allowed me to learn more about the writing and illustrating process, something which I didn’t know much about before.
  • It helped me understand better on how the author makes his books and connect to the author better which was good.
  • I learned some new stuff about Greek mythology that I didn’t know before.
  • It helped me understand the whole journey to become an author.
  • It’s important to have authors visit our school because it could help people who want to be authors in the future. It could also help someone find a new favorite book or series.
  • It is important and powerful to have an author visit the school in order to inspire kids to read more books and make the author more relatable and real, which I think could also encourage kids to pick up books and start reading more.
  • This visit was important because he first off is a New York Times best author which is crazy to think that he actually came to our school and that some people really like mythology books and George O’Connor is the best author for that.
  • Author visits are important because it can encourage people to read and for people who want to become authors to learn from them.
  • I think that it’s important and powerful to have an author visit our school because they can help give us advice and tell their story to people who enjoyed reading their books.

  • It was very impactful since I got to see the POV of an author’s life and how he draws!
  • This visit impacted me because it let me learn that even New York Best Time Selling authors make mistakes and learn from them to help them grow as a person and author.
  • The visit impacted me by showing me how much work goes into these books.
  • The visit really inspired me! Hearing the author share their journey made me want to write my own stories. Learning about their creative process showed me that it’s okay to struggle sometimes. The interactive workshop was fun and helped me think more creatively. Overall, it made me excited about reading and writing!
  • I thought it was really cool as his upbringing as an author and it is really motivating.
  • Having a yearly visit means getting to learn about the lives of authors, how they got to where they are, and what inspires them. This. in turn, inspires me to stay motivated and chase my dreams no matter what goes wrong.
  • Yearly author visits mean a lot to not just me but I bet to so many others too because its so cool getting to have a well known author come to our school and tell us their story and their perspective of their own books they wrote.
  • Author visits let me meet “famous people” that other people don’t get to meet and I get to meet the authors of the books that I love.
  • Having a visiting author yearly is something that excites me and is something for me to look forward to.
  • Having a visiting author yearly makes me read more books that I might not have read if it wasn’t for the author visit.
  • Yearly author visits mean that kids get to explore different genres and books. Like I did not know who George O’Connor was and I had never read his books but then I read them and now I love them.
  • Having an author yearly means a lot to me because they are really inspiring.
  • Author visits mean a lot to me because it shows that our school and staff want to put together something fun for us and that they care, Gorge O’Connor also took time out of his day to come see us.
  • Author visits educate children; it always makes them more tempted to read more and learn about the author. Also the author can teach us valuable things.
  • This visit was important because it helped us see and talk to George O’ Connor in-person, it also helped us learn more about Greek Mythology. It is important and powerful to have an author visit our school because it helps us talk or see our favorite authors and learn more about them. In addition, it also gives us a small break from school.

Another teacher also shared her students’ responses to “What I liked the best was…”

  • the way he explained his book and the way he drew ZEUS in 28 seconds; how he is able to make a small period of time into something really cool; When he showed his drawings/drawing fast
  • Book signings and pictures with him after school; seeing him at lunch; really enjoyed when I met him because he was really nice and caring
  • When he said that nobody is perfect and we can all make mistakes, that was really nice of him; 
  • My favorite moment from the author’s visit was when he told us the lesson which was like don’t be afraid to make mistakes and fail
  • How he used the errors without being scared
  • Funny stories; when he was making us laugh
  • I love this part because he explains books and explains how he did it. That’s why I love it.

As you can see from the comments and love, my students and I would highly recommend George for a school visit!

Signature