This year, we have been so lucky to partner with Little Shop of Stories in Decatur to bring not 1 - not 2 - but THREE authors to NPE!
In September, we welcomed Devin Elle Kurtz, author and illustrator of The Bakery Dragon and The Bakery Dragon and the Fairy Cake. Devin met our 1st and 2nd graders, shared her experience of becoming an author, explained how The Bakery Dragon came to be, and autographed books for those who ordered them. We learned a lot about how much time and dedication goes into writing and illustrating an entire book!
In October, we hosted Dan Gemeinhart, author of Busted, The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise series, and more! He presented to our 3rd-5th graders about why it's important to let yourself make mistakes without letting discouragement dominate. He motivated us to remember that it's not about perfection, but about determination! Since he visited, our 4 copies of Busted have been in constant circulation and have barely seen our library shelves.
Most recently, at the beginning of February, we welcomed the incredible Kate Messner. Kate has written over 75 books for children over the course of her career including the Over/Under series, the Ranger in Time series, and the currently-most-popular-book in the library, her graphic novel Camp Monster! Kate shared her writing process with our 2nd and 3rd graders, and even helped them design their own monster. We learned about how she creates characters by examining their likes, dislikes, and fears. She also visited our Pre-K class to read Over and Under the Coral Reef, which had them all completely entranced. It was such a meaningful way to reinforce the idea of authors to them, and help them remember that every book is written by someone!
For each of the in-person visits, Mrs. Dailey has helped inspire the kids through related art projects. For Devin Elle Kurtz's visit, students made their own dragon eyes using modeling clay. For Dan Gemeinhart's visit, she invited 4th graders to redesign the cover of one of his most loved books, Good Dog. For Kate Messner's visit, she guided the students toward designing their own monsters and helped facilitate a project where they each made their own pennant to show their love of Camp Monster! Her creativity and insight made each experience that much more meaningful.
Throughout the school year, we also engaged in virtual visits through Bookelicious and Kwame Alexander's non-profit, One Word at a Time. We've listened on live Zooms to incredible authors including Erin Entrada Kelly, Alan Gratz, Peter Brown, Andrea Davis Pinkney, Karyn Parsons, and Jerry Craft. We learned about the importance of telling stories we connect with, and also that the most important stage of writing - by far - is revising.
And we're not done yet! Still to come: virtual visits with Grace Lin (for 5th grade) and author Minh Le (for our Kindergarteners)!
What a year! We are so lucky to have this relationship with Little Shop of Stories and to have access to such great virtual events. It has made a huge difference in the diversity of our reading choices and in the reading culture overall!
Amy Lemons & Cara Spitzner
Principal & Media Specialist
