Wow. Just…wow. I’ve had some great author visits in the last dozen years, but this one really kicks it.

Success #1: Investing the kids.
Starting with how invested (read that: EXCITED) the kids were to have me there illustrates how well the school prepared them. They did an author study, downloaded and gave the kids the activity pages from my site, and then lined the halls with the completed pages.

Success #2: Working together.
The parent org and the faculty worked together (GASP!) on organizing the visit. We ALL had lunch together (and the parents made the wonderful salads and home-baked brownies – YUMMMM!)

Success #3: General respect for the arts

I mean, just check out this artwork. I was FLOORED! This garden was made completely of separate pieces of ceramic flowers, leaves, butterflies, etc. The art teacher put it together in this gorgeous garden, which looks exactly how I’d like my real garden to look, actually! See the repetition of color? The massing of flowers? Stunning!

Here are more examples of the arts output (check out the shadows! the reflections! These are LITTLE KIDS – the school only goes up to fourth grade for crying out loud!)

And last, but definitely not least, Success #5: Making books…and authors important to the kids!

It starts with things like the Wall of Fame…
And is proven by questions like these (and I do not
exaggerate here!)

First grader: Why don’t your books have indexes?
Other first grader, having raised his hand: Because you don’t write non-fiction!

Or

Me (asking rhetorically, since, after all, they were only in first grade): What are three things every story must have to be a good story?
Kindergartener: Beginning, middle, and end!
Me: on floor after I fell down in shock.

Or

countless other little examples of how a school can make a day be one of the best author visit days in a dozen years of doing it. Thank you, Roaring Brook, and especially the moms who helped put out the 100+ hardcover books they sold, and stuck all the little post-its notes on, and made the food, and sent the flyers home and…and…and…I’m tired just thinking about all their hard work.

Thank you!