Grace Lin Visits!

Something wonderful happens when an author/illustrator visits a school! It changes the way we read. It changes the way we think about writing. Today we had the enormous pleasure of welcoming Grace Lin to our school and library. We've been reading many of her wonderful books and getting ready to meet her for weeks. I think that she could tell that we already loved her when she was met with origami "friends" that students crafted to greet her. Grace Lin told everyone all about the process of having a book published. She started with her IDEA book and took us on a publishing tour. She led everyone in a fabulous step by step drawing lesson. One group drew happy dragons and the other group learned how to draw a dog. The Grace Lin books will be flying off the shelf and into backpacks when we return from spring break. What a treat!

Library Visit With Amanda

It's always fun to visit with former Parish students. Today, the first and second graders were treated to a storytime with former student and newly published author, Amanda Havard. Amanda's young adult book, The Survivors, is her first published novel and the first in a five book series. Amanda chose to read Goodnight Opus by Berkeley Breathed to a very attentive young audience. The story has the message that "sometimes it's good that we look for a way to depart from our text and get carried away." Amanda realized, when she was a Parish first grader, that she loved to make up stories and write them down. She found something that she loves to do, and she isn't afraid to try new things and depart from the text in her own life. Inspiring!

Author Visit!

You probably read about our visiting author, Susan Stevens Crummel in an earlier post. Wow! She sure knows how to captivate and inspire a crowd of young readers and writers! In three presentations, she described how she and her illustrator sister, Janet Stevens, and illustrator friend, Dorothy Donohue work together on their incredible, award winning books. Puppets and our own students helped make the stories come alive.
It was fun, fun, fun to have a library full of excited, laughing, and learning children!
Be sure to check out the notes our own Parish pets wrote to Mr. Mutt asking for advice. We LOVE that book!

Pocket Books

After Liz Garton Scanlon came to the library, some of our first graders jumped into writing "pocket books." Be sure to read some of these on the tall shelf behind the aquarium. A visit from an author is just so inspiring!

Liz Garton Scanlon Visit

Author visits are always exciting and fun. Some are inspiring and energizing. That's what we had when Liz Garton Scanlon came to meet with our kindergarten and first grade today. We were all looking forward to her visit, and we wanted to welcome her to Parish. We hoped that this "All the world is all of us" banner would let her know that we were thrilled to meet her.
Liz described her life as a writer. In her slippers, with her dog at her feet, sipping a cup of tea, she works hard doing the thing that she loves. She reminded us that sometimes it takes time and thought to make writing just right. She invited and encouraged the children to think, wonder, and share ideas. Hands were waving and heads were nodding as the children related to her message. Liz helped us notice details in the words and illustrations as she read All the World and A Sock is a Pocket for Your Toes. She even gave us a sneak peak of her newest book, Noodle and Lou, which is scheduled to be out in the spring. It was a fabulous morning with an outstanding author.

Secrets of Droon

We need to put Secrets of Droon books on speed dial on our library catalog. These books have been spinning on and off the shelves. Second graders are ready to meet the author, Tony Abbott on Wednesday. You can see for yourself...they have found a series that they like!

Authors are Coming!

Charlotte Walker was the beloved great grandmother of Emory and Sydney, two of our Parish students. She was also a school teacher who shared her love for literature with the children she inspired. A generous donation given in honor of Charlotte Walker has provided us with the incredible opportunity to bring some fantastic authors to Parish this year.


Liz Garton Scanlon will visit with the kinders and 1st graders on Monday, November 15. She is the amazing author of All the World which was the 2010 Caldecott Honor Book, a New York Times Best Book of 2009, a Kirkus Best Book of 2009, a School Library Journal Best Book of 2009, and a Parent's Choice Gold Award winner. Her new book, A Sock is a Pocket For Your Toes promises to be a favorite read-aloud in our library.



Second graders have ALL been reading and loving books in The Secrets of Droon series. After the classroom teachers read the first book in the series aloud, the students each chose another book in the series to read and discuss with a Friday afternoon book club in one of the classrooms or in the library. The book talk has been very lively! The books are full of so much fun excitement and adventure. The author, Tony Abbott, will be at our Midway campus meeting with the 3rd - 6th grades on Wednesday, November 17. We will join the presentation and conversation via Skype from the Hillcrest library.


Susan Stevens Crummel, the author of Cook-a-Doodle-Doo!, winner of the 2001 Texas Bluebonnet Award, The Great Fuzz Frenzy, winner of 10 state book awards, and Help Me, Mr. Mutt! one of Time Magazine's Top 10 Children's Books of 2008 and winner of the 2010 Texas Bluebonnet Award is scheduled to visit with the kindergarten, first and second grades in January. Some students from the Midway campus may join that visit via Skype. Susan is an amazing author who excites and energizes children about books.

Visiting with authors makes a tremendous impact on readers. I can't wait!