"I Love to Read" with Oakenwald Students!

Thank you Mr. Reimer's Grade 3/4 class!

Every time I do a school visit, I think, "Oh my gosh, it's even better than the last one!"

There is a definite pattern developing, and I love it.

Last Friday I had the pleasure of visiting Mr. Reimer's grade 3/4 class at Oakenwald School. They knew I was coming and had questions aplenty. This time, I was uber prepared. I even studied and knew that my book has 14 chapters, not 13 as I had previously believed.

Yup, that's the way I roll!

We delved into what inspiration means and where great writing ideas come from. We discussed the writing process and I showed them my current work in progress - all 32 chapters! (I told you I was better prepared!)

Just one or 652 edits to go!

Then we talked about how long it takes to get a book published and the importance of never giving up. It's just like learning to play the recorder - all wrong notes and squeaks at first, but with practice and determination, it turns into beautiful music. The same kind of effort is needed to make your written words leap off the page.

I was floored by the extent of knowledge those eight and nine year-old children already have. Kudos kids. Kudos teachers. Kudos parents.

And the absolute, positively best part? 
Mr. Reimer asked me to return to hold a writing workshop. 

Fueled by the student's enthusiasm and excitement, I nearly skipped out of his classroom at the end of the morning.

Can life truly get any better than this?

"I Love to Read" at École Crane

It all came full circle yesterday. I'm referring to my book reading at École Crane, not the fact that I began and ended the day with a bite (or six) of chocolate.

When I was a child, in the long ago days of yore, when there were no home computers and the world wide web would make one think of colossal spiders, I walked those halls myself. In the olden days though, it was simply Crane School, as French Immersion had yet to be invented.

I had the pleasure of being part of Crane's, "I Love to Read Month" and was asked to read from, Spaghetti is NOT a Finger Food, to all the third graders. Seeing my Sarah's beaming face smiling at me the entire morning, was one of my most favourite Mother Moments to date.

My earliest body of work.

I began by sharing the books I made when I was a 5th grade student at Crane. We then watched the book trailer and I read Lesson 5 - Lunch Time Can Be Tricky (spaghetti should never be eaten with your hands.)

Super cool and amazing book trailer.

When they asked me to read the next chapter, my heart soared. How could I say no?

So on we read - Lesson 6 - A Library Voice is Even Quieter Than an Inside Voice (the newest best book in the universe should never be on the top shelf.)

The kids asked awesome questions and we discussed Connor's Asperger's Syndrome. One little girl shared that her uncle has Asperger's and told us her understanding of what that meant. She was bang on.

I was able to stay with Sarah's class for a while longer, reading the first few chapters of Spaghetti and fielding more brilliant questions. Did I mention these kids were smart?

We finished off reading the "about the author" page from my grade 5 masterpiece, Sparky the Elf. The kids found it hilarious that 10 year old me was "great at climbing trees and talking and eating food." I am not exaggerating. I had skills.

Although I have given up climbing anything higher than a step stool, I am quite fond of talking (no kidding!) and eating all sorts of food. (especially chocolate)

"Sparky the Elf" Written and Illustrated by J.C. Griffiths. I was very accomplished in 1979.

  

1st School Reading a Success!

Me reading about slurping spaghetti.

I did it.

My very first school reading of Spaghetti is NOT a Finger Food and Other Life Lessons.

And I didn't faint, stumble on the way to the podium, or forget how to read English. (Although my vision did blur a few times. I was nervous, after all.)

My inaugural school visit was extra special as it was at Linden Meadows; the school where I am lucky enough to work. 

The sweetest moment of speaking to the entire K-grade 8 school? When the kids spontaneously began clapping to the book trailer. I bopped along with them and that bouncing meatball, feeling like I was the queen of the school.  I felt a lot like Connor, in Spaghetti, when he becomes the King of Robert H. Crane School.

Coolest Friday, ever.