We had two separate author visits at Rowland Hall in the past month: Jon and Pamela Voelkel and Doreen Cronin. They gave great presentations. If any authors read this blog, please pay attention. We do not want movie stars. We want substance. It is a big deal when we have visitors in to talk to several grades at a time. When we rearrange all the classes and some specialty teachers offer to catch up the missed classes during their own planning time, when the administration contacts teachers and convinces them to put aside a math lesson or postpone a reading group, I want it to be worth their time. As a librarian, I want the students to learn something new, to be motivated to write and to be excited about reading. Movie stars just leave the kids dazzled. A good presentation can even do that too, while it adds something to our students’ lives. Don’t waste my time with fluff!
The Voelkels(The Jaguar Stones series) spoke about the Maya with the students in grades 3-5. The authors taught them about the mammals and insects and snakes in the rain forest. They compared them to kids encountered on the playground. They even had the teachers eat some gross food from the rain forest(meal worms!) They taught about the Maya mythology and even debunked some of the common thoughts about these people. For fun Jon played his guitar and taught the kids some rock star moves. In the background they played the sounds of the rain forest. What an educational and exciting experience the kids had!
Doreen Cronin (J.J. Tully Mysteries, Click Clack Moo, Cows that Type, etc.) spoke to the younger students. She talked about what it takes to write a book. She told them where her ideas come from, how she formulates a story from an idea. And then she shared where her characters come from: her family. She showed pictures of family members and then explained how they became her characters. When the students left the hall, they begged their teachers to let them write.
This is what school presentations should be about.
Roaring Reads Reviews 