MEETING AUTHORS

6/16/19

Meg Medina

Newbery Award Winning Author

2018 Newbery Honor - Merci Suárez Changes Gears

Did you know that Meg Medina used to be a teacher? That was just one fun fact that I learned when I went to her book talk. Medina said that a lot of the events that happened in Merci's classroom actually happened when she was a teacher. There is one part in the book where Merci is trying to remove a plaster mask from a fellow classmate - and it gets stuck. Medina said that this happened once when she was a teacher and her student's eyebrows were pulled out by the plaster. Ouch!

The book Merci Suárez Changes Gears is the second story of the character Merci. Meg Medina originally wrote a short story about Merci in the book Flying Lessons and Other Stories (2017). there was something about the character Merci that Medina could not let go of. She said that Merci kept 'talking' to her and telling her that there was more story to tell. Medina said that this was her inner creativity telling her that there was a good story to tell. I'm so thankful that she listened to this inner voice - it is a wonderful book!

Another fun fact that Meg Medina shared is that her childhood best friend was named Raquel...but we know her better as R.J. Palacio. Author of the book Wonder! I showed her the picture of me with R.J. Palacio (see below), and she was so happy to see that I had met her dear friend. Medina shared that later that week, she was going to receive the Newbery Award, and her life-long friend Raquel was going to introduce her. She was so excited to share such a special moment with her dear friend.

3/24/19

Gareth Hinds

Author and Illustrator

In high school, most people have to read The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer. I somehow escaped having to read the ancient Greek texts...until this year. As part of a teacher class that would eventually bring me to Greece, I had to read both texts. To be honest, I had a hard time following the stories. Thank goodness Gareth Hinds wrote graphic novels of The Iliad and The Odyssey! Reading these books helped to bring the stories to life, and helped me to keep all of the characters straight!

I thanked Gareth Hinds for the understanding that his beautifully illustrated text brought to me. I shared that I was going on a teacher tour to Greece with the organization, The Examined Life. Well, it turned out that Hinds went on the very same trip as a resident scholar a few years earlier! He knew many of the people that I went to Greece with, and a few of them are named in the "Thanks" section at the back of his book! So cool!

3/14/19

Lisa Graff

National Book Award - Long Listed Author

One of my all-time favorite books is A Tangle of Knots (2013), so you can imagine my reaction when I found out that its author, Lisa Graff, was headed to An Unlikely Story! She was in town to read from her new book, Far Away (2019), a story about a girl who is raised by an aunt who is a psychic medium (a person who speaks to spirits for a living).

I asked Lisa Graff what educational path lead her to becoming a children's book writer. Though she loved writing stories all of her life, she did not major in writing in college. Graff never stopped creating stories, and decided to go to graduate school for Creative Writing. In 2000, she read the book Holes by Louis Sachar. The Newbery Award winning book made her realize that she could also write stories that would be perfect for children.

In A Tangle of Knots (2013), there are cake recipes throughout the book, and in A Clatter of Jars (2017), there are drink recipes sprinkled between chapters. I asked Lisa Graff if she created those recipes, and she said, "YES"! They are original recipes that she created through research, trial & error, and lots of taste tests!

2/11/19

Raina Telgemeier

New York Times Bestselling Author

2010 Horn Book Award Honor - Smile

Vera Brosgol

Caldacott Honor Author

2017 Caldacott Honor - Leave Me Alone!

WOW! This was an incredible night! Two amazing graphic novelists in one place - An Unlikely Story. I went with my mom and we saw: Mrs. Carey and her three daughters, Mrs. Chitty and her daughter, and so many Peirce students! The authors read from their books and even drew an original drawing together - it was such fun!

You know Raina Telgemeier from her graphic novels Smile (2010), Drama (2012), Sisters (2014), Ghosts (2016), and her interpretation of The Baby Sitters Club series (2006-2008). Telgemeier started her career by making small comic books and giving them away at comic book conventions! One of her early fans was Vera Brosgol! During the talk, she had people in the audience come up and read parts of her book Ghosts. One of Mrs. Carey's daughters was picked to read and she did a great job!

Vera Brosgol started her career as a cartoonist. She worked on the movies Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012), and The Boxtrolls (2014). One of her co-workers on Coraline, was Caldecott Award winning author/illustrator Jon Klassen (see 3/21/17 for more about him)! Her books are really funny, and she has a talent for taking awkward moments and finding the humor in the situation. Brosgol's book Leave Me Alone (2017) won a Caldacott Honor, and it is such fun to read. I highly recommend her book Be Prepared (2019), especially if you are headed off to summer camp!

1/31/19

Henry Winkler

Actor, Director, Producer, Best Selling Author

Lin Oliver

Writer, Producer, Founder, Best Selling Author

What a treat to meet Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver, the dynamic writing team behind the Hank Zipzer and Here's Hank series. I went with my mom and my friend Kelley. Henry Winkler is most famous for playing a character called "The Fonz" on the show Happy Days. Kelley is from Milwaukee, which is where his TV show, Happy Days, was set. We had just visited a statue called The Bronze Fonz in Milwaukee last November. Now, we got to meet the real Fonz!

Henry Winkler grew up with a learning challenge - dyslexia - only he didn't know that he had it until he was in his 30s! School was very hard for him because reading was such a challenge. He persevered and found that he had a great talent for acting. Henry Winkler is now a very famous actor! He and his friend Lin Oliver write books together about a character Hank Zipzer, who has a learning challenge. The books encourage all children to find their strengths and to show this world how special they are! Henry Winkler said that with all of his achievements, writing a book is what he is most proud of creating.

Lin Oliver has written and produced many TV shows and movies. She also writes the Fantastic Frame book series about neighbors who use a magical frame to enter famous paintings! You know that is my dream! One of the books is about Georges Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. I shared with Lin Oliver that I used to work at The Art Institue of Chicago (where that painting lives), and she was excited that we had that shared expeirence of seeing the painting up close and personal.

Lin Oliver helped turn the books Courdory by Don Freeman and Wayside School by Louis Sachar into TV shows. She wrote and produced another favorite TV show, Harry and the Hendersons, a show about Big Foot going to live with a family. Lin Oliver said that she is most proud of co-founding The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

1/31/19

Jeff Kinney

Best Selling Author and Illustrator

Owner of An Unlikely Story

While waiting to meet Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver, my friend Kelley and I went to track down Jeff Kinney, who had been running around the bookstore helping with the event. Kelley had bumped into him accidentally on her way to her seat, and wanted to apologize. He was working on his 14th Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, and was tucked away in a little office working. Through a hometown friend who works at An Unlikely Story, we were able to go behind the scenes to offer an apology and to thank him for his great books. Jeff Kinney was so nice and even showed us the pages that he had just created for book 14! What?! We got to see his work in progress - such a neat behind-the-scenes experience!

12/9/18

Chris Van Allsburg

Caldecott Award Winning Author and Illustrator

1982 Caldecott Award - Jumanji

1986 Caldecott Award - The Polar Express

This was a very special experience! Mrs. Salzsieder and I got coveted tickets to go see author and illustrator, Chris Van Allsburg, read his book The Polar Express aloud! What a treat to have the author of a beloved holiday book actually read it to you just before the holiday! He even brought a silver bell and a wooden train whistle to add to the experience.

After the reading, we got to meet Chris Van Allsburg, and Mrs. Salzsieder shared that one of our third grade writing units is based on his book The Mysteries of Harris Burdick! He was so happy to hear this and said that he loves reading the stories that children write for the Harris Burdick drawings.

12/6/18

David A. Kelly

Newton Mystery Author!

Thanks to the Peirce PTO, we had a great visit in school with local Newton author, David A. Kelly! He spent an hour chatting with each class, and told us all about his journey to become an author. He was inspired by his children, who loved reading mysteries and books about sports. After doing a bit of research, Kelly realized that there weren't yet any books that combined mysteries and sports...so he decided to fill that hole. Thus began his journey into creating the Ballpark Mystery Series, starting with The Fenway Foul-Up (2011).

David A. Kelly talked about his writing process, the importance of getting rejected (when you revise stories, they get better and better), and how he has yet to meet the illustrator of his books, Mary Meyers! He researches each story by visiting a new ballpark, and by learning about the local culture. An example of this is in The Fenway Foul-Up: did you know that there are initials of the Yawkey family written on the Green Monster - in Morse Code? Such a cool fact!

12/1/18

Sophie Blackall

Caldecott Medal Winning Illustrator

2016 Caldecott Medal - Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear

A trip to the Museum of Fine arts ended in a surprise book signing with Sophie Blackall! She was there to support the exhibit Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic (on view until 1/6/19). She was so very nice, and said that she loved illustrating Finding Winnie (2105) because it was a wonderful true story, and there were lots of great photos from which to get inspiration. You may recognize her other illustrations in Winnie's Great War (2018), Ruby's Wish (2002), and the Ivy & Bean series. She is also the author and illustrator of Hello Lighthouse (2018).

Update January 2019: Sophie Blackall's book Hello Lighthouse! (2018) won the Caldecott Medal! This means that she earned the highest honor for picture books twice in three years!

10/25/18

Jason Reynolds

Newbery Honor Winning Author

2018 Newbery Honor - Long Way Down

Jason Reynolds was a captivating speaker. He told the story of his life, growing up in Washington, DC in the 1980s. Reynolds said that Hip Hop saved his life. The poetry of the lyrics were the first written text that grabbed his attention and got him interested in reading and writing. He has recently become most known for his Track Series including four books Ghost (2106), Patina (2017), Sunny (2018), and Lu (2018). Reynolds also wrote a Marvel story, Myles Morales: Spider Man (2017). In addition to writing YA novels, Reynolds is a professor in the Creative Writing program at Lesley University.

4/26/18

Blue Balliett

Award Winning Author

My mom and I went to go see Bule Balliett speak about her new book Out of the Wild Night, at An Unlikely Story. The book takes place on Nantucket, and is about a group of children who try to save old houses from being remodeled. The kids are given a little help...by the ghosts that live inside the old houses! This book has a crazy twist at the end that I didn't see coming.

I am a big fan of Blue Balliett's work, especially the mysteries that are set in Chicago. I used to work at The Art Institute of Chicago, and her first book Chasing Vermeer (2004) was set in and around the Institute. Of course, I loved that there was also a deep connection to art and artists. I highly recommend this book, as well as the companion books The Wright 3 (2006), and The Calder Game (2008). Make sure to grab a set of pentominoes from class when reading these books - they are the main character's favorite thinking tool.

4/2/18

Kwame Alexander

Newbery Award Winning Author

2015 Newbery Award - The Crossover

Ms. Breen and I went to see poet, author, knower of songs, and entertainer extraordinaire, Kwame Alexander. His book The Crossover, about a boy who plays basketball, won the Newbury Award. Turns out, he plays tennis - not basketball! Alexander also wrote Booked (2016), Solo (2017), and Rebound (2018) which is a companion to The Crossover (2014). Oh, and Jeff Kinney (author of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid) stopped by to chat! He owns the bookstore An Unlikely Story, where the talk took place.

3/25/18

Peter Brown

Caldecott Honor Wining Author and Illustrator

2013 Caldecott Honor - Creepy Carrots

The Wild Robot (2016) is my favorite read aloud book. Lots of Peirce students attended the book talk at Brookline Booksmith. We found out that his favorite color is pink, because it makes other colors look better. Peter Brown shared that he had always planned on Roz being a female robot, because there were not enough female robots as heroes, and he also wanted her to be Brightbill's mother. The chapter books started from an idea he had for another book, The Curious Garden (2009). Brown drew a robot in a tree, but didn't use the drawing for that book. He kept the sketch because he thought there was a story within the drawing. It took Brown years to write The Wild Robot, but it was worth the wait! His other great books include Creepy Carrots (2012), Mr. Tiger Goes Wild (2013), and The Wild Robot Escapes (2017).

3/8/18

Chelsea Clinton

New York Times Best Selling Author

The former first daughter and I were very excited to meet each other. Chelsea shared with me that she skipped 3rd grade, but feels like she missed out because it seems to be everyone's favorite grade. I was worried that she never learned cursive, but it turns out she learned it in 4th grade. Phew! Her books She Persisted (2017), and She Persisted Around the World (2018), introduce us to phenomenal women who helped to change the world.

1/27/18

Peter H. Reynolds

Award Winning Author and Illustrator

Peter H. Reynolds is one of the nicest people I have ever met! He greets you with a hug, and listens carefully to what you have to say. I've met him many times because he is a local author, and owns The Blue Bunny Bookstore in Dedham. His most famous book, The Dot (2003), is now celebrated on September 15th each year across the world, called International Dot Day! Peirce School celebrates by reading the book and engaging in creative activities. Today was all about The Word Collector, which is about a boy who loves to collect and use new vocabulary words. He commented that my outfit matched the new book perfectly - what luck!

10/18/17

Avi

Newbery Medal Award and Newbery Honor Award Winning Author

1991 Newbery Honor - True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

1992 Newbery Honor - Nothing but the Truth

2003 Newbery Award - Crispin: The Cross of Lead

My mom has always LOVED books by Avi, so I surprised her and brought her to meet her favorite children's book author! We were so thrilled to meet the three-time Newbery winner. Wanting to get the best seats, we arrived early, and so did Avi! The three of us chatted for a long time, and he graciously answered so many of our questions. One thing that was interesting to learn is that Avi has a serious reading and writing learning disability. He worked hard as a child to develop strategies to learn to read and write - and now he makes a living writing books. That is a great success story! What a treat to meet Avi and to listen to him read from his new book, The Player King.

10/10/17

Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple

Award Winning Co-Authors, Mother & Daughter

1998 Caldecott Award (Jane Yolen) - Owl Moon

A great author chat today with Caldecott Award winning author Jane Yolen and her daughter and co-author Heidi E. Y. Stemple! They were so sweet with all of the children as they read You Nest Here with Me. They also had LOTS of love for teachers. They are planning a special event in March to celebrate the release of Jane Yolen's 356th book. (They are also neighbors and friends with Jarrett Krosoczka!)

10/8/17

Oliver Jeffers

Author and Illustrator

As if my day wasn't great enough getting to meet Jarrett J. Krosoczka, I then got to meet author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers! You probably know him as the illustrator of The Day the Crayons Quit (2013), and The Day the Crayons Came Home (2015). He was such a funny speaker, and drew many of his characters for the audience to see as he spoke. I didn't realize that Jeffers was originally from Northern Ireland, but his accent gave it away. He read from his new book Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth. It is one of the sweetest books I have ever read. Truly, every person should have this book - it reminds us that we are never alone on planet earth.

10/8/17

Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Author and Illustrator

Thanks to our PTO, Peirce School was so lucky to have a wonderful visit with author Jarrett J. Krosoczka! He gave a presentation about growing up in Massachusetts, and the importance of drawing and creating in his life. Krosoczka then gave a workshop to the 3rd graders on how to create graphic novels. When students were at lunch, the third grade teachers had a chat with this wonderful author/illustrator and all-around great person! Krosoczka is best known as the author and illustrator of the Lunch Lady series, the Platypus Police Squad series, and the Star Wars: Jedi Academy series (book 4 and beyond).

9/9/17

Susan Verde & Peter H. Reynolds

Bestselling Author and Illustrator Team

What a treat to meet this dynamic writing and illustrating team on a beautiful September Saturday. Susan Verde is the author and Peter H. Reynolds is the illustrator of a series of books together. The book signing took place outside and Susan Verde & Peter H. Reynolds took the time to chat with each person in line. I Am Peace is the follow up to the book I Am Yoga (2015), and they announced that there will be a third book coming out soon called I Am Human!

7/13/17

Chris Colfer

Actor and New York Times Bestselling Author

What a treat to see the dynamic Chris Colfer talk about the final instillations of the Land of Stories series! The stories take place in a land where the characters of fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Cinderella all live in the same area. There are surprising character traits - like how Little Red Riding Hood is a spoiled princess.

Before becoming an author of an amazing, adventurous, and creative series, he was best known for being an actor on the TV show, Glee. The event was so much fun - his flair for drama really added to the presentation. He invited people who dressed as characters from the books up on stage to meet him - and he judged the best costume. The winners got a gift basket filled with lots of literary goodies. My favorite part was when Colfer invited the audience to 'stump' him - they could ask any detailed queston about the books and if he couldn't recall the information, they would win a prize. He called on the people sitting next to me, and they stumped him! They were so excited because this meant that they got to meet him. The best part was that they had come all the way from Canada to go to the show! Chris Colfer made everyone feel so special and part of a community.

5/19/17

Charles Barkley

Author, NBA Basketball All-Star, Olympian

When everyone loved the Bulls in the 1990s, I loved the Phoenix Suns. I ran into Charles Barkley in Boston... and it was dream come true! And then Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, and Marv Albert (Syracuse graduate) walked by - it was crazy! I got to tell Charles Barkley what a fan I was, and he said, "Well thank you so much, that is very kind of you."

I called my brother to tell him and his response was, "That's awesome, Em! That is YOUR dream!" (meaning that everyone else would rather meet Michael Jordan :))

4/8/17

Gene Luen Yang

Award Winning Author and Illustrator

2016-2018 Library of Congress National Ambassador for Young People's Literature

2016 MacArthur Fellow, Genius Grant Recipient

2013 National Book Award Finalist - Boxers & Saints

Gene Luen Yang spoke to a group of teachers at the Eric Carle Museum about his writing and illustrating process. He most famous graphic novels are Boxers & Saints (2013), and American Born Chinese (2006). He is the current Library of Congress Ambassador for Young People's Literature. His job for two years is to encourage children to read!

3/21/17

Jon Klassen & Mac Barnett

Caldecott Medal & Honor Winning Authors and Illustrator

2013 Caldecott Medal (Jon Klassen) - This Is Not My Hat

2013 Caldecott Honor - Extra Yarn

2015 Caldecott Honor - Sam & Dave Dig a Hole

Oh my! These two guys were such a hoot! Jon Klassen (author/illustrator) and Mac Barnett (author) have worked together on many projects including Extra Yarn (2012) Sam & Dave Dig a Hole (2014), and now Triangle. You can tell that Jon and Mac have worked together for a long time - they are really funny together, and joke around a lot. But, they take making books very seriously. Jon shared his illustration making process alonside Mac's writing process. They clearly build off of each other's ideas, and like to include small details that you pick up on after many reads of their books. Something fun that Mac Barnett shared is that he realized that creating children's books was a profession from his friend...whose dad is Jon Scieszka!

11/22/16

Grace Lin

Newbery Honor Award Winning Author

2010 Newbery Honor - Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

2016 National Book Award Finalist - When the Sea Turned to Silver

I met Grace Lin today at the Blue Bunny Bookstore. I love her books Where the Mountain Meets the Moon (2009), and Starry River of the Sky (2012). Lin masterfully weaves traditional Chinese tales into one story. She also includes beautiful colorful illustrations that she created based on places she visited in China. She is a wonderful storyteller, her books are a joy to read, and I can't wait to dive into this new story. Grace Lin was so friendly, welcoming, and appreciative to all of the children and adults who came out to meet her.

Update - January 2019: Grace Lin's book A Big Mooncake for Little Star (2018) won the Caldecott Honor!

11/10/16

Jenny Slate

Author and Actor

I went to go see Jenny Slate talk about her new book - cowritten with her dad, Ron Slate - About a House. They wrote the book together about the house that she grew up in Milton - there were many funny stories to share! She was kind and sweet and gave everyone hugs. Her children's books Marcel the Shell with Shoes On: Things about Me (2011), and Marcel the Shell: The Most Surprised I've Ever Been (2014) are about the life of a fictitious shell that wears red sneakers. They are funny and really sweet. Her friend Chris Evans (Captain America) was in the audience to support her - it was fun to spot him in the crowd.

11/5/16

Matt de la Peña

Newbery Award and Caldecott Honor Winning Author

2016 Newbery Award - Last Stop on Market Street

2016 Caldecott Honor - Last Stop on Market Street

My mom and I went to see Newbery Award, Caldacott Medal, and Coretta Scott King Award wining author, Matt de la Peña. He spoke about social justice, giving back to your community, and being thankful for what we have. He read the book Last Stop on Market Street from memory, and had a cool beat to his voice. It turns out that before writing books, de la Peña was a spoken word artist. This means that he would write poetry and perform his works out loud with a rhythm and cadence that almost makes it sound like music. We also learned that he played basketball in college - which helps to explain why he was much taller in person than I had imagined.

5/3/16

Rick Riordan

Award Winning and Bestselling Author

This was the second time that I went to see Rick Riordan release a new book. He is most famous for writing Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2005). My friend Mrs. Hartford (Literacy Specialist at Cabot) and I went to the release of The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle. Woah - if you get the chance to go to a Rick Riordan event - GO! It is a FUN time! Because Disney owns the rights to his books, they spare no expense when launching a new series. There's music, give aways (I got a t-shirt and a foam shield), autographed books, and of course - an interview with the author! Rick Riordan started writing books because he wanted his son who had the reading challenge of dyslexia, to be able to enjoy the stories of the Greek Gods. Well, it was a good decision, because he has now created a literary empire! And isn't it cool that we can call Riordan a neighbor? He lives in Cambridge! The Magnus Chase series is set in Boston for this reason.

12/17/15

Bert Jacobs & John Jacobs

Authors, Brothers, and Owners of Life is Good

This brothers who own the t-shirt company, Life is Good, wrote a book titled Life is Good The Book: How to Live with Purpose & Enjoy the Ride. Bert & John tell the story of growing up in the suburbs of Boston in a big family. They didn't grow up with a lot of money, but their parents gave them a lot of love, and always kept a positive attitude. They took these ideas and turned them into a very successful company, Life is Good. You might even have one of their t-shirts!

The talk was at The Blue Bunny, and twin brothers Peter & Paul Reynolds were there to support their friends Bert & John Jacobs. They hopped into the picture and swapped their books.

It was nice to see Bert and John again! I had met them a few years before though my cousin, who is friends with Bert.

11/16/15

Bill Nye the Science Guy

Author and Science Advocate

Bill Nye and I are besties. It's true! This was the second time that I had met him. Once before after one of his science shows, and today at his book signing. Bill Nye is a science education icon! His TV show, Bill Nye the Science Guy got children excited about learning science. Now he is working to inform adults about climate change and other challenges that can be solved with scientific solutions. This was an adult book signing, but he has a children's mystery book in the works. I am excited for that to come out!

10/7/15

Jason Segel

Actor and Bestselling Author

So excited to see each other again! This was the second time that I met Jason Segel, this time he was promoting his book Nightmares! The Sleepwalker Tonic, about a group of children who work to overcome a nightmare character entering the waking world. During his book talk, he mentioned that one of his characters was a big fan of Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson. He then shared that it was really him that was the fan. Well, I too am a fan of Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and I was sitting in the front row. He looked out at the audience, and I guess I looked really excited, because Jason Segel started talking with me about how awesome the charismatic scientist is. When I met him in the signing line, he said, "Hey! You're the Neil DeGrasse Tyson fan!" We chatted for a while and laughed a lot.

6/24/15

Judy Blume

Bestselling Author

When I was younger, there weren't as many children's authors out there. No Harry Potter, no Percy Jackson, no Lemony Snicket, and no Diary of a Wimpy Kid. For me, it was all about Judy Blume. She wrote one of my favorite books, Freckle Juice (1971), and this freckled-faced kid was hooked from there. (That is a picture of me drinking the recipe for Freckle Juice after a group of students read the book in class. It was disgusting and gave me a stomach ache!) I went on to read the Fudge series: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (1972), Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great (1972), Superfudge (1980), and Fudge-a-Mania (1990). They were the perfect reads for me when I was in elementary school. Blume would later release another Fudge book called Double Fudge in 2002. I was in college by then, but Fudge stayed the same age.

Judy Blume also writes books for adults. At this event, she was promoting the book, In the Unlikely Event, a fictional story set within true events. In her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey, there were three plane crashes in three months - many of the people survived thanks to fast acting residents. Blume was a young teenager when these tragic accidents happened, and the events stuck with her. She used this time in Elizabeth, NJ, as the setting of a story about a fictional girl.

9/12/14

Jason Segel

Actor and Bestselling Author

You may know Jason Segel as Gary from the movie The Muppets, or maybe from the TV show How I Met Your Mother. But he is also an author! He co-wrote the book Nightmares! with Kirsten Miller, and it is awesome. The story is about a boy who has recurring nightmares...but it get worse! The nightmares start to invade the waking realm. The characters in the book need to work together to defend their town and rid it of the nightmare characters. Jason Segel shared that he had recurring nightmares as a child. One day he realized that he had the power to reimagine the nightmares so that he would defeat the villains in his dreams.

10/28/13

Patricia Polacco

Award Winning Author and Illustrator

I love Patricia Polacco's picture books. She brings tales from her family and her Jewish Ukranian heritage to life in her stories and illustrations. My favorite book is The Keeping Quilt (1988), which is about a quilt that has been passed down from family member to family member. You learn the history of the family through the life of the quilt. The book Thank you, Mr. Falker (1998), is another famous book that you may want to check out. We chatted for a little bit, and she shared that she was about to become a grandmother - what an exciting time in life!

8/18/13

Congressman John Lewis

Congressman, Civil Rights Activist, Author

In the 1960s, Congressman John Lewis was in his early 20s, and the world was changing around him. People were fighting to end segregation in the United States, and Lewis wanted to be part of it. He was a Freedom Rider in 1960, and was the chairman of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1963-1966. SNCC was responsible for coordinating many non-violent protests, and was most famous for organizing The March on Washington in 1963. This is the event where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his powerful 'I Have a Dream' speech. Well, John Lewis was the person who spoke before and introduced Dr. King. In fact, they were very close friends.

In 1964, Lewis coordinated Freedom Summer, where African American residents were registered to vote. In 1965, he participated in the Selma to Montgomery marches, and was severely beaten severely.

It was an honor to hear Congressman Lewis recall his role in history. To then meet him was a privilege. His book March: Book One, is the first of three graphic novels to retell his role in the Civil Rights Movement. It is an engaging book, and I hope it brings an understanding of our history to many more citizens.

6/13/13

Carl Hiaasen

Newbery Honor Winning Author

2003 Newbery Honor - Hoot

Carl Hiaasen is an author for the Miami Herald newspaper in Florida. He also writes novels for adults and books for children. What I love about his books is that everyday children work together to save wild animals. Hiaasen used the books Hoot (2002), Flush (2005), Scat (2009), and Chomp (2012), to bring attention to wildlife and environmental issues in Florida. When I told him that my cousin was about to start college at The University of Florida, he wrote a special inscription for her in the book Chomp - such a sweet gesture!

5/5/13

Mo Willems

Caldecott Honor Winning Author and Illustrator

2004 Caldecott Honor - Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus

2005 Caldecott Honor - Knufflebunny: A Cautionary Tale

Mo Willems of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Elephant and Piggie fame. He banned iPhone videos during his lecture because he wanted everyone to enjoy the present moment. Love that idea! Williams was funny and very entertaining. If you ever get the chance to hear him read Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, you will never read it the same again! He put so much emotion into reading, that his whole body danced around the stage. Did you know that before writing children's books, he wrote and animated for Sesame Street? He also lives in Massachusetts!

1/11/13

Jerry Spinelli & Clare Vanderpool

Newbery Award Winning Author

1991 Newbery Award - Maniac Magee

1998 Newbery Honor - The Wringer

Newbery Award Winning Author

2011 Newbery Award - Moon Over Manifest

Hard to believe that I was in the same room - and got to meet - TWO Newbery Award Winning authors! They were both promoting new books, and decided to tour together. Jerry Spinelli, author Maniac Magee (1990), The Wringer (1996), Stargirl (2000), and Milkweed (2003), just wrote Hokey Pokey - a book about childhood imagination. Clare Vanderpool, author of Moon Over Manifest (2010), just wrote her second book, Navigating Early - about a young girl who is trying to navigate life with her brother who has special needs. Clare Vanderpool gently teased Jerry Spinelli when someone in the audience asked what it was like to win the Newbery Award. She said, "Well, I won the Newbery with my first book, so it felt pretty great!" Spinelli smiled and laughed because Maniac Magee was his sixth book.

11/29/12

RJ Palacio

Bestselling Author

Every now and again, a book spreads like wildfire among teachers. RJ Palacio's book Wonder came out in February this year, and immediately became a favorite read aloud for elementary classrooms. The book is filled with so many messages about friendship, differences, and being kind.

Understanding Our Differences chose Wonder as its book of the year, and hosted an evening with author RJ Palacio in one of our Newton schools! WGBH Radio host, Brian O'Donovan, was the host and interviewer. I listen to his radio show each week, so imagine my excitement when I turned around to see him standing right behind me! I went to introduce myself, and he turned and introduced me to RJ Palacio! What a thrill! I told her how much the book meant to me and to my students. Inclusion is such a cornerstone of Newton Public Schools, and to read a book with a main character with a physical disability was empowering for many of our students.

RJ Palacio was so kind, and was a great person to listen to speak about her writing process. She chose to write the story from many characters' points of view, but it was important that she didn't retell the same scene over and over again. Her goal was to continue telling the story in chronological order, but reveal details that explain events that happened earlier in the book.

10/22/12

Lois Lowry

Newbery Award Winning Author

1990 Newbery Award - Number the Stars

1994 Newbery Award - The Giver

Did you know that The Giver is the first book in a quartet (set of four)? It's true! The Giver was written in 1993, and is considered to be the first YA dystopian novel. Lowry wrote Gathering Blue seven years later in 2000, and followed that up four years later with Messenger in 2004. This evening was connected to the release of the final book in the series, Son - released eleven years after the first book! She wrote many other books in between, including the Goonie Bird series, and my favorite book, The Willoughbys (2008)! Did you know that Lois Lowry lives in Massachusetts?

9/19/12

Sharon Creech

Newbery Award and Newbery Honor Winning Author

1995 Newbery Medal - Walk Two Moons

2001 Newbery Honor - The Wanderer

It was joy to listen to- and then meet - Newbery Award winning author, Sharon Creech. She is the author of some of my very favorite books, including Ruby Holler (2002), Chasing Redbird (1997), and her new book, The Great Unexpected. Creech shared that there are two main types of stories to write; a stranger comes to town, or the character goes on a journey. She also said that many of her characters don't have parents present in the story because it makes the adventure easier to happen. Most parents would stop children from doing unsafe activities that make great stories in books!

10/29/11

Lois Lowry & Chris Van Allsburg

Newbery Award Winning Author

1990 Newbery Award - Number the Stars

1994 Newbery Award - The Giver

Caldecott Award Winning Author and Illustrator

1982 Caldecott Award - Jumanji

1986 Caldecott Award - The Polar Express

Lois Lowry and Chris Van Allsburg teamed up to promote their new compilation of short stories The Chronicles of Harris Burdick. Fourteen Authors tell tales to accompany the illustrations of Chris Van Allsburg's The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (1984). Van Allsburg swore that he was NOT the illustrator of the images, and that they really were given to him by a mysterious man. You can be the judge when we write stories inspired by these illustrations in the spring!

I was excited to be beside two of the best minds in children's literature sitting at one table!

With Chris Van Allsburg - 20 years after he had dinner with my family at our house!

7/31/11

Jimmy Fallon

Author, Comedian, Talk Show Host

My friend Nicole and I were two of 100 people to get to see a special interview at CBS Sunday Morning Studios in NYC featuring Jimmy Fallon! He spoke about his new book, Thank You Notes, as well as his new role as host of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Nicole and I got to meet Jimmy after the interview and he signed our books. He was very sweet and thanked us for being smiling faces in the crowd. In this picture, he is being taught how to tie a bowtie by journalist, Charles Osgood.

12/17/10

Steve Martin

Author, Comedian, Actor, Musician

My friend Austin and I were two of 100 people to get to see a special interview at CBS Sunday Morning Studios in NYC, featuring Steve Martin. I love his children's book Late to School (2010). He spoke about his new book for adults, An Object of Beauty, as well as his decades-long acting and comedy career. Martin also played the banjo for us - he has his own band - Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers. My question was selected from the audience, "What advice do you have for me as I begin teaching elementary school?" Sadly, he didn't have any advice for me. When I met him after the interview, he apologized for not having any advice, but he wished me well in my teaching career. (Blurry photograph taken by my friend.)