EXCERPTS FROM RECENT LETTERS TO THE MAESTROS
"You two have the remarkable gift of being able to engagingly share your creative process in a way that opens up the minds of our children. It is very unique to find a writer or an illustrator (let alone one of each!) who has the gift of reaching out as you do to the students."
A parent in Massachusetts
"I would not hesitate to recommend you to any school. Your program touched so many areas of the curriculum."
A librarian in Illinois
"The demand for your books from our school library was so great after the visit that I had to ration them, a few at a time for each class."
A librarian in Rhode Island
"You have a wonderful way with children which is evident in your presentations as well as in your interactions on a one-to-one basis with students in our school."
A librarian in New York
The effect of a combined author/illustrator visit was very powerful... your remarks about the writing process, the necessity of research, and the importance of editing were just what the doctor ordered... it was just as interesting for the staff as it was for the students."
A principal in Massachusetts
"I must tell you that your visit to J.L. Buford School was beyond our expectations. As the time for your visit neared, I kept worrying; will they be hard to please, demanding, prima donnas who don't like the food, the facilities? Will the room be too cold, too small to suit, will the kids be rude and fidgety?
Well, none of those things happened. You were easy to work with, and the students and teachers were unanimous in their praise for you and your program...Several of our classes went on a field trip last week to a Lewis and Clark museum near Alton, IL. I noticed that some of them had brought back reproductions of documents from that era, no doubt convinced by you that these were better souvenirs than toys or candy. I would not hesitate to recommend you to any school. Your program filled many of our requirements: fine arts, writing, social studies, for state standards plus the Core Knowledge curriculum. Feel free to pass my name along to a school who would like a recommendation for a visit from you. Thanks so much for a very special day. I got a lot of complimants for the day, but the compliments go to you."
Susan Wells, School Library Media Specialist
J.L.Buford Elementary School
Mount Vernon, Illinois
"Thank you so much for your outstanding presentations to our students here at Lincoln Central Elementary School.You were billed as the highlight of our Reading Week celebration and that you were! The demand for your books from our school library was so great afterwards that I had to ration them by raffling the books a few at a time with each class... the teachers deeply appreciated your impressing the children about the need for editing and revising work to create a quality piece. And the students got to see your own efforts firsthand with the samples you brought with you. How effective! We are all waiting for the publication of LIBERTY OR DEATH and all future books. I have enclosed some letters from the children so that you could see their comments for youselves."
Patricia McHugh, Librarian
Lincoln Central Elementary
Lincoln, Rhode Island
"Thank you so much for your wonderful presentation to our first grade and kindergarten students. The students and teachers were all very impressed... Having both an author and an illustrator was very powerful and enjoyable. Your presentation was very appropriate for five and six year olds. I think it gave them a lasting impression about the writing process... we are teaching the writing process through Writer's Workshop. Your presentation helped to focus on the importance of editing and the hard work that goes into achieving a final product... We will treasure the wonderful illustrations you left with us and we look forward to having you visit our school again in the future."
Roz Jette, Grade One Teacher
Latimer Lane Elementary
Weatogue, CT
"On behalf of the faculty, staff, P.T.O., and all of the students at Farmdale Elementary School, I would like to thank you for a wonderful day of excellent presentations... Thank you too, for taking the time to sign our books and for answering all those questions that came into the library after each presentation... what a wonderful way to make the children feel that they were a special part of your visit... You bring a fresh and very appealing style to children's nonfiction books..."
The Author Visitation Committee
Farmdale Elementary School
Mount Joy, Pennsylvania
"The Smallwood Drive PTA officers and Membership were extremely pleased with both your book selection and your evening presentation. Encouraging our children in the writing process is essential to our goal of reading to write and writing to read. It is always a pleasure to see the students feel that good quality writing is not only a worthwhile goal but one they are capable of attaining... We hope you enjoyed Smallwood as much as we enjoyed hosting you."
Ann Kern
President, Smallwood Drive PTO
Smallwood Drive Elementary School
Amherst, New York
"Thank you very much for your visit to our school on Wednesday. It was a great day! Thank you for sharing your insights and strong work ethic. it is important for children of all ages to hear that success comes from work. I have heard very positive comments from the staff and the students. It is always a pleasure to have an author program that really engages them in the presentation as you did. Our teachers were impressed with your management style and the written answers to additional questions."
Chris Novak
Library Media Specialist
Northvale Public Schools
Northvale, New Jersey
"The visual of your manuscript filled with all those little post-its with revision suggestions was the greatest gift you could have given to all our teachers. Helping the students to understand how revisions work and how valuable they are is an important lesson. I cannot thank you enough for sharing part of your lives with us. Know that we believe that you have been an important partner in our quest to develop wonderful writers of the future."
Wendy Scheinberg
Curriculum Specialist
West Hartford School System
West Hartford, Connecticut
"The positive impressions made with our students ranging from kindergarten to Grade Five were quite notable. To share an example, one parent mentioned that instead of receiving the usual answer to the What did you do in school today? question, the child bubbled with information about writing, illustrating and revising for almost thirty minutes! Wow, that's impact!"
Mary Lou Svencer, Teacher
S.B. Butler Elementary
Mystic, Connecticut
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