Writing is a pretty solitary activity. So, it’s good once in a while to get out and visit with the ones we write for, the ones who read our books. And that’s what I did on Thursday, November 3 at the Durant, Iowa, Elementary School.
It’s good to know that some students read Banjo Granny carefully enough to wonder why Owen threw his socks out the window; or to know that someone wondered where the story of The Water Gift and the Pig of the Pig came from.
It’s good to know that the idea of a favorite place resonates with kids: it might be an aunt’s farm or a grandma’s kitchen but, as we discovered, it’s a place where a story can happen; it’s good to meet two young writers who are taking on the challenge of NaMoWriMo. Good luck!
Thanks Sheila Fargo for taking such good care of me all day, Maria Brown and Joy Sheeley for working out so many details in advance, and all the staff for their enthusiasm for books and stories. I could see in your students the effects of your commitment and felt privileged to spend the day with all of you.