Meeting mentors

Students learn from authors during Young Authors days.

By: Donna Lukiw
   Students throughout the school district have been enjoying firsthand lessons from the authors and illustrators of some of their favorite books this month, as the schools mark Young Authors events in the district.
   At Woods Road Elementary School, students grappled to identify mysterious items in a box to challenge their ability to write descriptive phrases, shared what gave them goose bumps and tried to decipher pictures at the optical illusion table during the school’s annual Young Authors Day on May 12.
   While the students played games, they also learned about their favorite stories from a visiting author and an illustrator who visited the school and gave a series of presentations.
   Young Authors Day is a time for elementary school students in the district to meet the authors of their favorite books and learn how the writers come up with their story ideas. The children play games, think of their own story ideas and learn a little history.
   At Woods Road School, the students had an opportunity to spend the day with David Adler, the well-known author of the popular "Cam Jansen" series, and Budd Lake resident Tim Jacobus, who illustrated the "Goosebumps" series.
   And as the students listened to Mr. Adler and Mr. Jacobus speak about their story ideas, the students also had been working on their own Young Authors Day books, including biographies, historical stories and fiction, and shared them with their classmates during their free period.
   While Woods Road School had a fun-filled full-day event, other Hillsborough elementary schools also were celebrating reading and writing.
   "Celebrating writing is inspiring and motivating for our students," Amsterdam Elementary School reading specialist Julia Staats said. "Writing is hard work, but richly rewarding especially when shared with peers. Writers need an audience, and the sharing event provides an audience for each student for a project on which they expended a lot of time and effort."
   Amsterdam Elementary School celebrated Young Authors Day on May 4 with the author and illustrator Michael Dooling who writes and illustrates picture books for young readers about famous historical people.
   "By having a working author and/or illustrator share his or her craft with young students, they are able to see that writing is part of the larger world and that it can be a real way to make a living," Ms. Staats said. "These authors usually share with the children where they get their ideas, how they research their subject before writing, how long it takes them to write a book and how they receive help from editors."
   Mr. Dooling made three presentations to the school, signed books that the students had bought, and sketched the faces of 10 students, Ms. Staats said.
   "These visiting authors are looked upon as celebrities, and I often have several children tell me after the visit that they, too, want to be an author," Ms. Staats said. "This occasion provides teachers with a great opportunity to encourage young people to look up to a profession worthy of admiration."
   While Amsterdam Elementary School celebrated Young Authors Day in May, it will have the second part of the program on June 1 when students will share books they have written and illustrated as part of the writing program. Each class is paired up with another class and they read their books aloud to each other.
   Triangle Elementary School was expecting a visit Wednesday from children’s author Bruce Coville, a science fiction and fantasy writer.
   "I think it is so beneficial for students to meet all types of authors and have the opportunity to speak with them," Triangle Principal Beth Godett said. "In this case they are able to make a connection with someone who is well-respected as a children’s author."
   During the presentation, Mr. Coville also will provide his perspective as a writer, sharing how he puts his own thoughts together, how he develops characters and how he comes up with ideas about which to write.
   "He is someone other than their teacher or their parent who can provide feedback and inspiration," Dr. Godett said. "It is experiences such as these that may motivate a student to consider writing as a career or as an avocation. Writing is such an essential skill for students to master … taking every opportunity to help them see connections between writing and their everyday lives, to build their confidence as writers, and to foster a love for writing is so very important."
   The "Scooby Doo" series author James Gelsey visited Woodfern Elementary School students Monday sharing his ideas for his stories as well.
   "The major objective for the Young Authors Day is to have positive role models for the children," Woodfern Principal Matt Hoffman said. "By exposing children to authors who have successfully mastered their craft we hope to inspire students to continue writing and reading."
   Hillsborough Elementary School is planning on celebrating Young Authors Day today (Thursday), also with Mr. Coville.
   Besides listening to presentations throughout the day, the students also entered a writing contest and wrote a story based on one of Mr. Coville’s illustrations.
   Jessica Nardi, writing specialist at Hillsborough Elementary School, said the winner from each grade level will be selected by a committee of teachers. The winning students will get the chance to sit with Mr. Coville and share their stories with him.
   Later in the day, Mr. Coville will spend some time autographing books for the students.
   "I believe it is important for children to see themselves as writers," Ms. Nardi said. "Each year, every student in the school writes a book. It is a lot of work (for the students and the teachers!), but it is something they feel proud to have accomplished."
   Ms. Nardi said the students will also be sharing their finished books within their grade level, as well as having a cross-grade level sharing (during which older and younger students get together to share).
   "We like to bring authors into the school to talk with students about writing," Ms. Nardi said. "It is nice for the children to be able to meet a real author and hear about how to become one. It is especially exciting when we are able to host an author of books the students know and have read. Mr. Coville certainly fits that description."
   Margery Cuyler, a local author from Princeton, visited Sunnymead Elementary School on April 21 and gave four grade-level presentations to the students throughout the day.
   Ms. Cuyler has written more than 30 books, including "100th Day Worries," "That’s Good! That’s Bad!" "Groundhog Stays up Late" and "Big Friends."
   Ann Cucchiara, the writing content specialist at Sunnymead said throughout the Hillsborough School District, the students are required to use their writing skills as early as kindergarten.
   "This is a recursive procedure that encourages the students to take ownership for their own writing," Ms. Cucchiara said. "The children are taught strategies to make their writing sound better (revising), and look better (editing). For this reason, it is important for the children to see how published authors operate."