On Friday, March 25, 2022, it was my privilege to visit an elementary school for March Is Reading Month. It was a day for me to share the joy of reading and writing books. It was also a chance to share the wonder and power of books to take us on adventures. 

     Using my books Grandma’s Sock Drawer and A Home For Evert as examples, the classes and I explored the steps of the writing process together.

     Students from kindergarten through the fifth grade were the shining stars of each presentation, sharing with me their attentiveness, energy, and enthusiasm. 

     We embarked on the adventure of writing beginning with the hunt for an idea, looking far and near to discover ideas that are all around us and within. 

     Once we found our Best, Most Exciting, Fabulous Idea in the World we were ready to write it down and then share it with friends and teachers. It was after this sharing that we discovered that our Most Fabulous, Best Idea in the World needed some work. 
     “Should we throw our story away?” I asked when we found out it wasn’t perfect. 

     “NO!” agreed every class.

     So, we put on our working hardhat and erased and changed our stories until they were the best they could be. 

     “How many times do we fix our story?” I’d ask. “Once? Twice?”
     “Until it’s right!” the children encouraged me.

     We talked about the differences between Fiction and Nonfiction. We discovered that a writer could use facts, even in their fiction story, just like I did with my shrew, Evert.

     After reading scenes from my published book Grandma’s Sock Drawer and A Home for Evert, my newest story in the process of revision, we celebrated with applause for the wonders of words and their ability to whisk us away to new and exciting worlds. 

      My elementary friends and I parted with renewed interest in books and the writing process that creates them. 

     We all agreed that learning can be fun.