Bates Elementary School — such a respectful audience!
I’ve just returned from a school and library visit trip (three elementary schools in Dexter MI and my hometown library and can truthfully say these visits are one of my favorite parts of being a children’s book author. I adore seeing how our book has contributed to understanding, broadened perspectives, and encouraged questioning about the world. Yes, there have been some sleepless nights worrying about the technology (will the projector speak to the laptop? will the image on the screen project large enough for children in the back of a big room to see? will the microphone work?) and wondering about my presentation (will it engage almost 200 children ages 5-9 for an hour? can I lead a song without squeaking? will listeners leave with a greater appreciation for animals and their adaptations?). But the reactions are so worth any lack of sleep and caffeine works wonders! Stay tuned for lessons learned on the road…