Yasmin John-Thorpe
As an author of children’s books, I had the opportunity to visit five classes at the Sahuarita Intermediate School, in Green Valley, and the second grade class at Bloom Elementary School, in Tucson, during The Love of Reading Weeks, February 5 to 9 and February 12 to 16.
Although the students were excited to meet the author who had created six books on Sonoran Desert animals, I first had to explain that I was actually a snowbird from British Columbia, Canada, who spent the winter months in Arizona at Quail Creek. This meant that I first had to get the class globe and point out where I live in Canada.
Explaining to the students about creating stories and having an illustrator draw what the words show is always enjoyable. Reading one of my books to the students was rewarding. In both schools the students were attentive, asking great questions about the story and about being an author. I had to explain I was not the illustrator as I could only draw stick people, and showed how wonderful the illustrators worked at bringing the story to life.
The Sahuarita Intermediate School invited me back for Career Days Wednesday, February 21 to explain all about being a writer to interested students.