“I wanted to send a quick note…thank [you] for taking the time to talk to the class today. [My child] was so excited and just abuzz afterwards. I think experiences like this really make a difference as we’re trying to keep [child] engaged and excited about school. So thank you very much!”

“You mean I get to keep this book forever?” (Spoken by a child in tears who was gifted with one of my books at a school visit and had never owned a book before.)

“I tell children everywhere I go that they should never give up. I share my writing journey with them. Writing is hard, but it is so worth it. I tell children to learn everything they can, that even though I am an adult I am still learning. I will use my time at Highlights as an example to show children that a published author is never quite finished learning — and that’s okay.”

“When I shared my poetry collection…with students from an urban school in Washington DC, they were delighted because they had started a school garden and were growing some of the produce I wrote about in the book…. It was a moment of shared joy in connecting with gardening and healthy eating.“

“I visited an elementary school … in 2010, and recently received an email from a student who said that she’s currently a creative writing major in college, thanks to the inspiration she felt when I visited her school. The student said that she realized after meeting me that her passion was writing and that she could achieve her dreams.”

A fifth grader after a school presentation: “I thought it was gonna be boring, and it was really interesting!!!”

“I sometimes talk to students about all the times I failed as an illustrator and writer. One day a teacher brought a young girl with her notebook to talk to me after my talk. The teacher thought she was very talented. The girl said she has always been too afraid to show anyone her work but she asked me to look. I was so honored and grateful to be able to encourage her creativity and to hopefully pass on some courage.“

“One little boy was so excited after I’d had a virtual session with his class last year, that he told his teacher he had a big pad of paper he was going to use to write a story that night when he went home…and sure enough, he came to school the next day with pages and pages of his new story! He was so proud!”

“I recently did a program dressed as Mary Lincoln and was pleased when someone in the audience came up afterwards and told me how good it was to hear her side of her story.  I like telling little-known stories in history. I feel I am not only an entertainer, but a teacher.”

“I tutor 2nd grade reluctant readers. My understanding of picture book structure and prose allows me to help them learn more than words. Rather than just read the story, we talk about it.“

My greatest joy as a Reading Specialist was to have one of my struggling students say, ‘Well, maybe I could be an author too, ‘cuz’ my teacher is one.’”

“Last summer I used some of the concepts learned at Highlights to create a short story writing class which was offered through our local community college’s College for Kids program. Ten fabulous middle school age kids took the class, & I had the privilege of watching their confidence & understanding of story grow over the course of the class.“

“I’m a kindergarten art teacher so my art and storytelling practice is woven into my interaction with my students. I use picture books almost every day in my classroom. I tell my students about how illustrators and writers make books. I can’t wait to share my book with my kids!”

“A friend of mine teaches fourth grade and he read one of my books to his class. After that, they drew pictures to go with the story. I now have about thirty great pictures. It is also interesting to see what the children most focused on in the story. One thing, for example, is a spider which is a rather minor character but makes a great impact.”

“Inspired by Dr. Ernest Everett Just’s life after reading my book, a young reader sent a photo, dressed as the scientist he now wants to become.  That’s why I write!”

“I have a specific trans girl who has been coming to the library her entire life and until she was able to be her true self, she was incredibly shy and quiet. I often would ask for her input on books and programs, but she kept to herself. Once I began my diversity audit and making sure we had robust intersectional representation, she came to me directly and thanked me for buying these books, that they made her feel seen and valued. Now, she regularly discusses books with me and which books she feels have good trans representation. It felt wonderful to have such a positive impact on a teen that I know has been struggling for a long time.“

“My book hasn’t come out. The most important early reader I had was a 14 year old girl, who handed [it] back to me and said, ‘I don’t know what to tell you except that this book is important.’“