On a recent Friday morning, a local elementary school was abuzz with excitement when approximately 100 fifth graders arrived in the school gymnasium for an author visit. The students had been reading and discussing Sarah Weeks’ book Save Me A Seat in class, and they were eager to learn more about the author’s creative process and gain insights into their favorite characters. Thanks to the work of Aurora Public Library District (APLD) staff members, the children asked their questions, received answers in real time, and shared in a memorable experience with their classmates and teachers.
The Sarah Weeks visit was the culmination of a partnership between APLD and Hermes Elementary School. “I was initially contacted by Rachel Wrigglesworth, a teacher at Hermes, with a request for multiple copies of the book ‘Save Me a Seat’ to use for class discussion,” said School services coordinator, Mariana Guerrero. “It sounded like a great opportunity, and we were happy to help however we could!” APLD provided the school with 50 copies of the book along with eBook and audiobook access through the Library. Guerrero worked with the author’s publisher to coordinate a virtual visit at the school, while the Library provided support during the event.
Author Sarah Weeks began the visit by sharing her journey to becoming a writer. She talked about her favorite books as a child (Harry the Dirty Dog and Charlotte’s Web) and how she found inspiration for her own stories. One of the highlights of the visit was when the author answered students’ questions. The students asked about everything from the author’s favorite writing snack to how she gets over writer’s block. Weeks answered each question thoughtfully and honestly, and the students were fascinated to hear about her creative process.
As a follow up to the author conversation, Guerrero and Senior Children’s manager Monica Boyer each made visits to the Hermes fifth grade classrooms and led the students in a book discussion on Save Me a Seat. In the story, two students with very different backgrounds find themselves working together against a common enemy, the school bully. Students were asked to reflect upon how they would feel if faced with similar situations to the characters. They answered questions such as ‘Has someone ever made an assumption about you?’ and ‘Imagine you were moving to a different country; how would you feel on the first day of school?’
Great discussions were held, and the students showed a lot of enthusiasm for the book. “We could tell they really enjoyed the book by the rich conversations they were having about the content. They also loved the incentives we had for participating like rubber duckies, pencils and candy!” said Guerrero. Nothing like a rubber ducky to get the conversation going!
The partnership between Hermes Elementary and the Aurora Public Library District was a success for everyone involved. We hope all the students left with a greater appreciation for the writing process and for the Library as a whole. To learn more about how the Library can help your school or classroom, please visit www.aurorapubliclibrary.org/Educators.
Andrea Tiberi is the communications coordinator for the Aurora Public Library District.