GEN: great author visit

[Lisa Keller <keleaton@NWRAIN.COM>]

I would like to add a name to the growing list of authors who do great
school visits.  Jane Kurtz has written several picture books, including
Fire on the Mountain, The Lion's Tail, Miro and the Kingdom of the Sun,
and one children's novel, The Storyteller's Beads.  Most of her books up
to this point have been set in Ethiopia, where she lived as a child.  She
now lives in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and teaches at the University
there.

She visited our school at the end of February.  It was the first time our
school had ever hosted an author, so we didn't quite know what to expect,
but Jane set a standard that will not be easy to maintain.  She and her
brother Chris (who co-authored one of the books and who lives relatively
nearby, in Portland, Oregon) made two large group presentations, one to
grades K-2 and one to 3-5.  Using her experience as an elementary school
teacher, Jane skillfully tailored these two presentations to the
audiences.  We followed these presentations with a catered Ethiopian
lunch which a number of students dropped in on-- not anticipated, but
welcome.  As most of our students visit an Ethiopian restaurant in 3rd
grade, we had some eager injera eaters!  After lunch Jane and Chris
visited individual classrooms for the up-close-and-personal view.

The day was a huge success.  Students were delighted to meet a real, live
author. Teachers were very impressed with the way Jane presented her
life, her experiences as a writer, and her encouragement to students to
follow their passions, to keep trying until they succeed.  On Jane's
website <www.geocities.com/Athens/5232> she posts a rejection letter from
a publisher and she is quite honest about how difficult it is to break
into children's publishing.

Because I had lived in Ethiopia myself, I had lots of goodies to present
to classes in preparation for Jane's and Chris' visit.  She will provide
a box of realia to schools that don't otherwise have access to such
things.  One thing I found particularly useful was an article that
apeared in Booklinks about a year ago, in which a school librarian
outlined the steps of setting up a visit (coincidentally) with Jane.

Jane's books are wonderful and very well reviewed.  She's a 'real person'
who has a gift for connecting with children and adults alike.  And she's
quite happy to get an occasional reprieve from NoDak winters!  Consider
inviting her to your school.

Lisa Keller
Head Librarian
The Bush School
Seattle, Washington
lisa.keller@helen.bush.edu

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