What a day I had yesterday. About ten years ago, when my oldest daughter was in kindergarten, the author, Dan Gutman, came to her school. I was lucky enough to see him and boy, was I impressed. I turned to Katie’s kindergarten teacher and said, “someday, I would like to be visiting schools talking about my books!” And now…I am! My dream (with lots and lots of hard work) came true. I spent the day at the Glenwood Elementary School in Short Hills, NJ, talking to those eager learners about poetry, healthy foods and writing. We had a blast! The kids were all amazing when it came to shouting the word zucchini. (I think there is a hole in the roof now!) They were also amazing when it came to writing their own poem. I am posting three poems here. Enjoy!
Funny Poem – Grades K & 1
My dog is Jackson
Panda Bears are cute
I like popcorn that pops
I like ducks
and dolphins too
With the seals in water blue
My favorite color is green
My bird is fighting
a little pretty butterfly
and a great big elephant
Roses are red and so are you
Mini Stuff – Grades 2 & 3
The sky is blue with clouds
It would be funny if candy were falling from the sky
Cheese gets rotten – by mice
It stinks around here of rotten cheese
I see a weird monkey doing ballet
The baseball is flying very far
Pie is yummy
Cheese cake with cherries looks good
Lacrosse is a sport with a ball
People perform on a stage
Crazy Stuff – Grades 4 & 5
Mario loves to eat ice cream
Chocolate gives you cavities
Green monkeys taste good
Fairies love screaming
Grandpas love to eat chicken wings
Tomatoes are yellow
Crunchy belly buttons jiggle
The other day I found cheese stuck in between my toes
Cookies are delicious
Soccer ballsl like doing the walkie-talk
I also had the chance to have dessert with five Glenwood students. We are pictured here along with librarian Shea Stansfield (Thanks, Shea! I loved being at your school). These kids read to me poems they wrote, and let me tell you, I was blown away! Their talent is evident. Thanks for sharing, gang!
After my Glenwood visit, I spent the early evening at the Barnes & Noble in Hackensack, NJ. Thanks, Jill, for bringing me in!! I had the opportunity to talk to some amazing teachers, show them my book, and help them bring my book to life in their classrooms. These teachers were enthusiastic and a pleasure to meet. Hope you all enjoy the book. And give me a shout out if you have any questions or comments. I would love to hear from you at judy@aimwrite.net.
As for future events, they follow:
Thursday, April 15 – Barnes & Noble, Princeton, NJ – The time of this event is 1:30 p.m. and is open to the public. I sure hope to see you there.
Saturday, April 17 – Summit, NJ YMCA – I am part of Healthy Kids Day from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Stop by and say hello!
Monday, April 26 – Stillman School, Tenafly, NJ – I have been invited to the school and can’t wait to recite poetry with all the Stillman School eager learners!
Friday, May 21 – Woodland School, Warren, NJ – I have been invited take part in Young Author’s Day a the Woodland School. I can’t wait to take part in such an exciting, school-wide event!
That’s it for now. I will keep you posted as more events pop up. Give me a shout out if you make it to one of these events. I would love to hear from you at judy@aimwrite.net. Until then, remember, healthy eating starts with a poem.