The DIY, Virtual-Virtual Author Visit Part of the Writing Life

I've mentioned many times that one of my favorite parts of author life is connecting directly with young readers. 

I love all kinds of author visits: in person, one-on-one virtual visits, and also special occasions such as World Read Aloud Day, aka, WRAD. Sometimes schools and classrooms aren't able to host me for an in-person or virtual visit (or students are absent for scheduled author events), and for these folks,  I offer a Self-Guided Virtual Author Visit (aka, DIY Virtual-Virtual Author Visit), using a comprehensive collection of free remote resources that I've compiled. here . It's not quite the same as a personalized virtual visit (or an in-person visit), but these resources do allow young readers to connect with an author in some fashion. 

And...one of the most fantastic things about connecting with young readers is sometimes they send written notes, and sometimes they ask more questions in those notes. 

Letters from Young Readers are THE BEST

Whenever students write to me after an author visit, I do my best to write back to them, and DIY visits are no exception. Here is the letter I recently wrote to the students in Mrs. Fallon's class that had to miss out on their originally planned WRAD visit: 

*****

May 13, 2025

Dear Mrs. Fallon’s Class, 

Thank you for reading my book, LUCY’S BLOOMS, and for taking the time to write to me to share your comments and questions. My responses are below:

1. Abigail said my story reminded her of summer and spring! That’s exactly what I was thinking about when I wrote it! 

2. Claire mentioned that her grandma and grandpa on her mom’s side have a gigantic garden! My grandma on my mom’s side had a very small garden, but I very much enjoyed the flowers she planted in that garden when I was a young child.

3. Natasha encouraged me to make a new book, and I’m currently doing just that! My next book is called MAMA’S HOME!, and it will be available next year! 

4. Alex X. encouraged me to keep writing books. I will do that for sure! (I hope you will, too!)

5. Nguyen mentioned liking the title of the book. I’m so glad to hear that. I like the title, too. Here’s something most people don’t know: The title for my first draft of this book was, BEST BLOOM WINS (I like that title, too, but I prefer the title, LUCY’S BLOOMS).

6. Clara pointed out that weeds can become beautiful dandelions. Lucy and I agree completely!

7. Teddy shared that the story shows how much you can love a plant, no matter what the plant is. I’m so glad that message came through for you. I also think the same is true for people! 

8. Jackson said that he liked that Lucy worked so hard. I like that about Lucy, too! 

9. Owen suggested I should write a story that goes even further, where Lucy finds a flower that harms the weeds, so she has to choose to give up the weeds or give up the flowers. That is quite an idea. I think you should write that story! When you create new stories that incorporate characters and/or expand on plots from other book(s) that you like, you are writing something that is called fan fiction. Lucy and her blooms would LOVE to be the subject of some fan fiction! 

10. Sareena asked if I like HELLO KITTY books. I do! (And, I’m actually working on a new book of my own with a cat character named Kitty – not Hello, Kitty, just Kitty ;)

11. Oliver said I was a good writer. Thank you very much! Here is a tip: The easiest way to become a strong writer is to read and read and read some more! Of course, you have to practice writing, too, but reading is the best way I know of to become a better writer! 

12. Angel asked about my favorite thing to do. I have many favorite things that I like to do! I love to read (and write!), and I also enjoy bicycle riding, hiking, paddle boarding, gardening, laughing, teaching, and traveling!  

13. Krishan (and someone else who didn’t sign their name!) said they thought LUCY’S BLOOMS was amazing. Thank you both very much!

14.  Lexi, Calvin, Charlotte, and Miles thanked me for the story. You are all very welcome. Thank you for reading it and for writing back to me! 

15. Lulia said she would like to know more about me. Here are some fun facts about me:                                              

Favorite Author as a Child: Judy Blume                    Now: Anne Lamott

Favorite Animal as a Child: Horses                           Now: Cats

Favorite Music as a Child: The Beatles                     Now: Paula Cole

Most Amazing Places I’ve Visited: Greece and the Netherlands

Can’t Wait to Visit: Thailand 

And here are the answers to some questions I am asked frequently: 

What got me interested in making books?

I first started writing books with a goal of becoming a published author because I wanted to share my love of American Sign Language with more people than I could directly teach in the sign language workshops I taught for young families. Eventually I branched out into writing other types of books for young readers. Here is a blog post where I talk about my path to publication for my very first books in the Story Time with Signs & Rhymes series: https://www.dawnprochovnic.com/2012/02/my-path-to-publication.html

And here is a blog post where I talk about my inspiration for Lucy’s Blooms: 

https://www.dawnprochovnic.com/2021/04/the-inspiration-part-of-writing-life.html 

Why do I like making books?

I love making books, and I love being an author. I think it’s one of the best jobs in the world. One reason is I like words. They are powerful. They get things done. They help people understand one another. Words give people a voice. I like when my voice is heard. I have written an entire blog post with some of the other reasons I like to write. You can find it here: https://www.dawnprochovnic.com/2012/04/why-do-i-like-to-write.html

 I will also say that I love reading books, I have written a couple of blog posts about why I like reading. You can read those here: https://www.dawnprochovnic.com/2018/09/the-reading-part-of-writing-life.html

and here: https://www.dawnprochovnic.com/2019/03/the-reading-part-of-writing-life-part-2.html

I also credit my fifth-grade teacher, Mr. Snook, for inspiring my love of reading, which greatly contributed to my love of writing. (And as I already mentioned above, in my experience, reading books is one of the easiest ways to become a better writer!)

A couple of years ago I was honored with a literary award and mentioned Mr. Snook in my award acceptance speech. You can read all about that (and also find link to a video of my acceptance speech) here: 

https://www.dawnprochovnic.com/2023/04/the-literary-legacy-part-of-writing-life.html 

How old was I when I wrote my first book?

The first book I ever made was a poetry book that I hand-wrote as a Mother’s Day gift for my mom back when I was in middle school. 

The first book I had published, See the Colors, came out in 2009. (I’m currently 57, so you can do the math to find out how old I was when that book was published!) The most recent book I’ve had published was Lucy’s Blooms, which came out in 2021. I also had two humorous books that were published in 2019: Where Does a Pirate Go Potty? and Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty?

Image of author Dawn Babb Prochovnic holding her three most recent books.

How many books have I written? 

I have written 20 stories that have been published into books. You can learn about all of my different books here: https://www.dawnprochovnic.com/p/blog-page.html

You should be able to find all (or most) of my books in your local library. Here is a link to help: https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=dawn+prochovnic&offset=1 .  If you can’t find my books in your library, you can find videos of me reading them (and songs to go along with my most recent books, including Lucy’s Blooms) on my YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/user/dprochovnic/featured

Thank you again for reading LUCY’S BLOOMS and for writing to me. If you’d like to read more about my life as a writer, you can visit this section of my blog where I talk about my writing life: 

http://www.dawnprochovnic.com/2018/04/the-writing-life-summary-post.html

Write On! 

Sincerely, 

Dawn Babb Prochovnic

*****

Please get in touch if you'd like to schedule your own personalized in-person or virtual author visit, or please feel encouraged to utilize the comprehensive collection of free remote resources for Self-Guided Virtual Author Visits that I've compiled here: https://www.dawnprochovnic.com/2025/02/the-wrad-part-of-writing-life-2025.html . (And you do utilize the DIY Author Visit materials, I'd love to hear from you and your students, and I'll do my very best to write you back!) 

Write On!   

The Author Q and A Part of the Writing Life, a Follow-Up to WRAD 2025

As I've said before, one of my favorite parts of author life is connecting directly with young readers. Last week, I had the pleasure of participating in World Read Aloud Day, aka, WRAD. 

Here is the "office" I set up in the bathroom from which I made my WRAD 2025 visits!

Dawn's WRAD 2025 "Office"

One of the most fantastic things about connecting with young readers is sometimes they send written notes, and sometimes they ask more questions in those notes.

Whenever students write to me after an author visit, I do my best to write back to them, and WRAD is no exception. Here is the letter I recently wrote to the students in Ms. Raffin's 4th/5th grade class from Lapeer Community Schools, Metamora, Michigan:

*****

February 12, 2025

Dear Ms. Raffin’s Class, 

I enjoyed reading with you on World Read Aloud Day. Thank you for taking the time to write and for asking such great questions! Your questions and my responses are below:

1. Is it easy to make a book?  And how many steps does it take?

I wouldn't say it's easy, but I would say it's fun! There are many steps in the book-making process. It all begins with writing (and/or illustrating) a story, and then revising it until it is exactly how you want it to be. Then, you research literary agents and/or publishers that might like your story. You send your story to agents and/or publishers until you find one that likes your story enough to help you turn it into a book. 

I have a series on my blog where I interview other authors to learn about their path to publication. You can find all of those interviews here. 

I also have a series of blog posts about a project I worked on with a group of 5th grade students to help them create their own picture books. You can learn a lot about the picture book making process by reading about that project.

Lastly, one of my author-friends, Josh Funk, has a great website with information about how to write picture books. You might enjoy reading what he has to share. You can find it here.  

2. What got you interested in making books?

I first started writing books with a goal of becoming a published author because I wanted to share my love of American Sign Language with more people than I could directly teach in the sign language workshops I taught for young families. Eventually I branched out into writing other types of books for young readers. Here is a blog post where I talk about my path to publication for my very first books in the Story Time with Signs & Rhymes series.

And here is a blog post where I talk about my inspiration for Lucy’s Blooms. 

3. Is the illustrator your friend?

It might surprise you to know that the author and illustrator of a picture book often never meet. I have only met one of the illustrators who has worked on my books: Stephanie Bauer. I was lucky enough to meet Stephanie at a writing conference, and we did become friends. I also had the opportunity to visit her art studio! I do admire and enjoy the work of Jacob Souva and Alice Brereton, the artists who illustrated my other published books, and I’d be happy for the opportunity to meet one or both of them some day!  

4. How old were you when you wrote your first book?

The first book I ever made was a poetry book that I hand-wrote as a Mother’s Day gift for my mom back when I was in middle school. 

The first book I had published, See the Colors, came out in 2009. (I’m currently 57, so you can do the math to find out how old I was when that book was published!) The most recent book I’ve had published was Lucy’s Blooms, which came out in 2021. I also had two humorous books that were published in 2019: Where Does a Pirate Go Potty? and Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty?

Image of author Dawn Babb Prochovnic holding her three most recent books.

5. When is your next book coming out?

My next book, MAMA’S HOME!, is currently scheduled for publication in September of 2026. I wrote that book back when my 22-year-old son was in preschool! It was acquired by my publisher (Familius) back in 2021, with an original plan for publication in 2024, but it is not uncommon for books to be delayed for one reason or another. 

You can read about some of the revisions I needed to make for MAMA’S HOME! here. (NOTE: this is a very looooong blog post with many different authors contributing to it, so you can search on the keyword "Prochovnic" to find my part.)  

I just recently learned who will be illustrating MAMA’S HOME! Her name is Adèle Dafflon. You can see examples of her artwork here.

6. Do you like making books?

I love making books, and I love being an author. I think it’s one of the best jobs in the world. One reason is I like words. They are powerful. They get things done. They help people understand one another. Words give people a voice. I like when my voice is heard. I have written an entire blog post with some of the other reasons I like to write. You can find it here.

I will also say that I love reading books, I have written a couple of blog posts about why I like reading. You can read those here and here .

(Psst: In my experience, reading books is one of the easiest ways to become a better writer!)

7. How did you think of the book, Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty?

I have written a whole blog post that answers that question! You can find it here. 

(Fun fact: This blog post was written for Tara Lazar’s blog (she is the author of Flat Cat and Absurd Words, two of the books I mentioned to you during our time together on World Read Aloud Day).  

8. What inspired you to make books?

I became inspired to write books because I had stories and important ideas in my head that I wanted to share with other people. 

I also credit my fifth-grade teacher, Mr. Snook, for inspiring my love of reading, which greatly contributed to my love of writing. 

A couple of years ago I was honored with a literary award and mentioned Mr. Snook in my award acceptance speech. You can read all about that (and also find link to a video of my acceptance speech) here. 

9. How many books did you make?

I have written 20 stories that have been published into books. You can learn about all of my different books here.

You should be able to find all (or most) of my books in your local library. Here is a link to help: https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=dawn+prochovnic&offset=1 .  If you can’t find my books in your library, you can find videos of me reading them (and songs to go along with my most recent books, including Lucy’s Blooms) on my YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/user/dprochovnic/featured

Thank you again for sharing your World Read Aloud Day with me and for asking such great questions! I hope I get to visit your school again in the future. In the meantime, if you’d like to read more about my life as a writer, you can visit this section of my blog where I talk about my writing life. 

Write On!

Sincerely, 

Dawn Babb Prochovnic (and Pickle)

*****

If you missed World Read Aloud Day, but would still like to connect, I offer Virtual Author Visits year round anywhere in the world. I've also compiled a comprehensive collection of free remote resources for Self-Guided Virtual Author Visits here: https://www.dawnprochovnic.com/2025/02/the-wrad-part-of-writing-life-2025.html . It's not quite the same as a personalized virtual visit (or an in-person visit), but these resources do allow young readers to connect with an author in some fashion. And here's a fun fact: I also write back to classrooms of students who visit me virtually via a Self-Guided Virtual Author visit. 

Write On!   

Birth Stories for Books, TAILS FROM THE ANIMAL SHELTER, by Stephanie Shaw

Sophie the Shelter Rescue Dog

Today, I'm so happy to share with you a guest post featuring the birth story for a new book by one of my first friends and favorite people in the kidlit community, author Stephanie Shaw. I featured one of Stephanie's earlier books last year, and I'm so happy she was willing to share more of her perspective and experience with us here today.

Stephanie's new book, TAILS FROM THE ANIMAL SHELTER (illustrated by Liza Woodruff, Sleeping Bear Press) is worth every woof--and if you don't believe me, take it from my shelter rescue pup, Sophie!

Take it away, Stephanie!

Tails From the Animal Shelter
by Stephanie Shaw

Today is August 15, 2020. It is the ‘book birthday’ of my most recent picture book Tails From the Animal Shelter with illustrations by Liza Woodruff, published by Sleeping Bear Press.

The book is made up of page after page of various (fictional) animals seeking adoption. There’s Lucky the three-legged, one-eyed dog; Pooter the skunk, Hamlet a pot-bellied pig and many more. It’s also packed with non-fiction information about various rescue organizations. There are guidelines to consider before adopting and ways to support shelters if adopting is not possible.

Who should buy this book?

Photo Credit: Katia Prochovnic

• Families who have family members clamoring for a pet!
• Teachers who are looking for persuasive writing exercises.
• Shelter and rescue organizations looking for a great fund-raising product.
• Writers!

Why writers? Because (aside from the fact that this is just a darn good book and beautifully illustrated and you need one for your kid lit collection) it is a testimony to my theory that writing is not a straight path. It is a maze. The ‘birth story’ of Tails From The Animal Shelter is just that.

About four years ago, my husband and I decided it was time to downsize and try living in another state (away from my beloved native Oregon). I could write anywhere, right? But it turned out I could not. And days and weeks and then months began to pass without any writing.

One healthy writing habit I managed to hold onto was a daily walk. I would trudge up a long hill and back down --- usually berating myself for not coming up with a new story.

Then one day it occurred to me to go back to what I did in the very beginning of my years in writing:  small poems. I didn’t have to write long paragraphs. Just little snippets. I could do that. And I did. I gave myself the task of writing a tiny poem each day. Each turned out to be about animals. And each one was searching for a home.

This led me to research how Humane Societies began. I tucked that information in with the poem collection and sent it to my editor at Sleeping Bear Press where I had four other picture books in publication.

It was my good fortune that Sleeping Bear loved it but they saw it as the basis of a non-fiction story and wanted the text expanded considerably. This was new territory for me. It was time to back up again and try this new route.

I learned so much. I read and read and read. I developed relationships with animal shelter workers. I picked the brain of a newspaper columnist who writes about dogs.  More than anything I developed a huge respect for non-fiction writers. This non-fiction writing was no walk in the dog park!

When I was stuck and thought I’d never have an idea (let alone a whole book), I went back. Since that time, I also completed three concept books for Read Your Story and a picture book (Sylvia’s Way, West Margin Press, 2021). I’ve asked for help. I’ve taken classes, attended workshops, connected with a great agent. Oh, and we moved back to my beloved Oregon.

I’m looking at a copy as I write this. It will forever be a reminder that writing is a labyrinth; a route under construction with lots of detours. 

But I love what it led to.

Thank you, Dawn, for allowing me to share this birth story.

Thank YOU for sharing your insights and inspiration with us, Stephanie!

Friends, the best way you can say thank you to Stephanie for spending some time with us today, is to support her work. Stephanie's books are available everywhere books are sold. 

**********

Image Supplied by Stephanie Shaw

An Oregon native, Stephanie completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Education at Oregon State University and her Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology at Lewis and Clark College. Her professional life includes teaching children with severe behavioral challenges, school counseling and school administration. But now her love is working with illustrators and editors to create stories that range from quiet to quirky, poetry to prose. When she isn’t assisting door-to-door vacuum cleaner vampire salesmen, taking cows on shopping trips for muumuus, or helping garden slugs with their calligraphy, she can be found at home with her husband Brad and her labradoodle Milo. 

Stephanie is a member of SCBWI and has served on the faculty of Oregon SCBWI at annual conferences and as a mentor to aspiring writers at Oregon Great Critiques many times. She is a three-time award winner for her contributions to Highlights for Kids and High Five Magazine. 

Stephanie’s books in publication include multiple picture books and board books published in the US and UK. Her work has been translated to Dutch, Portuguese and Turkish.

BEDTIME IN THE MEADOW, Tiger Tales, 2013

A COOKIE FOR SANTA, Sleeping Bear Press, 2014 

UNDER THE SLEEPY STARS, Tiger Tales/Little Tiger, 2015 

THE LEGEND OF THE BEAVER’S TAIL, Sleeping Bear Press, 2015

BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON, Tiger Tales/Little Tiger 2016

SCHNITZEL: A Retell of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Sleeping Bear Press, 2016

LULLABY FARM, Little Tiger, 2016

MOO LA LA! Simon and Schuster UK, 2017

PIECE BY PIECE, Sleeping Bear Press, 2017

TAILS FROM THE ANIMAL SHELTER, 2020

SYLVIA’S WAY,  West Margin Press, 2021 

Website:  www.stephanieshawauthor.com

**********

Birth Stories for Books is an occasional feature of Dawn Babb Prochovnic's blog. Dawn is the author of multiple picture books including Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty?, Where Does a Pirate Go Potty?, Lucy's Blooms (Spring '21), and 16 books in the Story Time With Signs & Rhymes series. Dawn is a contributing author to the award-winning book, Oregon Reads Aloud, and a frequent presenter (and e-presenter!) at schools, libraries, and educational conferences. Contact Dawn using the form at the left, or learn more at www.dawnprochovnic.com.

School Author Visits

As I've said before, one of the supreme delights in my work is being invited to schools and libraries as a visiting author.

Over the past several years, I've had the pleasure of being invited to Raleigh Park Elementary School each spring to present young writers' workshops to their students. Raleigh Park is a PYP (Primary Years Programme) school, and author visits tie in with their Programme of Inquiry.  Raleigh Park's PTO generously supports my author visits each school year.

As in years past, during my first round of classroom visits I presented, "Write On!" a workshop about why I write and some of the amazing experiences I've had because I'm an author. During the second round of visits I presented, "Gotcha! How to Find and Capture Great Writing Ideas."

One of my favorite parts of school visits is receiving letters and pictures from the students. The image to the right is a sampling of letters that arrived in my mail box soon after my visits.

Whenever students write to me after an author visit, I do my very best to write back to them. Here is the letter I just wrote to one of the three classrooms I visited:

*****

Dear Mrs. Baumgartner’s Class,

Thank you for taking the time to write and for letting me know what you learned when I visited your school.  Pickle and I have read and re-read each of your letters, and we have greatly enjoyed your artwork. I especially liked how many of you included pictures or mention of my chicken hat, reading trophy, pajama pants, and Pickle the Cat in your notes! Pickle is sitting on my lap as I write to you today.

I’m delighted that so many of you are excited about writing and sharing your own stories, and I’m happy that you enjoyed learning some sign language.  I hope you continue to read, write, and sign regularly and with enthusiasm!  

Many of you had additional comments and questions.  My responses are below:

Kennedy: You mentioned that your favorite color is purple. That’s my favorite color, too! It sounds like you are writing books about cats, teenagers and spies. Fun! Keep at it!

Sophie: I’m glad you like my books. You can find them at most local library branches. I encourage you to check them out this summer!

Suhey: I’m glad you love writing and that you have a diary. Keep writing in it all summer long!

Anthony: You asked me to tell you the names of my new books. I have two new books that will be available in 2019. They are entitled: WHERE DOES A PIRATE GO POTTY? and WHERE DOES A COWGIRL GO POTTY? As you can probably tell, they are humorous stories.

Alexis: I’m so glad you know how to say “Hi” in sign language. If you want to learn how to say other words in American Sign Language, here is a helpful website: https://www.signingsavvy.com/

Eleanor: How fun that your dad writes books and that one of his books is about you. That’s wonderful! Maybe YOU could write a book about HIM?!

William G.: I’m glad you think I’ve inspired lots of people to make books. I hope one of the people I’ve inspired is you! Thanks for telling me about your friend’s cat. Maybe you could write a story about your friend or about your friend’s cat?

Camillo: Hooray to you for spelling KNOWLEDGE all on your own! I’m so glad I INSPIRED you to be an author. It’s a great job. Keep writing!

Alex: You asked if I was sure that Pickle helps me with my paperwork. Pickle is a very helpful cat, and a big inspiration. She is sitting on my lap as I write this message to you.

Jonas: I’m glad you also like to make books and that you are thinking about becoming a writer. I’m glad you practice writing every day!

William B.: You asked if I gave Pickle her name because her eyes are green. That’s a good guess. I gave her the name Pickle, because when she was a kitten she always managed to get into mischief, or “into a pickle.” I considered naming her Mischief, but the name Pickle seemed like a better fit.

Lark: I’m glad you love my books. As I mentioned to Sophie, you can find them at your favorite library. Maybe you will read them again over the summer?

Rafael: I’m glad you enjoyed when I read my books to you. You can see videos of me reading some of my stories at this website.

Autumn: I’m glad to hear that you want to be an author, too. It sounds like you’ve written quite a few books with some great titles. Squirrel and Acorn sounds especially fun! Way to go!

Lillian: I’m so glad to hear that you are writing books, too. You asked if I have any books other than the ones I showed you. I do have two more books that will be published in 2019. I recently wrote a blog post about the new books I am working on.

Javier: I’m glad you liked when I told you about pretending to be Harriet the Spy. That’s a really good book. Maybe you will get it from the library this summer?

Mason: I loved hearing about how you like to draw and write about Black Panther. You asked about some of my hobbies. I like to read (of course!), listen to music, hike, and travel.

Owen: I’m so glad you like to write stories. You mentioned that you’ve been to Mexico three times. Me too! Maybe you could write a story about Mexico?

Ashlyn: You mentioned that one of your favorite foods is Texas Toast. I’ve never had that before. I just did some research about it and it sounds yummy! I’ll have to try it some day. Maybe you could write down your recipe and share it with your friends or family?

Ben: I’m so glad you love to read and write. You asked if I love ladybugs. I do. There is a picture of a ladybug in my book, SEE THE COLORS. I wonder if you can find it?

Nathaniel: I’m so glad I inspired you to write some new stories. You mentioned that it would be nice if I could give out some of my books. Better than that, I can tell you about the library, where you can borrow my books (and other books as well). I hope you will visit my books at the library this summer!

Gwen: It looks like you were absent when I visited the first time. You can read a blog post about some of the reasons I like to write (which I what I talked about during my first visit).

Thank you again for all of your letters and pictures, and thank you to Ms. Baumgartner for inviting me to visit.  I hope I get to visit your school again in the future. In the meantime, if you’d like to read more about my life as a writer, you can visit this section of my blog where I talk about my writing life.

Have a great summer!

Sincerely,

Dawn Babb Prochovnic (and Pickle)

*****

I'd love to visit your school, too! If you'd like more information about author visits, click here, or send me a message using the contact form to the left.

For more posts about my past author visits and other aspects of the writing life, click here.

School and Library Visits Feed My Creative Soul, Cont.

In previous posts, I've shared how much I enjoy school and library visits, and how I particularly enjoy getting cards and letters from the students I meet at these visits. The image to the right is a sampling of the artwork that arrived in my mailbox soon after my author visits to Raleigh Park Elementary School in May, 2017. I love them, don't you?

As I've mentioned before, whenever students write to me after an author visit, I do my best to write back. In my last post, I shared the letter I wrote to Ms. Baumgartner's class. Here, I share my letter to Ms. Robert's class:

*****

Dear Ms. Roberts’ Class, 

Thank you for taking the time to write and for letting me know what you learned when I visited your school.  Pickle and I have read and re-read each of your thank you letters, and we have greatly enjoyed your artwork. I especially liked how many of you included pictures or mention of my chicken hat, my reading trophy, and Pickle the Cat in your letters. Pickle is sitting right by me as I write to you today. 

I’m delighted that so many of you are excited about writing and sharing your own stories, and I’m happy that you enjoyed learning some sign language.  I hope you continue to read, write, and sign regularly and with enthusiasm!   

Many of you had additional comments and questions.  My responses are below:

Mahmoud: I’m glad you liked my suggestion to write at least one idea in your idea book every day. I hope you do that all summer long! 

Tate, Sam, and Geovanny: I’m happy you liked my trophy. I think it’s pretty cool, too. 

Perrin: Pickle liked hearing that you enjoyed seeing pictures of her. She is sitting on my desk right now peeking over my shoulder to see what I am writing to your class. 

Bella: I’m glad you liked my chicken hat. It’s fun to wear.  

Melaniee: I think it’s great that you want to be an author when you grow up. Keep reading, reading, reading and writing, writing, writing!

Miguel: You suggested that I should write a sports book. I think YOU should write a sports book!  

Avery: I’m glad you enjoyed when I visited your classroom. I also enjoyed when I visited your classroom. 

Ben: I liked hearing about your cat, Leila, and your English Bulldog, Anei Beussel. I hope you will write a story about them some day! 

Claire:  You asked me to tell you my favorite book that I’ve written. The story I wrote for Oregon Reads Aloud (called First Day Jitters) is the story I’m most excited about right now because I’m so happy to be part of the team of authors and illustrators that have contributed to this book and helped the organization SMART (Start Making a Reader Today). 

Lucy: You asked why I decided to write about sign language. When my daughter (who recently graduated from high school) was born, I taught her how to use sign language before she could talk. Eventually, I started teaching classes that incorporated sign language, and when I couldn’t personally meet with all of the people I wanted to help learn sign language I started writing books that incorporated sign language. All 17 of the books that I have published incorporate sign language.

Mason, Charlotte, and Angelica: You asked if you might have a chance to meet Pickle. Unfortunately, I can’t bring Pickle to school with me, but you can see a picture of Pickle at this link: http://www.dawnprochovnic.com/2012/04/why-do-i-like-to-write.html

Hendy and Elan: I’m so glad you enjoyed learning some sign language. I hope you will keep practicing the signs that you learned.  

Kartikeya: It sounds like you are really interested in learning more sign language. If you’re interested in doing some sign language activities, you can find some ideas here: http://www.dawnprochovnic.com/2016/04/ideas-for-incorporating-alphabet-signs.html 

Aiden: You asked if my reading trophy was gold or silver or bronze. I think it is gold plastic. You can see a picture of it at this link if you’d like to check for yourself: http://www.dawnprochovnic.com/2012/06/read-and-read-and-read-some-more.html

Emily: It sounds like you missed out on seeing my reading trophy and my chicken hat. See my note to Aiden if you’d like to see a picture of my trophy. You can see a picture of my chicken hat at this link: http://www.smalltalklearning.com/dawnprochovnic/books/Past_Events.html#25

Antonia: You asked me to tell you some more about where I get my ideas. You can read more about this topic at this blog post: http://www.dawnprochovnic.com/2013/04/gotcha-how-to-find-and-capture-great.html

Thank you again for all of your letters and pictures, and thank you to Ms. Roberts for inviting me to visit.  I hope I get to visit your school again in the future.

Sincerely,

Dawn Babb Prochovnic (and Pickle) 

*****

I'd love to visit your school. If you'd like more information about author visits, click here, or send me a message using the contact form to the left. 

School and Library Visits Feed My Creative Soul

As I've said before, one of the supreme delights in my work is being invited to schools and libraries as a visiting author.

Back in May, I had the pleasure of presenting two different young writers' workshops to second grade students at Raleigh Park Elementary. During my first round of classroom visits I presented, "Write On!" a workshop about why I write and some of the amazing experiences I've had because I'm an author. During the second round of visits I presented, "Gotcha! How to Find and Capture Great Writing Ideas."

One of my favorite parts of school visits is receiving letters and pictures from the students. The image to the right is a sampling of letters that arrived in my mail box soon after my visits.

Whenever students write to me after an author visit, I do my very best to write back to them. I thought it might be fun to share the letters I wrote back to the Raleigh Park students. Here is the first of two:

*****

Dear Mrs. Baumgartner’s Class,

Thank you for taking the time to write and for letting me know what you learned when I visited your school.  Pickle and I have read and re-read each of your letters, and we have greatly enjoyed your artwork. I especially liked how many of you included pictures or mention of my chicken hat, my reading trophy, and Pickle the Cat in your notes! Pickle is sitting right next to me as I write to you today.

I’m delighted that so many of you are excited about writing and sharing your own stories, and I’m happy that you enjoyed learning some sign language.  I hope you continue to read, write, and sign regularly and with enthusiasm!  

Many of you had additional comments and questions.  My responses are below:

Isabelle: You asked if I have a dog. I do. Her name is Sophie. She is a white Chihuahua. You also asked where I go on vacation. One of my favorite places to go on vacation is Sunriver, in Central Oregon. Lastly, you asked what books I would recommend to an eight year old. What I would recommend is that you visit the West Slope Library and make friends with the youth librarian. Let her know what interests you and she will keep you well-supplied in great ideas for books you will enjoy!

Kaya (I may have spelled your name wrong. I’m sorry if I did): You asked if I like reading or writing better. I have to say that I simply cannot choose between the two. I love to read, and I love to write!

Zachary: You asked when I learned sign language. I first learned about sign language before I started elementary school. I watched Sesame Street on television and learned about sign language from Linda Bove. When I started elementary school, I volunteered to help students with disabilities, and many of those students used sign language.

Dahlia: You asked if Pickle is being good. Pickle rarely behaves, but she is always a good cat (and you are right—she does like to sleep on my soft, cozy, colorful pajama pants).

Isaac: You asked how Pickle got her name. From the time Pickle was a kitten she liked to get into mischief. In fact, we almost named her Mischief. When she would do something mischievous (like get on the kitchen table, or try to sneak outside, or hop up on someone’s shoulders), we would say, “You are such a Pickle.” Pretty soon the name stuck. It fits her well.

Sophia: You asked what my favorite book was as a child. I had many favorite books as a child. One of them was Charolette’s Web.

Gavin: You asked how I met Bruce Hale. Bruce Hale and I both belong to an organization called The Society of Children’s Book Writers andIllustrators. The members of this organization hold educational meetings called a conference (it’s like “school’ for authors and illustrators). I first met Bruce Hale at one of those conferences.

Bradlon (I may have spelled your name wrong. I’m sorry if I did): You asked if Pickle gets sick from eating my paper. She has not gotten sick from eating my paper, but sometimes she coughs up very big fur balls. Yuck!  You also asked if Pickle is on the floor or on my books right now. Actually, she is on the couch next to my desk, looking out the window at a bird that is teasing her.

Walter: You asked how I met the illustrators for my books. I first met Stephanie Bauer (the illustrator for my Story Time with Signs and Rhymes books), at a writing conference (which is similar to how I met Bruce Hale). I’ve been lucky enough to visit her art studio. The first time I met Abigail Marble (the illustrator for First Day Jitters, the story that is in Oregon Reads Aloud) was last year. We were both at Powell’s Books to celebrate the Book Birthday for Oregon Reads Aloud. You can see examples of Abigail Marble’s work on her website: http://abigailmarble.com/.

Avery: You asked if Pickle is afraid of cucumbers. I do not know if she is or not. I have seen some videos of people who have scared their own cat with a cucumber, but I don’t think Pickle would appreciate me playing a trick like that on her. You asked if my favorite color was pink. Actually, my favorite color is purple. P.S. Did you know your dad is my son’s teacher and tennis coach?

Gwen: You asked if I had any siblings. I do. I have two younger sisters: Angela and Carey. Angela lives in San Diego, California, and Carey lives in Beaverton, Oregon.

Pearl: You asked if I am a cat person or a dog person. I like both cats and dogs, but I think of myself as a cat person. You also asked who is my favorite character in my books. I have a lot of favorite characters in my books. One of my favorites is the dog in Silly Sue. She looks and acts a lot like my dog, Sophie.

Pearl (Are there two Pearls, or one Pearl with lots of questions?): You asked how I got Pickle. We have had Pickle since she was a kitten. She and her sister, Noodle, were stray kittens without a mama cat to take care of them. Our family gave them a safe foster home until they got big enough and strong enough to take care of themselves, but then we decided to adopt them and give them a permanent home.  That was seven years ago.  You also asked if I am from a divorced family. I am. My parents divorced when I was in the 6th grade. I’m sorry you are having some sad feelings about your parents’ divorce. I hope you will write in your journal about your feelings. When I am sad, I always feel better after I share my feelings in my writing journal. 

Jackson: I’m so glad you are planning to look for my booksin the library. You can ask the librarian to help you find them if you are not able to find them on your own.

Alondra: You asked if Pickle is a boy or a girl. Pickle is a girl. You also asked if Pickle likes to roll around on my papers. Pickle likes to roll around on many things, including stacks of paper, my messy desk, and the cool floor in my laundry room.

Abby: You asked if my kids help me write. My kids help me critique my stories. I ask them to read my stories out loud so I can listen to any parts that don’t sound just right when they are read out loud (by someone other than myself). You also asked if I write outside. I do. I write just about everywhere!

Benjamin: You asked how long it takes to make one book. This is a complicated question, because some stories take a longer time to write than others, and some books take longer to get published than others. I can tell you that I started writing See theColors before my son turned two, and he was seven when it was published.

Darvey: You asked what my favorite game is. Right now my favorite game is a card game called Skip Bo, but I like trying out new games. Did you know that the West Slope Library has lots of games that you can borrow, just like you can borrow books?

Lev: I like the pictures you drew of Pickle and Rose (you did a nice job illustrating that Pickle has green eyes and Rose has yellow eyes).

Alexa: You asked if Pickle has her own bed. She does, but she often sleeps on my pillow (or on my head) in my bed. You also asked if I listen to calm music when I write. I have many writing friends who like to listen to calm music when they write, but I prefer to write when it is quiet.

Chase: I’m glad you think books are cool. I think books are cool, too!

Dalia: I’m glad you liked my funny pajama pants. I like them, too!

Several of you asked how I became an author. I have a detailed answer to that question here: http://www.dawnprochovnic.com/2012/02/my-path-to-publication.html.

Thank you again for all of your letters and pictures, and thank you to Mrs. Baumgartner for inviting me to visit.  I hope I get to visit your school again in the future.

Sincerely,

Dawn Babb Prochovnic (and Pickle)

*****

I'd love to visit your school, too! If you'd like more information about author visits, click here, or send me a message using the contact form to the left.

Stay tuned. In my next post I will share the second letter I wrote to students I visited at Raleigh Park Elementary in May, 2017.

School Visits: How I Love Thee

One of the supreme delights in my work is being invited to schools and libraries as a visiting author.

Early last month, I had the pleasure of visiting four elementary schools in The Dalles, Oregon. The visits were coordinated by Jim Tindall, the District Librarian for the North Wasco County School District. He hosted the day in such a way that I felt genuinely welcome and appreciated in each school I visited. Not only did he coordinate the school visits, but he also arranged a radio interview, book store stop, and an interview over lunch with a reporter from The Dalles Chronicle, the local newspaper. It was great fun to receive a copy of the article in the mail the following week. (If you visit The Dalles Chronicle website and search on "prochovnic," you can read the article. )

Late last month, I had the pleasure of visiting three second grade classrooms at Raleigh Park Elementary to deliver a presentation called "Write On!" about why I write and some of the amazing experiences I've had because I'm an author. One of my favorite parts of school visits is receiving letters and pictures from the children. The image to the right provides a sampling of the artwork that arrived in my mail box last week. Isn't it lovely?

I thought it might be fun to share one of the letters I wrote back to one of the classrooms that sent notes and letters. Here goes:

Dear Mrs. Baumgartner’s Class,

Thank you for taking the time to write and for letting me know what you learned when I visited your school.  I have read and re-read each of your letters, and I have greatly enjoyed your artwork. I especially liked how many of you included pictures or mention of my chicken hat, my reading trophy, and Pickle the Cat in your notes! Pickle is sitting right next to me as I write to you today.

I’m delighted that so many of you are excited about writing and sharing your own stories, and I’m happy that you enjoyed learning some sign language.  I hope you continue to read, write, and sign regularly and with enthusiasm!  

Many of you had additional comments and questions.  My responses are below:

Cole: Thank you illustrating the cover of your class book. Pickle especially likes it.

Makena: I’m glad you love my cat. She’s very lovable!

Max: I’m glad you like my chicken hat. It’s fun to wear.  

Amara: You asked if I liked being an author. I LOVE being an author and I LOVE visiting schools. You also asked if I know the person who did the pictures. I do. Her name is Stephanie Bauer. You can see more of her work at her website.

Benicio: You asked if I’ve ever written a book that teaches the planets in sign language. I haven’t, but you sparked my curiosity. The sign for planet is really cool! You can look it up here.

Alejandro: I agree with you. Pickle is indeed funny!

Banyan (I may have spelled your name wrong. I’m sorry if I did): I enjoyed your picture of Pickle wearing my chicken hat. I wouldn’t be surprised if she tries to wear my chicken hat some day!

Lane: You asked where I got Pickle. We have had Pickle since she was a kitten. She and her sister, Noodle, were stray kittens without a mama cat to take care of them. Our family gave them a safe foster home until they got big enough and strong enough to take care of themselves, but then we decided to adopt them and give them a permanent home.  That was seven years ago. You also asked if I have met the illustrator of my books. Yes, I have met Stephanie Bauer, and I’ve been lucky enough to visit her art studio. You asked if I have had lots of illustrators. So far, Stephanie Bauer has illustrated all of my published books. That will change this fall when an anthology called, “Oregon Reads Aloud,” is published. Abigail Marble illustrated the story I contributed to this anthology. You can see examples of her work on her website. Lastly, you asked how I get the titles for my books. I write what is called a “working title” for each of my stories. Sometimes, but not always, an editor or someone from the publisher’s sales and marketing department might ask an author to change the title of a book, because they have an idea for a title that they think readers will like better.

Adriana: I’m glad you are starting to learn sign language, and I’m glad you enjoyed my visit with your class. If Pickle tries on my chicken hat some day, I will definitely take a picture and share it with you!

Jaden: I’m glad you liked my reading trophy. It is very special to me.

Mohamed: You asked if I have any problems. I’m guessing you are wondering if I have any problems when I sit down to write my stories.  Sometimes I get distracted from a particular writing project I should be working on. When I’m having difficulty focusing, sometimes I take a break. Other times, I do a writing exercise to help my creativity start flowing. I make writing goals for myself each week and I share those goals with a writing buddy. That seems to be the best thing that helps me stay on track.

Garrett: I really enjoyed your picture of Pickle wearing my chicken hat.

Ian: You asked if I ever get to meet my publisher. I have met several sales people that work for my publisher, but I’ve never met the editor that worked on all 16 of my books. (The editor is the person at the publisher’s office that helps turn stories from manuscripts into books). Here is a fun fact: I actually have never even spoken to my editor. Everything we’ve worked on together has happened in writing. We’ve written many, many email messages to each other, but we’ve never spoken on the phone or met in person. I’m working with a new editor for my new book that will be published this fall, and so far the same is true: We’ve written emails back and forth, but so far we’ve never spoken. I’m glad you like my saying, “Life = Stories.” I like it, too.

Lyla: I’m glad you loved learning more about writing and that you liked my chicken hat. You also had a question about my illustrator. See my notes to Amara and Lane for my answer.

Milo: You asked how many years I have been writing. I have been writing since I was in elementary school. I published my first book when I was in middle school.  It was a poetry book that I wrote for my mom as a Mother’s Day gift.  When I was in college, I wrote a book called a thesis.  I started writing my Story Time with Signs & Rhymes books about 14 years ago. My first books in that series were published in 2009.

Tylar: You asked what I do when I am not working. Some of my favorite hobbies are reading, going on hikes and walks, traveling to new places, and spending time with my friends and family. You also asked why I do sign language. I first learned about sign language before I started elementary school. I watched Sesame Street on television and learned about sign language from Linda Bove. When I started elementary school, I volunteered to help students with disabilities, and many of those students used sign language. Many years later, when my daughter (who is now in high school) was born, I taught her how to use sign language before she could talk. Eventually, I started teaching classes and writing books that incorporated sign language. So far I have written16 books that have been published, and I have a new book that will be published this fall. I have written many, many other stories that have not yet been published; too many to count! You also asked how long I’ve had Pickle. See my note to Lane for my answer.

  

Jackson: You asked if I have ever put a cucumber next to Pickle when she wasn’t expecting it. I have not, but I have seen some videos of other people who have tried that with their own cat. I’m not sure Pickle would appreciate me playing a trick like that on her.

Malin: You asked if I still write poetry. I do still write poetry. One of my unpublished stories is called, “There Once Was a Poet.” I hope it will be published some day.  

Scarlett: You asked if Pickle was all black or if she has a tiny bit of white. Pickle is all black except for her eyes, which are deep green. (I see you remembered that when you drew her picture!)

Kylie: I’m so glad to hear that you also love books and that you plan to be an author someday, too. I will look forward to reading your books some day. You asked why I named my cat, Pickle. From the time Pickle was a kitten she liked to get into mischief. In fact, we almost named her Mischief. When she would do something mischievous (like get on the kitchen table, or try to sneak outside, or hop up on someone’s shoulders), we would say, “You are such a Pickle.” Pretty soon the name stuck. It fits her well.

Julian: I had fun meeting you, too. You asked if Pickle was a boy or a girl. She is a girl.

Jasmine: You asked many questions. Good for you! Some of your questions I have answered in my notes to other students in your class, so you might want to read those, too. One of the questions you asked is why I didn’t make the pictures for my books. Publishers decide who will make the pictures for the books they publish. My publisher wanted to make books with my words and with Stephanie Bauer’s pictures. I love her pictures, so I’m happy with how it all turned out. You also asked if I’m still going to write books with sign language. I am still writing books that incorporate sign language, but I’m also working on other books that do not incorporate any sign language.

Oilli (I may have spelled your name wrong. I’m sorry if I did): Thank you for your nice note and picture. I enjoyed visiting your classroom.

Ariana: Thank you for drawing such a nice picture of me sitting at my desk. You asked many questions. Good for you! Some of your questions I have answered in my notes to other students in your class, so you might want to read those, too. One of the questions you asked was how I became an author. I have a detailed answer to that question here.

Dylan: I enjoyed your picture of Pickle taking a bite out of my manuscript! I think it’s great that you can spell your name in sign language. If you’re interested in more alphabet-related sign language activities, you can find some here (and there are free, printable materials on my publisher’s website.

Thank you again for all of your letters and pictures, and thank you to Mrs. Baumgartner for inviting me to visit.  I hope I get to visit your school again in the future.

Sincerely,

Dawn Babb Prochovnic

*****

I'd love to visit your school, too! If you'd like more information about author visits, click here, or send me a message using the contact form to the left.