A Deeper Understanding, by Maryann Manning

The more we know about the lives and work of authors we love, the better we understand their writing

A few months ago, upon pulling into the elementary school parking lot of a small, southern cotton town, I spotted a large billboard. I expected the words on the sign to proclaim an athletic feat of a local team or announce the dates of parent conferences. I sat in my car for a moment and stared at the sign which read, David Shannon, Author of the Month. The residents of this school were proclaiming that reading literature is special! I couldn't contain my joy because anyone who drove past the school and read the sign had to know that the students, teachers, administrators and staff were readers and writers.

I quickly found the school principal and told her how excited I was to see that billboard. She was pleased to know that I recognized the power of the message to the community.

There are many different ways to celebrate authors and you have your own favorite ways. I want to share some of mine and perhaps they'll remind you of some you've tried before.

Author studies
There are hundreds of different ways to do author studies that usually follow reading a significant amount of the work of an individual. After an extensive literary experience, it's natural to want to learn interesting information about the person as well as his or her writing style.

Each year it becomes easier to learn about the lives and works of the authors our students are reading. The print media sources are still there and include Books in Print, The Horn Book, BookLinks, and the excellent author biographies found on our website.

I sometimes wonder how we did author studies before websites, videotapes and audiovisual versions of books. We were always able to bring the author to life in the classroom with the information we could find, but now we have everything except the person in the flesh!

Visiting websites
Whenever I hear of an author who has a good website, I visit it. One of the best sites I have ever visited was Mem Fox's. On a recent visit to www.memfox.net I found her site features seven sections: Section 1. All About Mem, 2. See and Hear Mem, 3. How to Read Aloud, 4. About Mem's Books, 5. The Stories Behind The Stories, 6. For Writers (And Potential Writers), and 7. For Parents and Teachers, which includes articles titled "If I Were Queen Of The World" and "The Folly of Jolly Old Phonics".

Writing the publicist
I am not going to suggest that your students write the author unless they're invited to do so on the website, but rather, write letters to the author through the publicist. Authors cannot be pen pals to our students because we want them to use their precious time to create more books! Publicists share letters, artwork and student writing with the author and often answer class letters. When writing letters, here are a few suggestions:

• Be very familiar with the work of the author before writing.

• Don't ask a long list of questions and be sure not to ask personal questions.

• Don't ask for free books because authors must pay for them, just like readers.

• Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you'd like a reply.

• Ask questions about where you can find more information so you can learn more about the person.

• Another place to write is to the publisher. If a book has just been released, there may be brochures or posters that are being used for promotional purposes that can be displayed in the classroom.

Organizing an Author Day
I once attended a Laura Ingalls Wilder Day that was very memorable. The school gym was alive with "pioneer" activity. DeSmet, SD was reproduced at one end of the gym and there were students, teachers and parents in pioneer dress. Community volunteers had set up inside and outside the school and demonstrated activities such as quilting, horseshoeing, weaving and soap making.

Different books of an author can be celebrated with areas of a room or a hallway depicting different books. I saw this done with refrigerator box dioramas. This school celebrated the books of Jean Craighead George. Julie of the Wolves (HarperCollins, 1974) and others by George were featured in large displays.

Another school had a Hans Christian Andersen Day – the kindergarten children dressed as the Ugly Duckling will always remain in my memory.

Author visits
You may wonder why I didn't discuss inviting the real author to the school. Author visits are not out of the realm of possibility for many schools, but there are schools where economics would prohibit such visits. If you have the financial resources, secure a list of authors from publishers. Locating those who live in your state can help with expenses. If authors live in, or come to your area, attend appearances at local libraries or bookstores.

Enjoy all of your celebrations of the lives of the authors who enrich our classrooms each day. The more we know about the lives and work of authors, the deeper our understanding of their writing.

Maryann Manning is on the faculty of the School of Education, the University of Alabama at Birmingham.