Authors virtually visit Crooked Billet Elementary classrooms

Authors Lindsay Currie, Katie Messner and Traci Sorell virtually visited Crooked Billet Elementary School classrooms. Currie, author of spooky middle-grade novels Scritch Scratch and The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street, visited with fourth grade classrooms. Currie talked about the research, writing and editing process when working on her newest book, Scritch Scratch.

Her visit tied well into the class’s lessons and students asked Currie questions about her writing process. “We had just begun to revise our first piece that week and many of the students were having a tough time looking back at their own work and changing it,” said fourth grade teacher Rachael Brookins. “Seeing real authors and hearing their story creates such a strong interest for kids and builds their appreciation for the writing process.”

In Melissa Pierce’s fifth grade class, students heard from authors Messner and Sorell during a virtual Zoom presentation called “Rethinking Thanksgiving: History, Holidays and Gratitude.” Pierce used some of the authors’ books in social studies class this year. She used Messner’s book History Smashers: The Mayflower to debunk common misconceptions about the first colonists and their Thanksgiving Feast. Additionally, Sorell is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and writes stories of her ancestors.

“What I appreciated the most as a teacher was the personal touch that the authors brought to my classroom,” said Pierce.

During the virtual session, Messner and Sorell took turns talking to the students about the myths of the first Thanksgiving as well as traditions of the Cherokee people. They engaged students with questions in the form of polls, which Pierce said amazed students in her class. “My students were thrilled to be a part of this visit. I loved hearing their gasps of surprise when they learned the answers to some of the polls.”