Author Visit at Olson Elementary School, Verona, Wisconsin

Props for my program at Olson School, Verona, Wisconsin

Two weeks ago, on March 16th, I had an excellent visit to Olson Elementary School in Verona, Wisconsin, in the Madison Metropolitan School District. I spoke to four groups of children grades kindergarten through fifth grade using the Smart Board in the library to show my slides. All of the students had been able to read some of my books before my visit so they were well prepared and excited about the program. I thank librarian Sheri Boser for organizing my visit and preparing the students. At the end of each program I had a short question period and I was impressed by the good questions the students asked. During the lunch period I had a chance to walk the halls and see some of the art projects and other activities the students were doing, which included paintings in the style of Kandinsky by kindergarten students and a pen-pal project with children in Mexico tracking the migration of monarch butterflies.

This visit to Wisconsin was particularly meaningful for me because of my Wisconsin connection. Although I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, I spent my summers in northern Wisconsin at Camp Bovey near Solon Springs. This is where I learned to love nature and watch wild animals and where we told Hodag stories around the campfire. As a child I also traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin, on the shore of Lake Michigan, to visit my grandparents and cousins. So, to find my books read by children in Wisconsin today was especially satisfying.