| 03/20/2007 |
| My word |
| Amanda K. Lowe , Daily Times |
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COVENTRY - Students at Tiogue Elementary School Friday learned
about the joy of reading and writing from someone who,
literally, wrote the book. "This is the second year we have done a school-wide reading theme," said Judy Liner, a member of the Cultural Arts PTA at Tiogue Elementary School. "It ignites enthusiasm in children about reading." The theme this year was books written by Hurwitz. She has written 66 books, including "Adventures of Ali Baba Bernstein," "Baseball Fever," "Busybody Nora," "Class Clown," "Elisa in the Middle," and "Fourth Grade Fuss." "Her books are wonderful," Liner said. "They cover topics that are interesting to children. Their readability is developmentally appropriate. She is a great person. The children were in awe after her presentation. It was just a wonderful experience for the children." Hurwitz talked to the students about her inspiration for becoming an author and how she came up with the ideas for the books she has written. "I have always loved books," Hurwitz said. "I remember being read to as a child and I always loved reading and going to the public library. When I was very young, I started making up stories. I made it my dream to have a book published. I've now had 66 books published, which is a far bigger dream than I ever imagined. I love coming into schools. Writing is a solitary career. Some of the students have read my books so they get excited to meet a real-life author. Other students have not read my books, but, after hearing me talk about them, they get excited about reading the books. I just want to make the act of reading pleasurable and enjoyable for children." During her presentation to the students, Hurwitz told students that the ideas for her books come from things she sees and experiences every day. She also showed them the first book she ever wrote when she was 8 years old. "I decided I wanted to be an author when I was about your age," Hurwitz told the students. "I always thought, in order to write, I would have to go on really big and exciting adventures, so I would have something to write about. I waited and waited and I never went anywhere. I waited so long that I began to think that I couldn't be an author because I had nothing to write about. Gradually, I began to realize I could write about the little things, so I started to carry something very special in my pocketbook - a little notebook. I carry that notebook everywhere because I never know when something will happen that I want to write about." Hurwitz said some of her books have been translated into Dutch, French, Japanese, German and Spanish. When asked by a student what her favorite book she has written was, Hurwitz did not have an answer. "That is like asking a parent who their favorite child is," Hurwitz said. "Every child is different. Each is special in their own way and that is what I feel about my books. I can't pick a favorite. I like them all for different reasons." After the presentation, each student had his or her picture taken with Hurwitz and received an autographed book mark. Students were also allowed to bring in books to be signed. "The bookmark will be very helpful because you can use it in any book, even ones not written by me," Hurwitz told the students. "Every time you use it, you can think of the stories I have told you about reading and writing. Writing is so exciting and having books published is even more exciting. Every day, when the mail comes or my telephone rings, I think it could be Walt Disney wanting to make a movie from one of my books. I'm always waiting for a new opportunity, so the excitement never ends."
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