Middle School: Historic Fiction Writer Visits Campus

Laurie Halse Anderson, author of picture books and young adult fiction, presented at a Middle School assembly this week and also visited seventh graders to discuss her passion for historic fiction.

 

Anderson spoke first about her background as a struggling student, grabbing her audience’s attention right away. “None of my teachers thought I would grow up to be an author,” she began. “I had a hard time learning to read but I was born with a vivid imagination.” 

 

Motivated by her favorite subject, history, Anderson has developed a series of books called Seeds of America that tell the story of three young slaves during the Revolutionary War. 

 

“I hope to inspire students to learn about American history,” she says. “We have a magnificent country and the more we know about it the more we can have healthy and productive conversations that will only move us forward.”

 

Students were intrigued. “It was interesting how much she likes history and is using it in her writing,” said Mitera Maurelli (7). “She teaches history in a different way through her stories.”

 

Following the assembly, Anderson visited seventh-grade English and history students in the classroom to share more insights about her writing process and the importance of using good sources. To research her novels, she first gains a base of knowledge about the topic by reading books others have written. Then she dives deeper by studying primary sources such as letters, newspaper articles and historic maps. Her books weave in actual events that occurred in the past, such as the Great Fire of New York in 1776.

 

“Writing is a process and yours will be different than mine,” she told students. “I like to ask questions that guide my research and use ‘what if’ scenarios to explore different outcomes. My first draft has lots of holes that I fill in as I learn more about history and apply those facts to my storyline.”

 

Anderson also talked about how she plays with different aspects of the story — emotion, conflict, comedy, pace, weather and other details — to show what her characters are experiencing, feeling and thinking.

 

“I liked hearing about the story from the person who wrote it and learning about historic events from the character’s perspective,” said Bridget Dallos (7), who is reading Anderson’s book, Chains, in English class.

 

As Anderson greeted a line of students during the book signing part of her visit, English teacher Kelly Gaudet remarked, “She is the talk of campus today. She was quickly able to connect with students of all learning levels because she showed them her vulnerabilities.”

 

Graland students also made an impression on the author. “Your students are fabulous,” Anderson shared. “I feel so energized and inspired by them. They asked questions with depth that showed the layers of their understanding.”

 

A New York Times-bestselling author, Anderson is best known for addressing tough subjects with humor and sensitivity, earning numerous international, national and state awards for her stories.