Grade 5 Author Visit

Before the meeting, Mrs. Lucas said, “I’m excited for us to meet with the author using Zoom. We’ve read ‘Because of Mr. Terupt,’ for the past five weeks during and the kids loved this book. They’ve made connections with the characters, empathizing with their challenges, relating to their interests, while reflecting on their own fifth-grade experience this school year. Many of them are continuing to read the next two books in the series and some are now eagerly awaiting the fourth installment in the series which will debut this October.”

 

 

An engaging and entertaining speaker, Mr. Buyea began by sharing that he was an elementary and high school teacher before becoming a writer. “I started writing because I wanted to become a better teacher,” he said. “I found that I never shut the writing switch ‘off’ and began to go through life like a writer — always observing, always wondering how things I saw could be used in a story. Some of my very best ideas have come when I’m far away from my writing desk.”

 

Students were given the opportunity to ask questions such as “What character do you relate to most?” and “Is there anything about your books you would go back and change?” 

 

Mr. Buyea graciously answered several questions and before signing off with a compliment and some words of advice.

 

“I’m really impressed with the level of engagement from this group and the thoughtful questions you asked,” he shared. “I’ll tell you one thing: Nobody but a reader becomes a writer. Read, read, read. That will help you grow as writers and storytellers more than anything else will.”