New York Times Best-Selling Author Inspires Future Storytellers at Grove
Sixth and seventh grade students at Grove Junior High School received a special visit last month from New York Times best-selling author Laurie Halse Anderson.
Anderson’s visit was part of her national book tour for her latest novel, Rebellion 1776, a middle grade historical fiction adventure about a 13 year-old-girl trying to survive a smallpox outbreak during the Revolutionary War.
“I thought I was done with historical fiction,” Anderson said, referencing her earlier novels in the Chains trilogy and Fever 1793. “But I realized there was still another story to tell.” She noted the similarities between the main character surviving the smallpox epidemic and the COVID-19 global pandemic.
In addition to discussing her book and signing copies for students, Anderson offered advice to aspiring writers: “Don’t be afraid to revise, and have fun with your writing.”
Her visit reminded students that storytelling is a living, breathing art, and that meeting an author in person can make reading and writing feel more real and meaningful.
“Author visits are important for students because they bring books to life in a powerful and personal way,” said the Grove Learning Resource Center teacher, Ms. Huitrón. “When students meet the person behind the stories they read, it helps them make a deeper connection to literature and can spark a lifelong love of reading.”
Special thanks to The Book Stall for helping coordinate the visit, and to Laurie Halse Anderson for stopping by to inspire Grove’s young readers and writers.
