They may look like your average first-graders,
but Darlene Robertson's students will soon be sharing a spot on
the bookshelf with such famous authors as J.K. Rowling and Brian
Jacques. Why? The Kennett, Missouri, kids were named special America
Remembers commemorative winners of Scholastic Book Fairs' 16th-annual
Kids Are Authors program.
Chosen among thousands of entries, their book,
September 12th...We
Knew Everything Would Be All Right, delivers a message of hope
in the wake of the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history.
The young authors remind readers that the world did not end on September
11. They recall the familiar and comforting routines of going to
school the following day, being greeted by their teacher, playing
at recess, and doing homework.
Once Mrs. Robertson's class came up with a story, students worked
in pairs and in groups, sketching pictures for each of the book's
29 pages. They then added color to their pencil drawings with bright
crayons to create their vibrant works of art.
"They love to write," Mrs. Robertson says of her 18 students. "They
were so eager to draw. I handed them each a blank piece of paper,
and they just drew and drew."
In the end, the book's message is simple, says Mrs. Robertson. "When
things happen that are bad, small children want to know that the
world is still safe," she says. "It's a comforting book."
Scholastic Book Fairs'
Kids Are Authors
program is a national book-writing contest open to teams of student
writers in grades K through 8. Entrants include students from across
the country and abroad.
