Lincoln Middle School- Author Visits

Lincoln Middle School students got a couple of special holiday treats before winter break. They got two chances to participate in virtual author visits: one with Kwame Alexander and Alan Gratz, two best-selling authors of middle grade books, and another with Jeff Kinney who wrote the popular series Diary of a Wimpy Kid. 

In the first virtual visit, Kwame Alexander explored the use of repetition to add suspense, mystery, and excitement to their writing. Then students got to hear from Gratz about how he writes, the topics he chooses, what research he does to inform his work, and the parts of writing that are still hard for him. Throughout the session, students got to send online emojis and comments and questions through the chat bar. 

Jeff Kinney’s visit was focused on answering questions that students and teachers posted in the chat. He talked about how he gets his ideas, what he likes about writing, and even funny little things like why every book is 217 pages long. He finished by showing how to draw Greg Heffley - the main character in his books. 

Students were so excited for the opportunity, one saying “It was so cool that they answered some of our questions.” Another noted “Alexander is actually pretty funny!”

These types of events help students to experience school outside the classroom walls, and outside of Cottage Grove. There are two more author events like this later this school year. When students were told this, they responded excitedly by saying, “Actually! This year!” 

It’s exciting to offer fun learning opportunities that engage students, teach writing skills and show them more of the world of work and their future. Thank you to LMS for offering this amazing opportunity!