A Skype Visit with Sheila Turnage

I'm always interested in the books our teachers are reading aloud to their classes. Sometimes teachers come into the library to ask me for recommendations. I love helping them find one. 

I walked into one of our fourth grade classrooms a few weeks ago and noticed a copy of Three Times Lucky (Dial, 2012).

I noted how awesome this was because I read the book, too, and loved it. Having also attended the Newbery-Caldecott-Wilder Banquet when Sheila Turnage received her Newbery Honor Award for the book in 2013, I have a great memory of this novel. 

As serendipity would have it, I was offered an opportunity the very next day by Penguin Publishers to Skype with Sheila Turnage. What do you think my answer was? Of course, it was a resounding YES!! 

I offered the Skype to the teacher and she jumped at the chance, too!

The teacher has been reading the book aloud to her students.  When the day came to Skype, they were at a very pivotal part in the book, so the timing could not have been more perfect. 

Prior to the Skype, I created a Padlet for the class to post their questions. I also shared Sheila's website so that our students could explore it and have some prior knowledge of the author. 

Students used their iPads to post the questions, and I could view it from home and from the library before the visit. Mrs. M, their teacher, created a Thinking Map for students to post their guesses for who the culprit was! (Read the book to know what I'm talking about!)

We showed it to Sheila Turnage on the screen. I think she liked it! 

During the Skype session, Ms. Turnage talked about the setting's importance to the story. Tupelo Landing is a small town, and Sheila talked about the influence of her own home in her writing.

She also shared with us a wonderful memory of her 1st grade teacher who read one of the stories she wrote as a child. "This is an excellent story and you are an excellent writer," the teacher told her. That was the day she decided to be a writer. "That's how powerful teachers are," Sheila said.

I loved that story!!!

Ms. Turnage also talked about how her love of reading came from her parents, who read to her as a child. Her father read her comics, and she loved the Hardy Boys series!

Our students asked questions about Sheila's next book (which I already want to read), how one gets an agent and editor, and influences on her writing.

I was so proud of our students. Here are some of their reflections after the Skype:

"I learned you can be an author at an early age."

"Sheila Turnage is the best author ever!!!"

"I Skyped with an author!!!"

"I think I can be an author, too!" 

"Most authors rewrite their books to make changes."

"I am glad we got the chance to Skype with Sheila Turnage." 

"I learned that a story goes in your head, and get a spiral notebook and write it while it goes in you head." 

"I think I MIGHT be an author when I grow up." 

I know this author Skype will have long-lasting effects I might never see. An author in this group? Yes! More books read? Yes. The whole thing was more wonderful and beautiful than I could adequately state here.

I can't thank Penguin and Sheila Turnage enough for the opportunity.

And to our 4th grade class and their incredible teacher: Thank you for being awesome and -- 

Read on!!