OGDEN -- Second graders at Horace Mann Elementary tried their hands at writing a children's story with the help of a professional recently. Children's author Linda Bryan Sabin visited the school and spent the day with kindergarten through second graders at both Polk and Horace Mann Elementary schools courtesy of the Ogden School Foundation.
"You are so smart," Sabin told the students as she asked questions while reading her first published book, "The Sound Snatcher." Students laughed as Sabin pointed out the pictures in the book and talked about the differences between loud and quiet things.
After she finished reading her book to the students, she pulled out a white board and talked to the students about writing their own story. She went through the process of starting a story.
"You want to start with a character and where they go and what they do," she said.
Hands shot up as Sabin asked for students to come up with an animal for a main character. Ideas flowed as she went through the process with the students.
"See, all it takes is an idea and that took us five minutes," Sabin said as she pointed to the board full of ideas, with rhyming words to go along with each idea.
Media specialist Brent Bullough told the students he would be putting all their ideas into book form and then sharing it with the other classes. Students laughed and squealed in delight with that idea. Bullough loves it when authors visit the school.
"It is always very beneficial and the kids get so excited," Bullough said.
"I liked it because I never met an author," said second grader Rory Keefer. "I also like writing stories because you can come up with your own ideas," Keefer added.
Sabin feels the experience of sharing her craft is very beneficial for the students. Sabin currently lives in the Bay Area in California, but has roots in Utah. She is from Salt Lake City and her husband attended Horace Mann Elementary and grew up in the Ogden area.
"This is like coming home for me," Sabin said.
She has worked as an elementary teacher, but has had stories floating around in her head forever, she said. While this is her first published book, she hopes it is just the beginning.
"I want to encourage real conversations. Words are very important to me," Sabin said. "In this age of texting, twittering and acronyms, we need to learn how to talk," she said.
Kit Dimick of the Ogden School Foundation introduced Sabin to the students for the two days she visited the two schools.
"We bring in authors all the time," Dimick said of the foundation.
She noted that the foundation tries to bring in four or five authors per year to various age groups in the district. Two weeks ago, they brought in an author for junior high students as well.
Sabin said she enjoyed her experience with the students and with the Utah crowd.
"Utah is so receptive. They have so much respect and appreciation for local artists," she said.
She loves the feeling of family and community she feels when visiting Utah, she said.
"There is a middle America good values thing," she said.
For more information on Sabin and her new book, visit www.peekingkitty.com.
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