MPS Students Enjoy Meeting Canadian Author Via:Google Talk
MPS Students connect with Canadian Author thanks to 'Google Talk' and teachers/staff who don't settle for 'It can't be done here'. Photo MPS
Canadian Author Martha Skrypuch. Submitted photo
MANITOUWADGE, ON – It is difficult to get a known Canadian author to visit our little school in northern Ontario, but that didn’t stop us. One teacher stated, “just try it” – so that was enough to get us going. This comment brought to mind Les Brown’s famous quote, “Shoot for the Moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars!” So we tried and we did it! Not a visit in person, but a virtual visit using computer technology!
Murphy’s Law followed us every step of the way, but even that didn’t stop us or the author. The grade 4-8 students and staff gathered in the school library for Marsha’s presentation, using Google Talk. This was an exciting new experience indeed.
Marsha’s audience hung on to her ever word as she answered students’ questions, shared helpful tips for budding writers, and pulled us into her writing world. The students thought it was fun to take part in such a great literary experience.
Making Bombs for Hitler and Last Airlift are two of Marsha Skrypuch’s books, nominated for the Forest of Reading program; a program which is designed to encourage a love of reading for all ages. The afforementioned books can be found at the Manitouwadge Public Library.
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From Wikipedia (CLICK HERE to visit the original post which includes a LONG list of awards won by Marsha):
Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch (born 1954) is a Ukrainian Canadian children’s writer who lives in Brantford, Ontario.
She received a BA in English and a Master of Library Science from the University of Western Ontario, and began writing fiction in 1992. After being rejected more than 100 times, her first book, “Silver Threads,” was published in 1996.
Marsha Skrypuch is the author of many books for children and young adults. She has written more novels about Armenian immigrants than any other author in the English speaking world, yet she is not Armenian. “I write about people who must give up everything that is dear to them and travel to a new country. To me, these people are heroic.”
Marsha tricked her teachers into thinking she knew how to read until it all caught up with her in grade 4 when she failed the provincial reading exam. Adding insult to injury, they made her repeat the whole year. As the tallest and oldest kid in the class, she didn’t want to be seen learning to read with little skinny books and she was too proud to ask for help, so she taught herself how to read by taking out the fattest book in the children’s section of the Brantford Public Library—Oliver Twist. She kept on renewing it for a whole year. Reading that book was a turning point in her life. She decided that she loved reading, and wanted to write too.
Marsha loves speaking with students, especially those who are struggling academically or who feel “different”.
