Author Suzy Kline visits Memorial School during Library Week

Suzy Kline visiting Memorial School

Last week Memorial School celebrated National Library week with a special visit from famous author Suzy Kline. Kline is well-known for the Horrible Harry and Herbie Jones Series.  While visiting she explained how she builds stories from just simple ideas or “seeds” and the importance of keeping a writers’ journal.  Kline’s visit was sponsored by Memorial PTO

Kline is a former teacher who finds many of her story ideas or “seeds” from experiences with her students and their antics. She explained to the kids carrying a notebook everyday and writing one to two words may one day inspire them to write a story and went on to share some of her many seeds.

One of her story ideas came out of a visit to a school where she kept hearing the students say in the cafeteria “I can’t wait to see Mrs. X,” she wondered why all the students wanted to see her and so she asked. One of the students said, “Well, Mrs X is the ketchup lady and if she likes you she put the ketchup on your plate like this.” When she looked at the plate the ketchup was squirted in the shape of a smile. She told the kids at the very moment she took out her notebook and wrote…. ketchup lady and later used that for a character in her book.

Another “seed” was from a former student who wasn’t happy with the pencil sharpener in her classroom. He asked her if he could bring in his own sharpener from home. He arrived the next day with a small handheld sharpener and proceeded to sharpen his pencil until it was the smallest pencil in the room.  Kline noticed how small the pencil was, it probably couldn’t be any smaller. Later he gave that very small pencil to her to keep. She placed the pencil in her “seed” box and the pencil became the “seed” used to create the stub people.

Memorial Librarian Karlyn Gale said the students were inspired by Kline and after her visit were excited to write their own stories.

Kline sharing story seeds. Left is a Sailor Hat which inspired her to write Herbie Sales into Second Grade when she met a classroom of second graders who wore sailing hats. In the middle is the pencil which inspired the stub people which attempt to take over the classroom in one of her books. To the right is a yellow scarf  which a student explained is more than a scarf it could even be a dress this scarf makes an appearance in ne of her books.

To the left Kline is showing the students the notebook which she drew the photo of the smiley ketchup face inspiring the character the ketchup lady. Middle photo is  Memorial School Teachers acting out one of Kline’s stories. To the right is a photo of Kline explaining how a  play is written.