Sandy Hook Elementary School library/media specialist Katie Mauro welcomed a group of students in the school's gymnasium on Friday, March 31, for a presentation by author Doreen Cronin.Diary of a Worm. Click, Clack, MOO: Cows That Type, Ms Cronin said she worked with illustrator Betsy Lewin. She read the book for the students, using a screen projection of the pages, before she described her inspirations and challenges as a writer. For Click, Clack, MOO: Cows That Type, Ms Cronin said she started with her characters before coming up with a "problem."More information about Ms Cronin and her books is available on her website .doreencronin.com

Ms Mauro said the students had been preparing for the Brooklyn, N.Y., author's visit by reading her book,

Ms Cronin offered two presentations at the school during the day. Her second presentation was for the school's older grade levels, and she prepared them by saying she would speak about the different elements of writing a story.

"The art, for those of you who are artists, is just as important as the words," she said, while explaining that she works with different illustrators for her books.

For her book

"So let's do that," Ms Cronin said, before walking the students through coming up with their own ideas for stories.