During “Hawley Loves To Read Week” author Sara Pennypacker stopped by on Tuesday, April 8, to speak to students about writing, her books, and her inspirations.

Ms Pennypacker’s published works include her Clementine series, Summer of the Gypsy Moths, Dumbstruck, The Amazing World of Stuart, Sparrow Girl and Pierre in Love.

She also visited Middle Gate Elementary School during that school’s “Middle Gate Loves To Read Week,” on Monday, April 7.

Ms Pennypacker told Hawley students the following day that she has the best job in the world. She also said when authors write books they are starting a conversation with their readers.

Being an author she said is “wonderful” and she asked the students to think about becoming one. To demonstrate that authors create manuscripts, Ms Pennypacker shared a manuscript for an upcoming book that she said will be called The Dullards.

Authors, said Ms Pennypacker, can go to offices or studios to work, but they can also work where they want to.

“Mostly I work in my head,” said Ms Pennypacker.

To explain how she works, Ms Pennypacker shared photos of herself: one on a sofa relaxing with her eyes closed and one swimming in a pool. She shared two copies of each photo and said in one she was working and in the other she was not. The students could not spot a difference. My Pennypacker said both places, underwater and on a couch, are places where she can work, using her imagination.

She also completed a game with the students that she called “Why, why why. How how how.” To play the game she asked the students to come up with a story idea by constantly asking how and why.