Welcome, educators!

When I first learned to read, I was an avid reader. But around 3rd grade, I slowed down. The library shelves seemed too intimidating, and it was hard to find books I liked. Then my mother signed me up with a book club which sent me a new hardcover installment of the Happy Hollisters series (by Jerry West, Doubleday and Co.) every month, and I looked forward to each new book. The reading habit kicked back in, and has stuck with me ever since.

I worry about many of the students I meet when I visit schools—kids who say, “Oh, I don't read books,” in an offhand way. Or kids who see imagination as an unneccessary extra, best left to the “artsy” kids, rather than as a powerful skill as important in science, professional sports, or any trade as it is in creative fields. Learning how to think clearly and creatively is probably more important than learning what to think!

In this section, you’ll find several things: information on my school visits, teacher guides for a few of my books, and activities which tie into them.