Graham Salisbury Visit

Yesterday, our long awaited visit from author Graham Salisbury finally happened!  The multiage 3/4 and fifth grade classes had the wonderful opportunity to visit with the award-winning author.  We have been preparing for his visit by reading his book Under the Blood-Red Sun, which is set in Honolulu during World War II, and analyzing the main characters.

Mr. Salisbury started off his talk with stories about growing up on Oahu. More specifically, he discussed his adventures as a young boy living in Kaneohe.  We learned about the time when he almost drowned in a sea of mud and his encounters with a bully at Mid-Pacific Country Club.  His stories had our students, and teachers, laughing out loud.  And through all the entertaining stories, he also sent a message to students that they should feel fortunate about where they go to school because not everyone has the same kind of opportunities.

After hearing his stories, students then asked him some questions about the books we have been reading. Students asked how he came up with the inspiration for his books, characters, and ideas.  They were also able to ask him about some of his future writing projects as well as specific questions about Under the Blood-Red Sun.  Ask your child about what they learned about Graham Salisbury! 

After meeting with Mr. Salisbury, students are eager to read more of his work.  During his visit, we learned that Under the Blood-Red Sun is the first in a series of five books.  The second book, Eyes of the Emperor, focuses on a new character during the same time period, while the third book in the series, House of the Red Fish, revisits the same characters from Under the Blood-Red Sun.  We even learned the title of the fourth book, which he is currently working on -- The Sword in the Stream.  Both Eyes of the Emperor and House of the Red Fish are available in our classroom library.  Thank you to Sachi Clark for donating a copy of Eyes of the Emperor to the class, which we got autographed!  Mr. Salisbury also donated an autographed copy of his latest book, Night of the Howling Dogs.  The students can't wait to start reading these new additions to our class library!

Just a reminder that tomorrow we have a field trip to Honolulu Theatre for Youth's presentation of Obake, from 9:15 to 10:15.

Please check the gallery for pictures from our recent field trips!

Posted on November 15, 2007 10:26 AM | Permalink