The New York Times bestselling author Sarah Albee recently visited Slingerlands Elementary School.
Sarah Albee enjoys blending history and science into her work and has written over 150 children’s books. Her recent nonfiction titles have been recognized by the Junior Library Guild, Bank Street College of Education Best Books, and Notable Social Studies Trade Books, as well as winners of Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Awards.
In honor of the author’s visit, students decorated the library with beautiful handmade dog crafts, a nod to one of Albee’s works. As part of her presentation, Albee engaged students with an exciting, interactive reading of her book The Dragon’s Scales. Students enjoyed the humor and problem-solving in the delightful story of one very smart little girl who saves the day (and her town’s strawberries) with some facts she learned in school.
Albee also shared The Dog Days of History: The Incredible Story of Our Best Friends, which explores the deep bond between dogs and humans throughout history. To enhance the experience, she engaged the students in a game where they had to identify which dog belonged to a well-known historical figure. The students thoroughly enjoyed matching the dogs to their famous owners while discovering intriguing facts during the activity.
A highlight of the visit was when Albee shared a personal story, when she was seven years old, she wrote a letter to Queen Elizabeth. To her delight, she received a response on the Queen’s behalf, from Lady Kathryn Dugdale. Upon receipt of that letter, Albee decided she would become a writer. “I had a great mom and dad who supported me and told me my words were important,” remarked Albee when a student asked what made her write to the Queen.
Thank you Sarah Albee, Slingerlands Library Media Specialist Stephanie Cook and the Slingerlands PTO for making this visit possible!