Author Bryan Chick visits Grasmere and Darwell schools!
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Students at Grasmere School and Darwell School were in for a treat yesterday, June 2, with a visit from American children’s author, Bryan Chick.
Bryan is the author of the children’s series, The Secret Zoo – a series of 5 novels (Book 6 will be coming out shortly) that explores the idea of a magical zoo with engaging characters, secret passages for animals and people and mysteries to be solved.
Bryan spoke to students about the writing process and how his imagination, and his adventures as a 9 year old, became the inspiration for The Secret Zoo series. As a child, Bryan frequented the Detroit Zoo, and he would run around the zoo and all of the exhibits imagining what the zoo animals did when people weren’t around and where the various tunnels and caves in the exhibits led to.
His young adventures became the inspiration for The Secret Zoo series. Students were excited to see photos of the exhibits, tunnels, caves and doors that inspired Bryan’s imagination and to hear about the writing and publishing process.
Many students couldn’t believe just how many rough drafts it can take to get an idea, sentence or paragraph just right. They were also very taken with the illustrations and interested in learning that the series may be made into a movie.
The overarching message Bryan shared with students was one of opportunity:
“I wasn’t great at school, I wasn’t great at sports. There really isn’t anything special about me that made me an author, and there isn’t anything special about any author. Anyone of you could be a writer, or an illustrator. All you need is imagination and determination.”
Having Bryan Chick share his experience and passion for writing was made possible by the collective efforts of the Stony Plain Public Library, the Parkland County Library, Grasmere School and Darwell School.
