Wherein the kind, warm, and wonderful Sophie Blackall visits my school

The incredibly kind and incredibly skilled Sophie Blackall visited with my fifth graders recently. She was amazing. 

Sophie was warm and engaging. The students connected with her immediately. There's nothing like watching seventy fifth graders held in rapt attention by an illustrator whose work they love. 

Here's a look at her visit:

Prior to her visit, we revisited some of our favorite books illustrated by Sophie. I also showed them some of the videos from her webpage. The one from the Brooklyn Library exhibit resonated with them.

One indicator of the impact of her visit is that the children are still talking about it, even after a full week off for our winter break, which likely held many an adventure for many of the students. 

Another indicator is the queue for all the books illustrated by Sophie. The hold list doesn't go out that far.

The third indicator? The thank you notes they shared after the visit.

I couldn't say it any better!

Janaras and Manalongas and Cloppers, oh my!

The Witches of Benevento follows the adventure of five kids in a small, southern Italian town in the 1820s.

My students love this new series by John Marciano and Sophie Blackall. Here are John and Sophie talking about Benevento, Pie, Witches and More.

The Witches of Benevento website is a treasure trove of information about the book, including artistic inspiration and information about the real Benevento, Italy. It also includes a Witchionary where you can find descriptions of all the witches in Benevento. Here are a few of my students' favorites:

The Witches of Benevento has inspired some incredible art. Check it out: