Authors craft the stories that grab our students, the stories that sometimes hug and console young readers, sometimes intrigue or puzzle them, and sometimes shake them inside-out.
Illustrators draw the pictures that make students giggle and gasp.
Authors and illustrators also create the informational books that turn students into wide-eyed investigators, bursting with curiosity, tingling with the thrills of learning. And recognizing those resources, schools all over the country have been exploring ways to tap into that power. Occasionally, opportunities even present themselves to make the experience more personal. One of Edinger's best opportunities popped up with Gail Carson Levine, author of Ella Enchanted. She began reading the book aloud several weeks before beginning her Cinderella Unit in the fall of 1997.