East Panhandle Times

Author Jordan Sonnenblick visited Spring Mills Middle School to share his journey and encourage students to pursue their dreams. His visit was arranged by library media specialist Karen Greenfield, who coordinated with reading teachers to find an author for the students to meet.

Sonnenblick's works include titles like "Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie," "Dodger and Me," and "The Boy Who Failed Show and Tell." During his time at Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, he was encouraged by his creative writing teacher, Frank McCourt, which led him to aspire to become an author. "I realized I could be an author," Sonnenblick stated. He aimed to demonstrate that authors are ordinary people who chose to write a book.

He shared how his teaching experience inspired his first book. A student named Emily had a brother undergoing cancer treatment, prompting Sonnenblick to write a book for her when he couldn't find one on the subject. This resulted in "Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie," published in 2004. After receiving positive feedback from Emily’s family, he continued writing books addressing various challenges faced by children.

Sonnenblick advised students on two steps towards becoming happy adults: finding something they enjoy doing and using it to make a difference in someone's life. He urged them not to remain inactive but instead pursue their passions actively.

Greenfield praised Sonnenblick’s message as perfectly aligned with what she wanted students to learn from meeting an author. "He hit it spot on," Greenfield commented. Students also engaged with Sonnenblick about his experiences as an author, making the visit particularly meaningful since many had read his books for class.