Author Visit: Jennifer Nielsen

On a 95-degree, humid Tuesday, Forsyth students sat at full attention with chills and goose bumps forming on their arms as New York Times best-selling author Jennifer Nielsen left them speechless.

Ms. Nielsen ended her 50-minute presentation with a riveting description of the family that inspired her gripping historical fiction novel A Night Divided, which describes the efforts a family must go through to reunite after being separated by the Berlin Wall.  

From the start, Ms Nielsen thoughtfully connected with the kids, speaking about her own early struggles as a reader and writer and how she now writes and re-writes constantly. Bold question from the audience–in front of the teachers: “Do YOU ever start a sentence with ‘because’?” Ms. Nielsen didn’t miss a beat, stressing the importance of mastering all the rules of writing before knowing when it’s okay to break them. And, yes, she does begin sentences with “because.”

A successful author visit has the power to inspire and motivate. Based on Wednesday's responses across the upper school, students were inspired in many ways and continue to ponder Ms. Nielsen’s advice. Based on the volume of requests for her books from the library, they were certainly motivated to read. 

Thanks to Scholastic Publishing and Novel Neighbor bookstore for bringing Jennifer Nielsen to Forsyth School.

– Melissa Pillot, Librarian & Media Specialist.