• <p>Guest author Carolyn Crimi showed off her “story hunter hat” during her JBN visit.</p>
  • <p>Ms. Crimi’s latest book, “There Might Be Lobsters.”</p>
  • <p>JBN students Vivian and Donald introduced Ms. Crimi to the audience. They did a great job!</p>
  • <p>Ms. Crimi confessed that she dresses up her dog “Emerson” in a different hat each day of the week. 🙂</p>
  • <p>In honor of Halloween and Ms. Crimi’s book, “Where’s My Mummy,” JBN staff members placed mummies in the school trees.</p>
  • <p>JBN students really enjoyed Ms. Crimi’s visit!</p>

October 30, 2018

JBN Students Get Writing Tips from Expert Author

What’s it like to write wildly imaginative children’s books? Students at J.B. Nelson got a chance to find out firsthand from author Carolyn Crimi.

Ms. Crimi, who lives in Evanston, Ill., has written 18 children’s books. Her most recent release, “There Might Be Lobsters” is based on her own dog’s fear of Lake Michigan. After a tiny wave crashed over her cute little pug named “Emerson,” he refused to go to back to the beach. “There Might Be Lobsters” tackles the topic of overcoming fears in an environment that can be a bit overwhelming.

While chatting with J.B. Nelson students, Ms. Crimi shared photos of Emerson, and how he once got his tongue stuck on a freezing cold basketball pole. She also shared her expert tips and tricks for writing.

“The first thing I do is go on a story hunt. I put on a serious story hunt hat and head out,” she explained.

She told students how she digs around her house for story ideas and said she once found a teeny-tiny, purple-haired troll doll in her attic. She showed the doll to JBN students and, as she was holding it up, helped students create a story around the hairy figurine by asking “what if” questions.

“What if you touched this doll and something magical happened, like you shrunk?”
“What if the doll came to life?”
“What if the doll came to school with you?”

Ms. Crimi said that once she gets an idea for a book, she takes out a blank piece of paper, adds the title “What If” at the top, and starts writing down all the things that could happen in her story if …

Ms. Crimi also shared with students that she collects photos, toys, and other trinkets that randomly pique her interest in a shoebox. When she’s got a case of writer’s block, she opens up her “idea box” to see if anything sticks.

“I like to get story ideas from pictures—I look for good details and ‘trouble.’ The more trouble I see in a picture, such as a cat in the air about to land on a dad eating popcorn, the more fun it will be to write a story around it,“ she said.

Several JBN teachers and Mrs. Phillips read Ms. Crimi’s books to students leading up to her visit, which was made possible through a grant from the JBN PTO.

“We can’t thank our PTO enough for their support of literacy and inspiring JBN students to read and write,” said JBN LRC Director Julie Phillips.

At the end of her presentation, Ms. Crimi challenged JBN students to go home and hunt down their own stories.

“I love my job,” said Ms. Crimi.

And, it certainly shows.