Penny Pollock is the mother of four children, as well as a grandmother who always took the time to make up and tell her own children’s stories.
“Someone told me that I should take all these stories and write them down,” said Pollock, who has been an author of children’s books for the last 35 years. “That’s how it all started. I’ve been writing for a long time.”
The New Jersey resident has written countless children’s books during her career, using her memories of growing up as a descendant of the Wyandotte Indians in her work. Her often adventurous stories range from picture books for toddlers to novels for middle-grade students.
Her two latest books, “When the Moon is Full” and “The Turkey Girl” have received high acclaim from several different publications, with the latter receiving the Aesop Accolade Award.
“The Turkey Girl,” which gives a Zuni tribe spin on the classic tale of “Cinderella,” was so acclaimed that Patricia Napolitano, the media specialist and librarian at Anna L. Klein School in Guttenberg, included the book in the school’s library.
“We’ve been using ‘The Turkey Girl’ in our classes,” Napolitano said. “Of all the 300 versions of Cinderella, it’s the only one with a Native American theme.”
When Napolitano realized that there was a chance to get Pollock to come to Klein School and work with the students, she jumped at the opportunity.
“I think it was exciting for us to have that chance,” Napolitano said.
Pollock was the writer in residence at Klein School last Tuesday, spending the entire day with the students, mostly the fourth graders, teaching them all aspects of writing and publishing.
Pollock first presented a slide show about how she goes about her writing. She also met with three classrooms of students, and gave a special luncheon presentation with the school’s Students of the Month.
“I’ve done these kinds of presentations for years and years,” Pollock said. “I’ve always enjoyed doing it. But these kids were wonderful. They were so prepared and their enthusiasm was tremendous. I was quite impressed.”
Pollock taught the youngsters all the steps needed to publish a book, acting out the procedure and giving the students specific roles such as editor, author, illustrator, art department, and literary critic.
“They were able to complete a work of fiction in 11 minutes,” Pollock said. “They really threw themselves into every aspect of it. The energy was bouncing off the walls.”
In another class, Pollock taught the children poetry.
“I told a student to pull something out of his desk and whatever the object was, we were going to write a poem about it,” Pollock said. “The student pulled a red mitten out of the desk and we wrote a poem about the red mitten, beginning with words that rhymed with red. It is natural for children to keep rhythm. They’re not afraid of it.”
While having lunch together, the Students of the Month expressed their feelings about their day with the author. “She gave us some good tips in becoming a writer,” said fourth grader Jonathan Drago. “She told us that even if you have a boring idea, you can always make it better.”
Brian DeParis was especially impressed with how a book jacket is made. Like many youngsters, he mentioned that Harry Potter is a favorite read.
Cristian Guiracocha said that he likes writing. “Every week we have to pick a topic and write a story, about three paragraphs, about the topic,” Guiracocha said. “I’ve always loved to write stories, so this was fun for me.”
Evelyn Pereira is another fourth grader who said that the day served to help her become a better writer.
“Sometimes, I get the words all mixed up,” Pereira said. “I need to write a little better, because I want to become a doctor.”
Zulay Granda is a fifth grader who likes to read, but had trouble writing, so she began to keep a journal. “If I read something, then I write a little something down about what I read,” Granda said. “I think my writing has improved by writing in the journal.”
Napolitano said that the students paid for Pollock’s appearance by raising money at the annual Book Fair. “It was so well worth it, because all of the kids were so enthusiastic and got turned on by it,” Napolitano said. “We focused on the fourth grade, because they have to take the test [the Elementary School Proficiency Assessment] later this year. It definitely was a good day for them.”
And ironically, it marked the last time that Pollock would be appearing at a school. “I need more time to concentrate on my writing,” Pollock said. “Now, when I go to a school, it will be to visit my grandchildren’s classes. I have to go on a tour for Barnes & Noble later this year, so there really isn’t enough time. The kids were so great here that it’s a wonderful way for me to end.”
Pollock has also been an adjunct professor at Rutgers, teaching creative writing to adults, and she is a painter too. “This will also give me more time to paint as well,” Pollock said. “But I’ll always be a storyteller.”