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Liza Burby at P.S.
115
June 7-18, 2004
Journalist and nonfiction author Liza Burby spent the
weeks of June 7 and 14 as author-in-residence at P.S.
115 in the Washington Heights section of upper Manhattan
as part of the National Book Foundation's Family Literacy
program.
Ms. Burby was greeted by enthusiastic teachers at a
"welcome breakfast" held in the school's library.
She met with the entire third grade class at least twice,
and was able to visit with second-graders as well. Students
read Ms. Burby's books A Day in the Life of a Nurse,
and A Day in the Life of a Sculptor in preparation
for her residency.
During the course of her two-week visit, Ms. Burby
answered students' questions, which included "Why
did you become a writer?", "How long have
you been writing?", and "Did you ever want
to be anything else?". She answered enthusiastically
and informed students that she strongly believed in
choosing a career you enjoy, and that she became a writer
because she loved writing, and had been doing it since
she was eight years old. When asked what career paths
they would follow, many third-graders said they wanted
to help others, and so wished to be firefighters, nurses,
and teachers. Others chose athletic or artistic careers,
such as basketball and baseball players, architects,
and painters.
Ms. Burby helped students write their own books, titled
"A Day in the Life of…" They were
asked to fill in the blank, and find a picture representing
their desired career, which would serve as the cover,
and bind their own books, an activity that sparked much
creativity among the third-graders. Students were proud
of their books, and eager to show them to parents and
teachers.
Ms. Burby's last day at P.S. 115 also happened to be
"Career Day," during which parents, school
administrators, and Ms. Burby herself talked with students
about careers and different professions they may wish
to pursue. It was at this culminating event that Ms.
Burby selected five students with the most ambitious
career books to present them to an audience in the school
library.
Saying goodbye to Ms. Burby was difficult for students
because she had bonded with them over her ten-day visit.
Many students dedicated their books to her; some even
gave them to her as parting gifts. She, too, found it
hard to part with the students with whom she worked
so closely.
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