Educator Quotes

“Here are several of the comments that I received from my students:

* ‘I liked that (Jon) asked us questions. It made us feel like me were apart of the presentation.’
* ‘I felt like I was in the story, because of the way (Jon) described it. I could see the wolf tracks.’
* ‘I liked that (Jon) draws and then writes.’
* ‘My favorite part was when (Jon) was talking about his comic book drawings. He does more than just write!’
* ‘I felt like (Jon) was my friend at the end of the talk.’

Lynne Reid, Librarian
Alexander Dawson School (Las Vegas, Nevada)

“Your visits to our school have been amazing. The students and staff talk about Derek and you often. I even feel I am safe in saying that in our eyes you are more revered that J. K. Rowling. We have had quite a few author visits thanks to the wonderful people at Red Balloon Bookshop and all of those folks have been great, but there is truly something magical about the connections you have made with all of us. You have let us in and by doing so have encouraged and inspired so many students to follow what they love and to not be afraid to try something new. You have a wonderful way of connecting with the students. They speak of you in terms of really feeling they know you and have a relationship with you. It is that gift that has inspired students to write, draw, create, share, and support each other.”

Mary Wollmering, Librarian
Holy Spirit School (St. Paul, Minnesota)

“It is so wonderful to have guests such as yourself come and share, motivate, and inspire. (You are) someone they can really look up to, relate to, strive to be like.”

Debby Kaiwi, Librarian
King Kamehameha III Elementary School (Maui, Hawaii)

“Your books have been a huge hit with my reading class, and I didn’t expect that I would enjoy them as much as the kids! We are all recommending your books to our friends and co-workers.”

Chris Newport, 5th Grade Teacher
Trojan Elementary School (Osawatomie, Kansas)

“The Grey Griffins has proven to be the one series that I can read to my class where each and every student is either glued to every word I read, or they can’t take their eyes off of their own copy as they followed along. Though I usually don’t read sequels to my class, I have made an exception with the Grey Griffins. Please don’t keep us waiting too long for the next book!”

Alan LaFleur, 5th Grade Teacher
Copper Canyon Elementary School (West Jordan, Utah)

“Getting kids to read for pleasure is a goal of our department, and fast-paced, imaginative, engaging books like yours are always a good bet, even for reluctant readers. The secret society, the fantasy creatures, and the collection of young, quirky protagonists along with their older counterparts are reminiscent of other excellent fantasy adventures, such as those by J.R.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis, and more recently, J.K. Rowling. The inclusion of the game and the magic book was a stroke of genius for this generation, who have grown up collecting and trading cards, and who can no doubt identify with your Griffins and their hobby.”

Tawnua Fell, English/Language Arts Teacher
Mount Vernon Community High School (Mount Vernon, Iowa)

“We have a student that just happened by when Jon and Derek were talking with our breakfast group. She is mostly a non-reader, but in the gifted program. After encountering Derek and Jon (I know this sounds fake) she started to read. And I mean READ! After reading the Grey Griffins book, she read a 400-page book on philosophy and hasn’t stopped since. Beyond that, I’ve paid big money for very famous authors that didn’t bond with our junior high students in any way shape or form like Jon and Derek. Months later all the copies of their books are still checked out, and at the book fair last week, parents were coming in to buy more for holiday gifts. Their presentations were not only entertaining and relevant to our students, but informative and curriculum-related. I’ll book them now for another performance next year!”

Stephanie Emery, Librarian
Santan Elementary (Chandler, Arizona)

“I can tell you that since all of my students are learning disabled in reading, they were so excited and ready to read, due to the way (Jon and Derek) spoke to them and encouraged them. Most of my students have purchased the book and are ready to start the book study. Most have already read it one time. (The authors) are awesome, and have a real ability to motivate young people to read.”

Maryann Eberhart, Inclusion Specialist
Santan Elementary (Chandler, Arizona)

“Jon and Derek are fabulous speakers and darn nice guys. Not only are the friendly and personable, but they obviously love what they do and I can’t say enough good things about them. They inspire kids and grownups to be excited about writing and reading. They also showcase their sketches and storyboards, and it really catches kids’ interest.”

Michelle Aron, Librarian
Barbara Bush Elementary School (Mesa, Arizona)

“Giving the students the opportunity to meet the authors and learn not only about the storyline, but the writing process was an awesome way to spark interest in kids! It really motivated a number of my students to read a genre out of their element. I appreciated how the authors linked their childhood to their story and encouraged our students to take risks in their education!”

Katie Ernst, E Team English
Stilwell Junior High (West Des Moines, Iowa)

“Along with several of my students, I have read your wonderful books and we are very eager for more . . . (they) talk about it daily and are the ones who made me get on the web today to find out. They can hardly wait!”

Diane Colwell, Sixth Grade Teacher
Lincoln Consolidated Schools (Ypsilanti, Michigan)

“After Jon and Derek’s visit, we sold so many copies of their books in the Book Fair that we had to reorder.”

Kathleen Talbot, Teacher/Librarian
Stilwell Junior High School (West Des Moines, Iowa)

“Our students and teachers raved about your presentation. They loved the way you shared about the writing process, beginning with your initial concepts and showing us all the steps it takes to get published. The Grey Griffins series has become the most requested set of books in our library. You both were great inspirations!”

Karen Knight, Literacy Specialist
Kyrene del Sureno (Chandler, Arizona)

“I can only express how much I enjoy the Grey Griffins series and how the kids can’t stop talking about it. They can’t wait to get their hands on the next book. The best part of your presentation was when one of the kids came up to me later and said,’(Jon) reminds me of me. I think I could be a writer, too’. You spoke to them like real people instead of treating them like kids.”

Loree Williams, Librarian
Islands Elementary School (Gilbert, Arizona)

“Captivating, interactive and polished are just a few words to describe the author visit by Jon and Derek. They have an excellent rapport with audiences of every age, and are able to draw the students in with a special gift as they share their love of writing and the reality that dreams can come true. I would highly recommend any school to have Jon and Derek speak to their students.”

Nancy Schwartz, Choral Director
Lawson Elementary (Johnston, Iowa)