Author Chris Newbold Visited Woodland Elementary School to Help Students Write Their Own Book

Author Chris Newbold Visited Woodland Elementary School  to Help Students Write Their Own Book

Second graders at Woodland Elementary School had a special visit from author Chris Newbold.

Chris Newbold, author and University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni, visited 2nd graders at Woodland Elementary School on February 7, 2018. His visit to the school is a story unto itself. It all started when Carter Rosen, a second grader at Woodland, picked out Newbold’s book “The Big Bucky Badger Mystery” at the school’s book fair.

Carter worked hard to read the book and enjoyed it so much that he asked his teacher, Stephanie Twombly, if there were more books in the series and how he could find another book written by the same author. These questions led the students to connect with the author of the beloved Bucky book – Chris Newbold.

Chris Newbold, his daughter Mallory, Wolfie and Principal DoleyshThey learned that Chris’ wife Jennifer wrote “The Great Monte Mystery” based on her alma mater (the University of Montana) and that they co-authored a third book called “The Wild Wolf Pack Mystery.”

Chris, who now lives in Missoula, Montana, was excited to get a call from the students. As a result, he added a visit to their school to his itinerary for an upcoming trip to Wisconsin that he already had planned.

During his visit to the school, Newbold shared how he came to be an author and his philosophy about following your dreams. Then, he worked with the second graders to help them craft a story about their own school.
The three children’s books written by the Newbold’s are mysteries about missing footballs or basketballs. In the book plots, the mascot from the featured school travels around the community and its landmarks in search of the missing items. The books also have a theme around honesty, which is one of the community values at Woodland Elementary School.

Under Chris’ guidance, the students began work on a book about their own mascot, Wolfie. Each second grade student will have a role in the creation of the book. They hope to publish it within their school. In a brainstorm session for their book, the students decided they are going to be missing their very own principal – Dr. Timothy Doleysh. The final book will no doubt be a tale to remember for these young authors!