Photo: Westside Elementary second graders Bryson Wrye, Barrett Teeter, and Zarah Arzayus show author Cat Gayle their illustrations made to fit seamlessly into her books.
LOWNDES CO – Lowndes County Schools announces that Westside Elementary welcomes local authors to inspire a love of reading.
Release:
Westside Elementary School brought reading to life this fall through its new series, “Take a Look, It’s in a Book.” As part of the school’s mission to empower, challenge, and inspire students, the initiative connects children with local authors who share their stories, illustrations, and creative journeys.
The series began with illustrator and storyteller Patrick Carlson, who showed students how pictures can spark entire stories. He led interactive games where children challenged him to create an illustration out of anything, then brainstormed storylines, giving them a glimpse into the creative process and inspiring them to see themselves as both artists and writers.
The second visit featured children’s author Cat Gayle, known for her books When a Monster Dreams and When a Monster Meditates. Gayle explained how her children played a role in shaping her books, often sitting down together to review illustrations and decide which images best fit the story. This behind-the-scenes glimpse into her process made storytelling feel collaborative and accessible for Westside students. During her reading of When a Monster Meditates, she invited every student and teacher in the room to stand up and participate in mindful, calming activities. The exercise left the entire group refreshed and highlighted how books can encourage both imagination and well-being.
“It made me feel calm,” says second grader Zarah Arzayus, reflecting on the book’s message and incorporated activity.
The series concluded with Tallahassee author Dawn Pryor-Coleman, who shared her book The Adventurous Sunnie Roads: Volume One. The story offers a beautiful introduction to world cultures through a child’s eyes and includes fun activities for the whole family. Students loved sparking their imagination and creativity through Dawn’s activities, making her visit the perfect way to wrap up an inspiring month of author visits.
Teachers and staff say the visits have already had a powerful effect on students. “The children are realizing that books can take them to a new world,” said Chablis Haynes, WES Interventionist, who helped organize the program alongside Bari Hallman and Jennifer Swain. “They’re also learning that authors aren’t just faraway celebrities — they can be people right here in our own community.”
Beyond sparking creativity, the program has reaffirmed something timeless: even in a technology-driven world, students still love having a book in their hand. “They enjoy the pictures, they enjoy the words on the page, and this series has reminded them of the joy of reading,” Haynes added.
Westside Elementary Principal Melanie Johnson shared how meaningful the experience was for students, saying, “We are so grateful to have hosted authors Cat Gayle, Patrick Carlson, and Dawn Pryor-Coleman at Westside Elementary! Their visit brought the joy of reading to life for our students in such an inspiring way. Watching their excitement as they connected with each author’s stories and illustrations reminded us how powerful books can be in sparking imagination, celebrating creativity, and building a lifelong love of learning.”
Students left excited, knowing that they, too, have the power to be authors or illustrators one day.
Brysen Wrye, second grader, says that he could see himself being an illustrator one day, while his classmates Barrett Teeter and Zarah Arzayus would prefer to write the stories.
“If I wrote my own book, it would be about emotions and feeling good,” Zarah expresses.Westside’s “Take a Look, It’s in a Book” series continues to inspire students to dream, create, and discover the power of stories — one page at a time.
