SKYPE is AWESOME as is the blogospehre!
Today’s post is an international occasion. It all started when The Story Reading Ape (click HERE to go to his blog) who lives in The United Kingdom emailed me about a FABULOUS fourth grade teacher named Joanna Mojica from Honduras and said that her class would love to talk to This Kid from Pennsylvania USA about my book.
Ms. Mojica contacted me and we set up a virtual visit through SKYPE!
Escuela Bilingue Santa Maria Del Valle is located in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. It is a catholic, bilingual school and their fourth grade classes ROCK! 😀
I sent them a copy of my book to read ahead of time so they could ask me questions. I started off by introducing myself, and talking about the importance of reading. I then said a little about how I came to write my book.
After all that was said, each student got to ask me a question. I was a bit nervous because I usually talk to adults, not kids more my age. I soon felt really comfortable. They had great questions! One I really liked was “What would you do if you were president?” I wasn’t prepared for that one. I said I’d increase funding for school and public libraries. Speaking from experience, a lot of schools have no money to buy books or have a librarian on staff.
The SKYPE visit was awesome. It felt like a real conversation.
For the last part of my visit, I talked about how my Uncle Dave gave me the stuffed toys he made (Tomato and Pea) and challenged me to write a story about them.

The Original Tomato and Pea
So, I challenged the fourth graders of Escuela Bilingue Santa Maria Del Valle school to write. Write a story about these fellows:
They could write whatever they wanted – a poem, a play, a novel, a short story, comic, anything! It just had to be about these two fine guys (or girls 😉 ) – they can name them whatever they want to also. 🙂
Plus I offered, if they wanted to, to post whatever the students wrote here on my blog. So be sure to check back!
These little guys are traveling to Honduras right now to be their classroom mascots. 🙂
Thank you Ms. Mojica and the fourth graders at Escuela Bilingue Santa Maria Del Valle school!

Can you guess which one is me? 😉
Have a nice weekend folks!
Categories: Other Stuff Related to Books and Reading
Take us to your leader (Erik)
Hey Uncle Question Mark! How’s it been? 😉 So, my liters. Well, we have a couple. We’ve got a Sprite liter, a Root Beer liter, a… 😉
That is so awesome, Erik! I can’t believe all the “writerly” things you’re doing!
Thank you Ms. Cho! 🙂
What a wonderful way to reach out to others and share your love of writing, imagining and creating. Way to go!
Thank you! 😀
WELL DONE ERIK!!
I’ll be hearing more about this from Joanna – I’ll let you know when I post her side of this GREAT EXAMPLE TO AUTHORS EVERYWHERE!!! – HINT!
YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
😀
Thank you Mr. The Ape! YOU rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😆
😀 😀 😀
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's New (to me) Authors Blog and commented:
WELL DONE ERIK!!
I’ll be hearing more about this from Joanna – I’ll let you know when I post her side of this GREAT EXAMPLE TO AUTHORS EVERYWHERE!!! – HINT!
YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😀
🙂
You’re so inspiring, Erik! It’s incredible to read about what you do. I love the idea of giving a class 2 rather ambiguous characters and simply have them write…anything.
Thank you Ms. Cabael! 🙂 It was fun! 🙂
That is fantastic! Well done! A couple of weeks ago I went into my local junior school to talk to 120 5th and 6th year students…I was soooo nervous! How would a nearly 50 uncool mum be able to engage a bunch of almost teens?!! But dyou know what? The kids were BRILL! Looks like you will be quite a pro by the time you get to my age lol!
You – uncool?! Whoa! That’s a new one! Kids are fantastic things (no bias involved with that statement 😉 )!
You are such an inspirations. I love that you sent them their own characters to write about. What an awesome idea! Well done.
~CM
Ha *inspiration*.
🙂
Thank you Cool Mom! 😀
How thrilling and amazing for you, Erik! You are gaining very beneficial experience at a young age.
Thank you CGLynn! 🙂
If we could vote for a kid-lit ambassador, we wouldn’t have to. YOU ARE IT! The new characters are fabulous, did your uncle make them too?
Yup, Dave made them! He gave me a tub of “Smidges” to sell at book signings. 🙂
That’s great you have such a super supportive uncle!
He’s great! 🙂
Dear Erick you are such an inspiration! I was really impressed with the interview. My fourth graders felt so inspired to keep on writing!! I Thank you so much for your time, your advice on reading to my kids, Thanks for the wonderful book you send us and the mascots!! You Rock!!
Thank you Ms. Mojica! I had a ton of fun talking to your class! 😀
You are an international star, now, SuperKid! You keep inspiring us and other nations and it won’t be long until you really do……rule the world. : D
Wow! I am so impressed. That is so fantastic!! Congratulations for being international. I’m going to say “I knew you when.” I just know it. 🙂
And I’m going to say “See that famous author over there? She is one of my biggest supporters, and best friends!” 🙂
Thanks, Erik!
You are such a charmer. You make me smile out loud. 🙂 🙂
That is super-awesome that you got a chance to skype with a class of students on an international level. And may I say that your answer for what you’d do if you were president ROCKS!
Thank you Ms. Brown! 🙂
This is just plain awesome! 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
(Erik for president!)
I second that motion! 🙂
I’m so proud of you, Erik! They will all probably get easier after the first one and that challenge is super. Erik for President for sure.
Thank you! I think we should start a political party! – The Kid-Lit Party! In as many countries as possible! 😉
Absolutely!
Totally! 🙂
So proud of you. You’re 12, and you’re already being asked to speak in Singapore and Honduras. My prediction is that you will be your class president in HS and deliver the graduation speech 6 years for now. You will major in something that gives to or help others, but still write for fun. Then we will start shouting Erik for President!
Thank you! 🙂 I hope to do something like that! 🙂
Hooray for you! Well done!!
Thank you Ms. Rattigan! 🙂
How fabulous! Wow! You are doing all the right things. What a GREAT visit. And how clever of you to be so inclusive.
Thank you Dr. Clune! It was a fun visit! 🙂
Everyone else has already said it, but I’m going to join in — this is awesome. YOU are awesome! So glad you had the opportunity to do this, and I know those kids will be inspired for a very long time because of their SKYPE visit with you!
Thank you Ms. Stilborn! 🙂 That is extremely kind of you to even think that. 🙂
That SKYPE is a magical thing! What a great experience for you AND those 4th graders! Did I hear something about you running for president?
Thank you Rhythm! It was fun! 🙂
Congrats to you! What a cool creative prompt! I look forward to seeing what they come up with.
Thank you Mr. Allegra! I look forward to the things they’ll write too! 🙂
Wow! Congratulations. Already you’re making a name for yourself.
Thanks! 😀
Congratulations, or felicitaciones, Erik. So wonderful to see you motivate people of all ages. Keep up the good work – you are a superstar!
Thank you Ms. Ormond! That means a lot to me! 🙂
That sounds awesome, Erik! I’m glad you got to do this and had a good time.
Thanks Daniel! 🙂
Thanks Erik for the interview you gave us. I like Tomato and Pea.
Thank you! 🙂 It was fun to meet all of you! Your classes are awesome! 🙂
Erick can you tell me more about Tomato and Pea.
Tomato and Pea are 2 alien agent-good-guys who get caught up in the villain Wintergreen’s plot to get rid of them! They end up on EAR-TH and have to survive on the planet. In my next book, Wintergreen is going to try to take over EAR-TH and Tomato and Pea need the help of an EAR-THling to help them. 🙂
And you can tell me how you get inspired too write about them.
My story started off as a challenge my Uncle Dave gave me. He gave me the Tomato and Pea stuffed toys that he made and asked me to write a story about them. I wrote a little story and then made it into a book for a school project I had to do.
I haven’t tell Ms. Joanna that I am talking to you
I hope you some back again and comment! 🙂 If you do talk to Ms. Joanna -tell her I say “Hi”! 🙂
Thanks. And I would tell her.
I want to tell her on friday but shee didn’t come😭😭
🙂
Erick can you send me the second part of your book, please. Is that I want to read it.
As soon as I finish it I will (I’m not done yet) 😉 I’m glad you want to read it!
Now that is a lovely photograph, Erik. We should have done something like this when I did my skype interview with you. Now I’m positively envious. How great that you have a Skype author interview! You should publish your next book soonest!
I’ll try! 🙂
Hi erick i want you to send me your first book of tomato and pea
You can buy it at: http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Tomato-Pea-Book-Idea-ebook/dp/B00EK3YFBS/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416677725&sr=1-2&keywords=tomato+pea
Hi erick i want you to send me your first book and if you finish the second part of the book please ( if you finish😉😉)
You can buy it at: http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Tomato-Pea-Book-Idea-ebook/dp/B00EK3YFBS/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1416677725&sr=1-2&keywords=tomato+pea
Hi erick i want you to send me your first and second book please(if you have already finish the second part😉)