I'll tell you a secret: I have a tendency to gush over authors. On the inside, I mean. I don't gush outwardly, but inwardly, I want to sit and talk with them and just soak up their author-ness while we're in the same space. I can't help it; I am a writer, and I would like to be in their shoes at some point in my life, so...
But anyway...
Ben Mikaelsen is worth every moment of gushing, let me tell you! Not only has this man lived an incredible life and written incredible novels, but he's an incredible speaker. He was as polished as you could hope a professional speaker to be, and yet he spoke directly to my kiddos. Not at them. To them.
He spoke about being bullied, feeling different, and what it means to chase your dreams. He also spoke about writing stories and how it gave him freedom to be who he is. In short, it was a truly inspiring and amazing talk, and I am blown away by it.
My hope and prayer is that it has a positive impact on all the kids that listened to him speak. I also hope that it boosts some interest in reading Ben's books, and gets more kids (middle school especially) down to the library.
If you aren't familiar with Ben Mikaelsen's books, check out his website here. His book, Touching Spirit Bear is a beautiful novel that tells the story of an angry and hurt juvenile delinquent who gets a second (and third) chance at redeeming his life on a remote Alaskan island. If you ever have a reluctant boy reader, particularly one that struggles in life (in and out of trouble, maybe), then this book is definitely for them!
So, that's my gushing for the day. I loved hearing Ben speak today. How about you? Any authors you've heard speak that you want to gush over for a minute?
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