VIRTUAL AUTHOR VISIT AND WRITING WORKSHOPS NOW OFFERED
NEW WRITING WORKSHOP REVIEW
November 2020
Teaching online can be challenging, especially when it comes to effectively engaging young writers. Nancy Roe Pimm ran a writer’s workshop with my 4th grade class and they were hooked! One of my students stayed on after the Google Meet had ended to share the impact this workshop had on her writing and how she “couldn’t wait to start writing!” Pimm’s workshop was not only engaging, but it also aligned with our curriculum. It fit in perfectly with what we were doing in class. If you have the opportunity to have Mrs. Pimm work with your students, I highly recommend it!
Emily Latham
INSPIRATIONAL PICTURE BOOK
FLY, GIRL, FLY: SHAESTA WAIZ SOARS AROUND THE WORLD
“You must believe in yourself and allow your dreams to soar.” –Shaesta Waiz
Shaesta Waiz, a refugee from Afghanistan, dreamed of doing great things. But first she had to leave a refugee camp with her family to make a new life in America, overcome gender stereotypes, be the first in her family to go to college, and overcome her fear of flying. After becoming a pilot, Shaesta made the flight of a lifetime by crossing five continents, making thirty stops in twenty-two countries across nearly 25,000 nautical miles. At the age of thirty, Shaesta was the youngest woman and the first from Afghanistan to circumnavigate the globe by herself in a single-engine aircraft.
Fly, Girl, Fly! is the first authorized picture book biography of Shaesta Waiz. Backmatter includes more information about Shaesta’s mission to empower girls to pursue STEM careers, details about her historic trip around the world, information about her nonprofit organization Dreams Soar, and a personal note from Shaesta Waiz encouraging girls to pursue their dreams.
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Smoky The Dog That Saved My Life
Nancy Roe Pimm
Ohio University Press
World War II soldier Bill Wynne met Smoky while serving in New Guinea, where the dog, who was smaller than Wynne’s army boot, was found trying to scratch her way out of a foxhole. After he adopted her, she served as the squadron mascot and is credited as being the first therapy dog for the emotional support she provided the soldiers. When they weren’t fighting, Bill taught Smoky hundreds of tricks to entertain the troops. Smoky became a war hero herself at an airstrip in Luzon, the Philippines, where she helped save forty airplanes and hundreds of soldiers from imminent attack.
Nancy Roe Pimm presents Bill and Smoky’s story to middle-grade readers in delightful prose coupled with rich archival illustrations. Children will love learning about World War II from an unusual perspective, witnessing the power of the bond between a soldier and his dog, and seeing how that bond continued through the exciting years following the war.
Bonded by Battle
The Powerful Friendships
of Military Dogs and Soldiers
Bonded By Battle is the first book to tell the whole 150-year story of how dogs and soldiers built a relationship on and off the battlefield, teaming up to become our military’s most advanced counter-terrorism weapon.
An accurate and fascinating presentation — Kirkus
The text reads well, and footnotes are plentiful…A sure bet wherever military and canine titles are popular —School Library Journal
Watch the book trailer:
Flying Solo—The Jerrie Mock Story
from Ohio University Press
Spring 2016
“Nancy Roe Pimm has captured Jerrie’s essence and her voice. She shows my sister’s passion for flying and for life. I’m thrilled to know her story will be shared with future generations, so they too will believe in their dreams as they get to know Jerrie, a true American hero.”
— Susan Reid, Jerrie Mock’s younger sister
Recommendation from St.Brigid
I am the School Librarian at St.Brigid in Dublin, Ohio. In May of 2017 we had Nancy Roe Pimm come in to do an author visit with grades 5-8. It was just a fantastic day for both teachers and students! Mrs. Pimm started with a very engaging large group presentation which detailed her writing process, as well as her life story. The clear message that she had for these middle schoolers was to Follow Your Dreams. She carried this message throughout the day as she lunched with our Power of the Pen students, and signed copies of her books. Mrs.Pimm found a way to connect with each student she met, she has a true gift with this challenging middle school age!
Grades 6-8 had the opportunity to do a non-fiction writing workshop with Mrs.Pimm. The quality of writing that she was able to pull out of these students was remarkable. At the end of each workshop students were able to volunteer to read their non-fiction piece to the group. Mrs.Pimm not only gave them immediate feedback, she provided them with an authentic audience. I would highly recommend Nancy Roe Pimm for an author visit!
Happy to answer questions of any kind… mrs.desocio@stbrigid-school.org
Suzanne Kessler of North Union Elementary School adds:
Nancy Roe Pimm provided an exciting large group session and then engaged our young writers in smaller writer workshops at our school in December of 17, 2017. Students were thrilled to share their personal research writing and excitement to write was driven because students were working with a real published author! She also had them excited about believing in their dreams!
Thanksgiving Author Visit
Had a great day at Arrowhead Elementary before Thanksgiving break working with some amazingly talented young writers on the craft of nonfiction. Now that’s something to be thankful for! (See more on programs)
Mitzi Moshiri, January 2018:
I am the Library Media Specialist at Willard Grizzell Middle School in Dublin, Ohio. This past week, we invited Nancy Roe Pimm to work with our students for two full days. She was absolutely wonderful. Her large group presentations were engaging, informative, and interesting (which is challenging when one is presenting to an entire grade level). She distributed race car parts and shared fascinating stories regarding how these drivers survive and prepared themselves on the track. Nancy also discussed the relationships and history of military personnel and their dogs.
One of the primary reasons we invited Nancy to our school was because she is an amazing researcher. The depth and breadth of the research in all of her books exemplify the quality of research we desire our students to replicate. Nancy then worked with our Pen Ohio writing students and helped them consider the writing process in great depth. They were excited to share their work and Mrs. Pimm took extra time to read their creative writing and write comments for them the following day.
The second day, Mrs. Pimm delved into her nonfiction workshops. Our students were very receptive and delighted in sharing their written work. Mrs. Pimm helped them to recognize the importance of research and how to delight in the editing process. She provided specific tools to help them with their ideas and writing process.
We had a snowstorm coming in this last day, and our students were required to leave school earlier than normal. Nancy insisted that she work with every group because she did not want to disappoint any of our students. Despite not having a break, she packed in the extra workshop and our students were thrilled. Nancy connected with our students on an individual level and helped them consider their writing as a professional writer might. We certainly will welcome Mrs. Pimm back to Grizzell and I would happily recommend her expertise and commitment to sharing her craft with your students!
Choose to Read Ohio
Colo’s Story: The Life of One Grand Gorilla has been selected as a Choose to Read Ohio (CTRO) title for 2013 and 2014 by the State Library of Ohio and the Ohioana Library Association. CTRO is designed to promote reading aross Ohio. Any library, community, class, family, book club, or other group may participate. Reader’s toolkits provide support materials, including discussion questions, author biography, tie-in activities, and links to related websites.The selection of Colo’s Story was announced at the Ohioana Book Festival on May 12, 2012.
