Third-graders from Muskegon write and publish their own book

MUSKEGON, Michigan — Third-graders in Muskegon Public School’s two-way Spanish immersion program are becoming authors. At the end of the school year, they received a hardcover book written by the class.

“In my story, the characters are Kelly, the protagonist. Next comes the evil stepfather,” said teacher Tiffany Hirdes. She knows the authors of the book she is reading because the book “All in One: Cinderella Tales, Fan Made Cinderella Stories” was written by her students.

“There is a story on each page and the students have added their own illustrations,” said Ms. Hirdes

The book came about after her students learned about fairy tales and how to write their own. Ms Hirdes said, “I really wanted to create an opportunity for the students to showcase all the hard work they’ve done.”

The book was published by Student Treasures Publishing and the children were able to see it for the first time at the end of the school year.

“So they were very excited when we got it. We sat down and read everyone’s stories together,” Ms. Hirdes said. She said she wanted to teach her children that writing has a purpose, saying, “A lot of students have a hard time finding motivation when it comes to writing. And knowing that there was an end goal, knowing that other people would read it, that it would inspire other writers, was really, really important to them.”

Great motivation for your students: a real book, your own texts and illustrations.

Ms Hirdes said, “I thought this was the perfect opportunity for my students to show and demonstrate what they have learned.”

Next year, the Spanish immersion program will move to Glenside Elementary School, and Ms. Hirdes plans to republish her students’ stories.

FOX 17: Facebook- X (formerly Twitter) – Instagram – YouTube