Letters From Fifth Grade

It’s book fair week at my son’s school. Parents are invited to have lunch with their students and attend the book fair. Last fall, I missed the opportunity to participate due to my work schedule. This time, I made sure I was available. I had lunch, not only with my son but a group of fifth-graders. 

These kids were one of the highlights of my day, and I made them feel just as special as they did me. Because how often can you go home and say that you had lunch with an author. You got it. I wasn’t just a parent having lunch, I was an author with a group of fifth-graders gathered around me and we talked, we ate chips, and we laughed.

And… we went to the book fair.

If you’ve been following my Instagram, then you saw the stack of books I brought home. Half those books my son will have read by the end of next week. He thinks they are his birthday present, but I have a little surprise in mind for him next week. Shh… I’ll let you in on this surprise soon.

In the meantime, while I was at the school I was given an envelope.

Lunch with my son. Lunch with a bunch of fifth graders. School book fair. How could my day get any better?

What was inside this envelope blew me away.

These letters, all handwritten from the fifth-grade class I visited last month, made my day more than complete. I plan to make a special place for them near my writing nook and cherish them for years and years to come. Most of these letters went beyond the cordial thank yous one would expect when kids are told they need to write a letter. Many of these letters touched my heart, made me laugh, and invited to come back again.

I hope to return again soon to read the stories they’ve been working on and share their enthusiasm for their imaginative ideas. Who knows, perhaps one day one or several of these kiddos will blossom into amazing authors. Then it will be their books in my writing nook along with that first letter I held dear.

To those fifth graders:

Thank you again for your letters, kind words, and enthusiasm.

To all of you:

Thank you for taking this journey with me.

Stay tuned. I’ve got exciting news that I’ll be sharing in the next post.