Award-Winning Author Inspires Elementary Writers

 

It's not often that NCSD elementary school students get to meet an award-winning published author in person, so it's easy to understand the buzz around aspiring student writers from Oak Grove Elementary who filed into the gym wide-eyed and ready to learn from a very special guest during their most recent assembly.

Nationally acclaimed author Christine Day presented how she grew up in the Seattle area, once sitting in her elementary school just like at Oak Grove, dreaming of becoming an author. As a citizen of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, Day's dreams came true when she published her first book, I Can Make This Promise, which tells the story of a girl uncovering family secrets while discovering her own Native American identity. That novel was named an American Indian Youth Literature Award Honor Book.

Some Oak Grove students were inspired enough to bravely ask questions in front of the whole group, such as fourth grader Rudy Ramirez, who asked about Day's favorite book she's written. The author shared that it's difficult to choose, but says she's most proud of her 2024 novel We Still Belong, which also earned an American Indian Youth Literature Award for Best Middle School Book and tells the story of a teen who struggles to fit in within her Indigenous community and her mostly white school.

“It was fun and scary to ask the question,” said Ramirez. “But I found her really inspiring, and I may want to be an author someday.”

In her first time visiting NCSD, Day said she enjoyed presenting at both Oak Grove and Riverside elementaries. “School visits really are special, and I want to continue doing them as long as I can,” said Day, who still lives in the Pacific Northwest and attended the University of Washington.

Day also plans to participate in Oak Grove and Riverside’s joint Family Literacy Night, where she will share her writing journey with families. You can learn more about Christine Day's books here.

 

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