Children's Author Entertains Hastings Kids

Children's book author Steve Swinburne's visit to the Hastings Elementary School for Literacy Day on Friday ended with students learning these words.

Whose shoes do you wear?

Swinburne entertained students with tales from his background and the inspirations for some of his books.

"I'm the guy who travels around to some pretty wild and crazy places like beaches and mountains and oceans. And you know what? I study the animals that live there, and I come back to my house, I sit at my desk and my computer, and I make up (stories)," Swinburne said.

"I write the words to the book."

Swinburne finished with a song: "Whose Shoes Do You Wear?" The students sung along with him.

The community members who read to various classes were: secretary Maria Hanson, Milford firefighter Ted DePaolo, former principal Pattie Berkey, high school students Maggie Sharma and Marissa Kashmanian, FBI agent Tom King, School Superintendent Marianne O'Connor, community liaison Paul O'Connell, school nurse Sandy Ekberg, Mill Pond School Principal Reene Hatherley, Mill Pond Assistant Principal Jeff Slomski, school committee member Bruce Tretter, Selectmen Chairman Ian Johnson, Police Chief Alan Gordon and Assistant School Superintendent Daniel Mayer.

The Hastings Parent Group funded the program, according to the March 28 Virtual Backpack.