Students Learn About Author's Adventures in Writing and with Wildlife

Children at in Washington Township got the chance to meet a popular author and learn about his writing, his family and his unique love of tigers.

Author Dan Greenburg met with the elmentary school students Thursday morning, giving a presentation that got the kids excited about reading and writing. He also told them about his family and his experiences at a tiger ranch in Texas that really seemed to intrigue the young audience.

Greenburg, who grew up in Chicago and now lives in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y., started his presentation by setting the stage for one of his series, The Secrets of Dripping Fang, which is about two misfit orphans who get adopted by what turns out to be two giant ants. At an exciting point in the tale, Greenburg told the third-graders they would have to read the books to find out what happened.

Greenburg also told the students about his family. His son Zack, who he based the series The Zack Files on, currently writes for Forbes Magazine and has a book about rap star Jay-Z, called Empire State of Mind, coming out soon. His wife Judith is also an author, with the book Andrew Lost, and was visiting with younger George School students Thursday.

The stories that really got students' attention were about Greenburg's experiences at a tiger ranch in Texas. He told the students how he went there with his wife and son for a week and learned how to interact with the tigers. The children oohed when Greenburg showed photos of himself hugging a baby tiger.

"I've always been fascinated by tigers," Greenburg said. "They're the most beautiful animals in the world."

In addition to his book series, Greenburg wrote Claws, a murder mystery inspired by his fascination with tigers.

During a question and answer session, Greenburg was asked how he comes up with his ideas. He said he draws on his personal experiences, thinks of funny titles and then comes up with stories to fit them and asks himself "What if?"

Greenburg told the students that as a writer he likes to both make people laugh and scare them. Many of his books combine suspense and silliness, including The Secrets of Dripping Fang, which kills off the children's relatives in humorous ways.

The author, who has had 72 books published, also gave students some advice. He said rejection shouldn't discourage them from chasing their dreams, explaining that he has had many works that failed to find a publisher.

"You have to keep on trying," Greenburg said. "If you do, you will succeed. If you quit, as most people do, you won't succeed."

He added that while being told no can be tough, you learn to live with it. "I've been rejected so many times it doesn't bother me," he said.

Greenburg travels throughout the area visiting schools to discuss his books. He has written several series: Secrets of Dripping Fang, Weird Planet, Maximum Boy and The Zack Files. He also wrote Claws, a novel for children. His books are available on amazon.com and he has a website.