Renowned Author Visits East Northport Middle School

EAST NORTHPORT, NY — Eighth graders at East Northport Middle School welcomed renowned author Todd Strasser to their auditorium on Jan. 30 to speak about the importance of writing well even though many of the students admitted that they were not interested in perusing a career as an author.

Strasser explained that the ability to read and write well is not only a core component of good grades in middle school, high school and beyond, but also dictates how we communicate with others.

For the students to become the best readers and writers, Strasser explained the writing process that he used to write his books, "Help, I’m Trapped in my Principal’s Body," and "Fallout" – a recollection of his experiences as a child during the Cold War. The process includes pre-writing, or brainstorming, writing, revising, editing and then publishing.

Strasser also advised the students to write about things they know, expand upon that with research, start with a problem and try to come up with a solution.

"I’m here to inspire you all to become the best readers and writers in your lives," he told the class, according to the school district.