Author Alyssa Satin Capucilli travels far and wide to promote reading and writing.
She drove from her home in Westchester, N.Y., to visit students at Mt. Laurel’s Fleetwood School on Tuesday, April 17.
The farthest she has ever traveled as an author, she said, was to the American Embassy School in New Delhi, India.
Capucilli, whose books are published by HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, encouraged students, separated into three assemblies based on grade level, to use their imaginations during 45 minute-long presentations.
School librarian Tiffany Andrayo said the PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) works hard each year to ensure a different author can visit the elementary school.
There are 360 students in the school, she said.
The kids are great readers and writers, Andrayo explained, so “for them, this is like a rock star coming to visit.”
For a couple of weeks prior to Capucilli’s visit, students learned about her books, she said.
At the first assembly, the kindergarten, first- and second-grade students were mesmerized by Capucilli and her books.
The star of many of her books, Biscuit the yellow dog, is now a 16-year-old teenager, Capucilli said.
In the books, he says, “Woof! Woof!”
“Use your imagination,” said Capucilli to the students. “What is he trying to say?”
Capucilli has had close to 100 books published over the last 18 years, she said, and about 50 of them focus on Biscuit.
“He’s been a beautiful friend for children learning to read,” she said.
On her website, Capucilli explained, “When I wrote my very first Biscuit book, I never imagined that I’d be able to share so many Biscuit adventures with my readers. I love creating new stories about this silly, little puppy, and I’m thrilled that so many of you are enjoying reading all about Biscuit.”
Katy Duck, a duck who says “Tra-la-la, Quack! Quack!” stars in Capucilli’s more recent series.
“She’s a feisty ballerina-in the-making who loves to twirl like a leaf, stretch like a flower and float like a swan. Join Katy as she makes her debut in Mr. Tutu’s dance class!” she wrote on her website.
“She has a huge imagination,” she said.
Capucilli said she enjoys speaking with students and teachers.
She brought publishing success tips with her to the presentations.
“Many authors like to write in notebooks,” she said.
She calls her notebooks her “treasure keepers.”
“I always find time to write something down,” she said. “I was an author my whole life — and I didn’t even know it.”
It can take her as little time as six months or as long as three years to finish a book, she said.
It can take two to three years for her transcripts to then be published, she said.
“Wow!” the students gasped in response.
“Very often, I do work on more than one story at a time,” said Capucilli.
A student asked if she is ever nervous writing.
“When I finish a story, I read it aloud,” she replied. “If I like it, then I’m a little less nervous.”
All of her books are dear to her heart, she said.
Artists including Pat Schories illustrate her books.
“My books are illustrated all over the world,” she said.
Sometimes, Capucilli is able to view the artwork prior to publication. Other times, there are “surprises,” she said.
There are times when her imagination does not match up with the illustrator’s, she said.
“Is it wrong? No. It’s just a different picture in her (Schories’) imagination.”
As she animatedly read samples of her books to the young students, they chanted along, stirring their minds in imagination.
“Wow!” was a common student response as she turned each page.
Learn more about Alyssa Satin Capucilli and her books on www.alyssacapucilli.com.
