Noted children's author visits Glen Ellyn school

As he rattled off the names of some of the 90-plus children's books he has written, Dan Gutman heard a chorus of "oohs" and "ahhs."

His audience of third-, fourth- and fifth-graders at Lincoln Elementary School in Glen Ellyn could not believe the man who had written the very books they were reading in class was there, talking about the writing process, his life as a not-so-good athlete who loved sports and, last but not least, his latest book, "The Talent Show."

"The kids love it," said fifth-grade teacher Molly Risberg, whose class has read four chapters in Gutman's latest tale about residents of a Kansas town leveled by a tornado who decide to stage a kids talent show to boost morale. "We are trying to get (the kids) involved in the writing process."

Risberg said Gutman's work serves as a textbook on the writing process for students.

"We stop at each chapter and talk about how he sets the stage and sets up the characters," Risberg said. "It's a great culmination as they get the process."

The visit was one of five on the New Jersey resident's book tour, which included previous stops in Raleigh, Miami and St. Louis and one more in Minneapolis.

As he went through a PowerPoint presentation, Gutman stopped on a slide showing some rejection letters he has received.

"I want them to understand that the athletes and celebrities they see out there, they think those people never struggled in their lives," he said. "But they have encountered obstacles, too, and overcome them."

Gutman had his first book published at age 35, five years after he started writing. Now 55, he has written 92 books or long-form articles. He told the students during a question-and-answer session that it has gotten progressively easier to pitch a story as he has gotten more notoriety in the business.

He said the main target of his writing are kids who may be reluctant to read. Gutman said he did not like reading either and likened his work to someone who likes sports but is not necessarily a good athlete.

He said his school visits help his writing.

"I'm in my 50s writing books for 10-year-olds," he said. "How else is someone going to relate to 10-year-olds unless they come out and meet them?"

Gutman said he enjoys meeting his fans, especially when he thinks back to his books that have not been as well received.

"It's a big ego trip," he said. "I struggled for many years getting rejected. This feels so great. It's remarkable to see what it is like to have anybody like my stuff."

As he signed copies of "The Talent Show" and other books, including many in the "My Weird School" series and his baseball card adventure series, Gutman asked students about their favorite sports.

Third-grader Zack Morris was brief when asked what it was like to have a renowned author at his school.

"It was awesome," he said.