Phil Gathany

26 Things You Are Phil Gathany

(from the preface) This book was originally a class assignment - common trend with my books, eh?. We were instructed to write an ABC book that taught students a lesson. At first glance, not a thought popped in my mind, but then it hit me: I want to teach children that they are special and beloved and awesome. So, excitedly, I began to type out a bunch of adjectives that positively described everyone. (Including one really big word you've probably never heard before!) The day I went to turn this book in, I had forgotten to bind it together professionally. I told my professor this was the "loose leaf" version as a joke. As she was grading them, I watched every now and again, while taking a test, waiting to see her reaction when she read mine. Unfortunately, I got really wrapped up in my test, so I never actually saw her reaction. Later on, we were discussing something in class, and a friend of mine was looking at my ABC book. My professor briefly stopped the class to say, "That was adorable, by the way. I probably should have marked you down for professionalism, because it wasn't bound, but your content was amazing." I looked down at her grading rubric and - not only did she not mark me down for professionalism - she gave me extra credit because she liked it that much. I tell that story, because (1) I love starting my books off with how the story came about and (2) I wanted to get you excited to read this book! In addition to teaching kids how cool they are, this book can also serve as an example in your classroom - if you are an educator (or a future educator!). It gives lots of examples of adjectives, rhyming, and similes! Use this book as a resource to teach literature skills to your students if you're a teacher! Now, enough from me - enjoy 26 Things You Are. -- Phil Gathany