Schools

Author Seeks To Entertain and Inspire Students

Frank Monahan visits Stone Mill Elementary on Thursday

Children's author Frank Monahan will share his love of reading, writing, and his two adorable Basset Hounds with Stone Mill Elementary School students this Thursday.

Monahan is the author of two books, "Stanley & Norman Bad Boy Basset Brothers" and "Stanley & Norman: Basset Brothers Backyard Buddies," which illustrate the adventures of his real life pups.  

Kindergarten through second grade students at Stone Mill will be treated to a reading by Monahan and a picture slideshow of the real dogs behind the stories. Monahan will then spend another hour with third, fourth, and fifth graders discussing his writing process and answering questions about being an author.

Find out what's happening in North Potomac-Darnestownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A former scientist, Monahan published his first book in 2008 and immediately began visiting schools across the country.

"My grown children had left the house and I had missed reading to them when they were kids," said Monahan, who lives in Fairfax County, Virginia. "I used to read to them when they went to bed, I thought I could write kids books and read in schools."

Find out what's happening in North Potomac-Darnestownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The books follow the adventures of his two real life Basset Hounds – Stanley and Norman.  Parents at Stone Mill were notified that the books will be available for sale at the reading on Thursday.

The books are bit young for some of the older elementary school students and Monahan had not originally planned to include them in his school visits.  But while visiting a school in Arizona, the principal encouraged him to spend an extra hour telling the older students about being a writer.

"I don't make any money from doing that," said Monahan. "But if I had had an author come to my school when I was a kid, it would have been the greatest thing. It only takes another hour, and if one or two kids end up being writers, that's great."

He said students frequently write letters to him after the sessions with things they have written.

"I've had students come to me with stuff that's publishable," Monahan said.  In fact, he said, he is working with a 14-year-old girl from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to publish something she wrote.

Students at Stone Mill Elementary School will meet Monahan on Thursday morning, Sept. 23.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from North Potomac-Darnestown