Steven Kroll - Letters

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Below you'll find letters written to Steven by various people who have enjoyed his books and school visits. If you would like to send Steven an e-mail, click here.

From Stephanie Olsen, third grade teacher
Bristol Bay Elementary School, Illinois
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To read Steven's reply, click here.	Stephanie's Third Grade class

To read Barbara Gruener's review of Jungle Bullies, click here.

Photos from Steven's visit to St. Joseph School in the Bronx
(Click to enlarge)

From Janine Hughes, St. Joseph School Principal:

Steven,

I am so sorry I have not yet been able to contact you to send you my heart felt thanks! After your visit we had state testing and it was such a chore to have the children focus again on material that is not appealing to them. April 15th was a wonderful day in Saint Joseph School! We had the time of our lives. My children and myself have never been more excited nor ever so happy! All thanks to you. I hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did and I do hope you felt CELEBRATED! You truly deserve to be celebrated. My children read and read and read. This is something they do not always do. The fact that they read and learned through reading made me one happy camper! Having my eighth graders looking for another book to read was astonishing! I hope you get your rights back to write about the Petrosino Family again soon or write another book about an immigrant family arriving in our country. The children ate up that concept and your storyline.

I really look forward to talking with you soon and having you attend our benefit as well as speak at graduation. It would be such a joy to have you become one of our lifelong friends! We already love you, I hope you were as happy with us as we were with you.

We already have started to plan for next year... a swap of your books across the grades so all students have an opportunity to read all the books we have that you wrote. We also have asked a board member to donate money to purchase more of your books that we do not yet have. I am really excited that the children are so interested in reading! I am grateful you have provided us with material that has done so. You are doing such great work for our youth!!! Thank you.

I am not a writer myself so I am so thrilled that I have finally found an author that interests my children enough to want to read and to want to read more and to research and to write based on what they have read. I am forever appreciative!

I hope all is well with you and I shall try to speak with you soon.

Janine Hughes

From Jennifer Cifrodella, Library Media Specialist, Milton Avenue School

Dear Steven,

It is wonderful how the memories of your visit still linger on...I have to place a second book order for families because there was such a stir at home on Tuesday evening! So many children retold their favorite books to their parents and now they want to purchase them. I will have to send you some book plates, if you don't mind signing them. Can you send me your address? Thank you for such a great day. I have heard just wonderful feedback from teachers and parents. I hope your ride home was quick and uneventful...I'm sure you were quite tired. Thank you again and let me know if you'd be willing to sign those extra plates.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Cifrodella

From Mary Peterson, Principal, Utica Elementary School, Franklin, Pennsylvania

Dear Steven,

Having you here was a wonderful experience for our students, our teachers and for me!

I will turn in your expenses when the actual receipts arrive.

I’d love to meet Kathy and to show you both more of this area. We’ll be in touch.

Sincerely,
Mary

From Cynthia Guntharp, Library Media Specialist,
Hamilton Elementary School, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
(Click photos to enlarge)

Dear Steven,

Thank you so much for your lovely e-mail! Matthew and I also loved meeting you and Kathy and being able to spend time with you over dinner. We were so happy that Kathy was able to join you! I'm so glad you enjoyed being at Hamilton School as much as we enjoyed having you. The kids were very excited to meet the author of the books they love so much, and your books, which I'd been hoarding, flew off the shelves yesterday! Thank you so much for looking for IT'S GROUNDHOG DAY! for us. Although I'm sorry you don't have a hardcover copy (or any at all for that matter!), we'll be thrilled to receive a copy of STUFF! It made quite an impression on the K and 1st grade group who were able to hear it. I will be sure to pass along your comments to Mrs. Fair's 2nd grade class. They worked very hard on their stories, and will be thrilled you liked them!

Yesterday was a back-to-back day at school, and I wasn't able to load the pictures from your visit. I will do that Monday, and hopefully there will be good pictures I can send, especially of the cake! I will call the baker and ask if she has any suggestions for preserving Clayton and Desmond. I'm wondering if shellac, or another art material would work.

We thought of you today when we were watching coverage of the Kentucky Derby, which will happen soon. Perhaps you or Kathy will be lucky with your horse! Thank you again so much for a very memorable visit. If you and Kathy ever feel like making a trip from Bucks County to the Lancaster Farmer's Market, we'd love to be your guides! Our best wishes to you and Kathy. I'll be in touch soon!

Affectionately,
Cindy

From Colleen K.

Hello,
I had to look you up online and share this picture with you. My mom gave this book to my nieces and nephews on Thanksgiving and since they've requested it a couple times per day. They can't get enough - kudos to the author! Thanks for a great book that makes these kids love reading!

Sincerely,
Colleen K.

Steven with Sammi Shoniker at Wesley Chapel Elementary School,
Monroe, North Carolina, April 20, 2010.

Hi, Steven!

Thank you so much for coming to Antioch. You were wonderful and we enjoyed your visit immensely. It was a treat!

I have to tell you that my son Matthew got your Ellis Island book. He read it to himself, to one of his sisters, and then read it aloud to me! You have to know my son. Up until last year he was an extremely unmotivated reader. He found the book to be fascinating. So, as a mother, I thank you for doing what you do.

Thanks again!

Fran Eichelberger
Antioch Elementary School
Monroe, North Carolina

March 25, 2010

Dear Steven,

The students are still buzzing about your visit. Thank you for such an enjoyable day.

Yours,
Janice Taub
Media Specialist
Dickerson School
Chester, NJ

May 12, 2010

Dear Mr. Kroll,

How lucky we were that you were our visiting author for our book fair. You were a delight! The children and staff immensely enjoyed your readings and presentations. You were so wonderful with the children.
Thank you for your time and effort. It is greatly appreciated. Let us know when your next book is being published.

With gratitude,
Madelaine Pilpel
Director
Port Chester, NY
Head Start Program

June 8, 2010

Steven,
I just wanted to thank you for writing "Is Milton Missing?" it was the first book I ever read as a four-year old in 1975. I still have the book and I intend to have my first child learn to read with it.

Ryan Torgeson
San Francisco