Our latest Book Creator webinar was an absolute delight—a heartfelt, laughter-filled, and inspiring event that brought students face-to-face with the magical world of authorship! David Hotler, Book Creator’s Community Manager, was thrilled to welcome celebrated children’s author Jill Esbaum and innovative teacher librarian Beth Campbell, the creator of the new Authors' Studio resource. Together, they pulled back the curtain on the writing process and showed how connecting with real authors can ignite a love of reading—and writing—in students.
Meet the minds behind Authors' Studio
Beth Campbell kicked things off by sharing her journey as a teacher-librarian and her dream of helping students really get to know the people behind the books they love. Her collaboration with Jill Esbaum was the perfect spark—resulting in a comprehensive, standards-aligned set of resources that go beyond the book jacket and into the heart of authorship.
These resources are now available in the Discover section of Book Creator and include a rich unit overview featuring original videos, photos, and quotes from Jill; step-by-step lesson plans to guide instruction; student-facing activity pages that encourage engagement; and remixable templates designed for easy customization. Beth’s goal? To help teachers make reading personal, meaningful, and deeply connected to students’ own voices. Mission accomplished.
Students take the spotlight
We were honored to host three young fans—Axel, Henry, and McKenzie—who joined the webinar live to ask Jill their most curious questions. From Lego-building to language-learning dreams, their personalities shined—and so did their thoughtful questions about writing, research, and creativity.
Jill, with grace and warmth, responded with stories about her own writing process, her love for reading and travel, and her joy in discovering “wow facts” that make nonfiction come alive. And yes—she even shared some rare editions of her books published in Korean, German, and Spanish!
Real talk from real classrooms
We also heard from Nikki Simpson, a gifted education teacher in Davenport, Iowa, whose third graders used the Bird Girl unit to launch deep discussions, personal writing, and self-reflection. Nikki described how her students felt a true connection to Jill and were empowered to share their own ideas and stories—proof that Authors' Studio is more than a lesson plan; it’s a launchpad for creativity.
Featured Book: Parrotfish Has a Superpower
Jill closed the session with a sneak peek reading from Parrotfish Has a Superpower—complete with hammerhead sharks, thousand-tooth bites, and a cliffhanger that left us begging for the reveal. (Spoiler: You'll need to read the book to learn Parrotfish’s secret!)
Don’t miss out!
Love connecting with authors and discovering creative classroom resources? Join us for future Book Creator webinars where we spotlight inspiring educators, innovative teaching strategies, and exclusive tools to spark student creativity.
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With 20 years of experience in education, Katie is passionate about creating inclusive and accessible classrooms for all students. She loves exploring new places, trying different foods, and connecting with fellow educators.
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