Wendover Middle Schoolers Celebrate Maggie's Book Launch with their Own Teacher Dr. Coach White!
Dr. White’s co-workers added to the festivities by making a giant poster at Wendover Middle School.
GREENBURG, PA. — Students and teachers at Wendover Middle School traveled a thousand miles in cyberspace to celebrate the release of the young adult novel, Maggie Vaults Over the Moon, a cool story about pole-vaulting and courage, co-written by one of their very own teachers, Dr. Melissa White.
Dr. Melissa White celebrated the launch in the Wendover Middle School library!
Located in the Pittsburgh Metro Area, Wendover Middle is a world away from the storybook town of Grain Valley, Kan., which is the setting for the story written by author Grant Overstake.
“Wendover faculty and kids, I just want to say on behalf of myself and Dr. White, thank you and we had a great time!” Overstake said.
The virtual celebration held June 1st was a chance for 6th graders at Wendover Middle to celebrate Dr. White’s achievement and to learn more in a mini-workshop about writing novels, designing book covers, and publishing books in today’s world.
They also learned that it takes courage and determination to try anything new.
Author Grant Overstake with his “mews” Sunny D.
Grant has written and published two award-winning young adult novels, Maggie Vaults Over the Moon, and The Real Education of TJ Crowley, through his own imprint, Grain Valley Publishing Company.
Grant shared some cool slides with the students showing him at his writing table with his “mews” — a cat named Sunny D. He also shared about his writing process, which begins with a handwritten first draft.
The title of Maggie Vaults Over the Moon was changed by the author early in the writing process.
It took years of perseverance and hard work to take the story he’d written in a notebook and see it as a finished book on the shelves!
Students learned about cover design by studying the renderings created by artist YoungJu Kim of Savannah, Georgia.
Students learned about cover design by studying the renderings by artist YoungJu Kim of Savannah, Ga..
Hailed one of the great track and field novels of all time, the saga of a gritty Kansas farm girl’s quest to master the daring sport of pole-vaulting has stirred the hopes and dreams of readers around the world. The book has been reissued as a classroom reader, with discussion questions to help students reflect and regroup following the pandemic that has disrupted their lives.
In addition to the original story by author Grant Overstake, the new release includes an inspiring message by reigning Olympic Pole Vault Champion Katerina Stefanidi, with group discussion questions for young people in hard times by Dr. White, a Language Arts (ELA) Teacher and Mental Performance Consultant with a Doctorate in Sport Psychology.
Back at the middle school, teachers and students were giving Maggie and her co-author’s presentation rave reviews:
“One of the best author visits we have ever had. Mr. Overstake was so relatable and excited to share Maggie with our school and our students!” — 6th grade teacher
“Hearing about how Mr. Overstake’s experiences lead to him writing the book makes me think…maybe I can write a book a too.” — 6th grade student
“Maggie’s story encourages me to believe in myself and not give up on my dreams!” - 6th grade student
And, Dr. White wrote this note to her students and colleagues:
“I would like to thank the students, teachers, and administration for supporting me and of course this project. Also, a special thanks to the moderator our school librarian, Ms. McGuire. We had an awesome author visit with Grant and the excitement about Maggie was apparent. Always remember, “This is a great place to be!” — Thank you, Dr. White
The artist made several renderings like these before coming up with the final image for the cover of Maggie Vaults Over the Moon.
It took years of perseverance and hard work to take the story he’d written in a notebook and see it as a finished book on the shelves!
Dr. White’s questions invite group discussion on important themes in the book including dealing with grief, overcoming obstacles, determination, and resilience. Her counseling practice, Performance Edge Counseling, helps athletes across the nation gain the mental edge to perform their best. Here's a picture of Dr. Coach White with her athletes who've been successful recently. She's had so many state champions. She even has a US Olympic Trials qualifier in the Pole Vault, Bridget Guy, lower left.
Maggie is a perfect read-aloud book for middle school language arts classes or to supplement Social Emotional Learning (SEL) activities, in which children learn to understand and manage their emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions for themselves.
Click to Order your copy of Maggie online at Watermark Books and Cafe!