Fulton students build stories and creativity with award-winning author

Students in the Fulton City School District recently had the opportunity to meet and work with New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Ben Clanton.

Clanton – creator of the popular Narwhal and Jelly graphic novel series and dozens of other stories – visited Fulton over four days, spending time at all four of Fulton’s elementary schools. At each, Clanton met with students, shared tales of his own journey as a writer and encouraged student creativity with the creation of zany new characters and stories. While UPK students snacked on waffles – a favorite of Clanton’s Narwhal character – older students had the opportunity to hear one of Clanton’s unfinished works, giving them a firsthand look into the sometimes-lengthy process of writing and revision.

Desiree Schepp, Library Media Specialist at Volney Elementary, noted how students loved Clanton’s creativity and enjoyed hearing about his journey.

“Opportunities like these bridge the gap between the books on our shelves and the real world,” Schepp said of author visits like this one. “Ben Clanton showed our students that an idea on a piece of paper can grow into a lifelong passion, inspiring a new generation of enthusiastic readers and creators. Ben connected with our students on such an authentic level.”

Ben Clanton is the winner of the 2017 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Early Readers and has had several titles on the New York Times bestseller list. He lives in Seattle, WA.