Candy Wellins is a lifelong writer and book lover. A former elementary school teacher, Candy has a BA in journalism and an M.Ed. in literacy education. She’s now a full-time mom to three wonderful children who keep her up-to-date and immersed in children’s literature. When she’s not reading, writing or mothering, Candy loves running, traveling and naps! Her debut picture book Saturdays Are for Stella (illustrated by Charlie Eve Ryan, Page Street Kids) was named a Kirkus Best Picture Book of 2020. Publishers Weekly called her debut picture book biography The Stars Beckoned: Edward White’s Amazing Walk in Space (illustrated by Courtney Dawson, Philomel) “an introduction to a space pioneer that’s ideal for the youngest readers.” Future titles include Mabel’s Topsy Turvy Homes (Beaming Books 2022) and A Geoduck is Not a Duck (Sasquatch 2024). Candy and her family live in Central Texas.
SCHOOL VISIT PRESENTATIONS – 45min
Social Studies/Science: Edward White and the Space Race. Learn all about Edward White, the first American to walk in space, as well as the historic US-Soviet Space Race of the 1950s and 60s.
Social-Emotional Learning: Big Emotions in Picture Books. Using Saturdays Are for Stella and Mabel’s Topsy-Turvy Homes, we’ll learn what big emotions are hiding inside of all us and how to express them in positive, creative ways.
Writing: Living Like An Author. I’ll share ten tips to living like an author (hint: you’re probably already doing most of them!)
Reading/Writing: The Art of Inference. We’ll dive deep into Saturdays Are for Stella to make inferences not stated in the text. Then we’ll discuss how the picture book art helps us make inferences and we’ll practice writing (and drawing) our own.
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