Friday, April 27, 2018
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Neighbors | Zack Shively.Tim Smith, author of the "Buck Wilder" series of children's books, visited Dobbins Elementary on March 19. He spoke to the students about being an author and trying new things.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively.Author Tim Smith showed the Dobbins Elementary students how to make a cup out of paper. He poured water in his cup and drank it. He said he loved paper and all of its uses.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively.All of Tim Smith's ten "Buck Wilder" books focus on nature, such as the book cover "Buck Wilder's Small Fry Fishing Guide" pictured. He presented in his fishing gear and talked to the children about nature.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively.Children's author Tim Smith spoke to the elementary students about following their passions, trying hard and making mistakes. He joked with the students throughout he performance to keep them engaged and interested.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively."Buck Wilder" author Tim Smith writes and illustrates his books. He showed the Dobbins Elementary students a sample drawing from a book that demonstrated his style of placing words sideways or upside-down.
By ZACK SHIVELY
Children’s author Tim Smith visited Dobbins Elementary on March 19 to give a presentation to the third- and fourth-grade students in the school’s gym.
Smith, author of the “Buck Wilder“ book series, used humor and demonstrations to keep the students interested. He spoke to the students about trying hard and not giving up.
“Don’t be afraid to use your eraser,“ said Smith told the students while holding a pencil, “No one gets it right the first time.“
He began his presentation by introducing himself. Smith has written 10 books under the pen name of Buck Wilder. Each of the books focuses on an aspect of nature, such as “Buck Wilder’s Small Fry Fishing Guide“ and “The Work Bees Go On Strike.“ He writes and illustrates his books; however, the publisher sends his drawings to be refined for the final print.
He showed the students a sample of his artwork on a large display. The display came from a page in his fishing guide and showed a fish with a large smile. He pointed out his odd style of writing words upside-down and sideways on the page. He also includes a small inch worm on each page for the reader to try to find.
He talked to the students about following their passions and trying new things. He said that he loves erasers because they allow people to make mistakes and try again.
“You don’t have to be the best,“ said Smith, “But you have to be the one who tries the hardest.“ He told the students he was never the best writer or artist when he went to school, but he has become an accomplished children’s author through hard work.
He also spoke to the students about nature. He gave his presentation in his fishing gear and talked a little about his love for fishing. He demonstrated how to make a cup out of a piece of paper to hold water in the wild and explained that honey works as a safe antibacterial on wounds in nature.
Smith has been writing for 20 years and has done these types of presentations at schools for 15 years. He tours nationally and enjoys fishing in the areas he visits. His “Buck Wilder” are available in stores and online.