Local Author Inspires Students During Visit To Granville Elementary
During her recent visit to Granville Elementary School, Author Rachel Vogel introduced students to a lively bunch of raccoons who like to whitewater raft down the Hudson River and ski on West Mountain. Ms. Vogel’s award-winning children’s books follow the adventures of raccoons Nugget and Bandit and their animal friends. Ms. Vogel, who lives in Argyle, NY, bases her stories on her real-life experiences as a whitewater raft guide and ski instructor.
Students were treated to a journey down West Mountain as Ms. Vogel read excerpts from her latest raccoon adventure, “Nugget and Bandit’s First Winter.” An engaging Q&A session allowed students to learn more about the author’s creative process.
“I write about the things and places I know. As a Hudson River whitewater raft guide, I fell in love with the river and the Adirondack Park. I was also a ski instructor at West Mountain. It just made sense to write stories about these experiences,” explained Ms. Vogel.
Ms. Vogel shared that her friends in real life served as inspiration for the characters.
“All my friends had nicknames, and I named the characters in my books after each one! I even used the nickname they gave me, Nugget, earned for being the smallest thing on the river,” said Ms. Vogel.
Students asked other great questions about writing and publishing.
They were excited to hear that the books about Nugget and Bandit will now be in the school library so they can read more about their adventures.
A book signing by Ms. Vogel was also held, offering students who had pre-purchased a book the chance to meet the author personally.
“Interacting with my readers is the most rewarding part of being an author. Their enthusiasm is contagious. And I hope I inspired some of them to write their own stories.” said Ms. Vogel.
“We were delighted to host Ms. Vogel. It not only offered students a glimpse into an author’s life but having someone from our community made the experience more relatable and achievable,” said the Principal.