In classrooms, hallways and around the schoolyard, students could be seen reading stories to guests at Hershey Elementary School. The books were special; they were created by the students. The annual Author’s Day is an opportunity to encourage students to write and illustrate their own stories.

Kindergartner Campbell Crum shared her story “Down on the Farm.” “A cow is on the farm,” she reads and points to a spotted cow behind a fence. She turns the page that features a prancing brown horse: “Horses can run 27 miles an hour.”

In another classroom, first grader Shade Erwin created a book, “Opossum.” He writes, “I chose opossums because they are cute. They are cute when they climb and walk. It lives in North and South America. They can live in grasslands and forests.”

Other first graders wrote about hawks, penguins and sharks.

The Hershey PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) covers the cost of the books and organizes the event.

The activity is a memorable experience for students and teachers alike. Kindergarten teacher Madison Terry says she still has all six of the books she created when she attended Hershey as a student.