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Imagine That! Book Review – Interview

Imagine That! Book Review – Interview – review of the book Imagine That! and interview with the book’s author, Melissa Cavanaugh of Oakland Twp MI.Oakland Township, MI author uses inspiration from her students to help with her debut book

Melissa Cavanaugh is a local Michigan author who has written her first book, Imagine That! Cavanaugh is a teacher at Eagle Creek Academy in Oakland Township, and was inspired to write Imagine That! from the imaginations of her students.

Imagine That! is a story about a magical treasure chest that opens up to a new adventure every time you shout out the magic words. It’s a great way for parents and children to read the book together and use their imaginations to come up with adventures of their own.

Lisa LaGrou of Oakland County Moms – Have you lived in Michigan all your life?

Imagine That! Book Author Melissa Cavanaugh –  I have lived in MI for almost five years now. I moved here from Long Island, NY, where I was born and raised and relocated in 2007.

Lisa LaGrou of Oakland County Moms – How long have you been teaching and for what grade levels?

Imagine That! Book Author Melissa Cavanaugh – I have been teaching for 7 years. I have taught kindergarten for most of my teaching career, but have also taught first, second and third grade as well.

Lisa LaGrou of Oakland County Moms – You were inspired to write Imagine That! by your students imaginations.
Were there any moments in particular that you’ve included as part of their book?

Imagine That! Book Author Melissa Cavanaugh – My student’s have inspired my every page in Imagine That! Collaboratively during Writer’s Workshop we brainstormed ideas as to where we would want to travel if we could go anywhere in the world, either fantasy or reality. The ocean, sky, safari, magical kingdom and space were top student responses.

Lisa LaGrou of Oakland County Moms – How did what you know as a teacher and the educational process influence how you wrote this book?

Imagine That! Book Author Melissa Cavanaugh – I began writing this book as a form of poetry, with a specific beat and rhythmic verses to promote phonemic awareness for primary readers. I also wanted to emphasis a fantasy/fiction genre to generate creativity and brainstorming. Now, I use my book to teach the writing process. I model my original pre-writing plan, rough draft, editing process, final publication and reflection component to demonstrate the writing process.

Click here to find Imagine That! on Barnes and Noble’s website.

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