Lake Wylie students Skype with author Jacqueline Woodson

Technology can change the way students read books. It can also change the way they interact with the people who write them.

Jacqueline Woodson, whose “Brown Girl Dreaming” won a Newberry Honor Book, National Book Award and Coretta Scott King Book Award, was a guest March 11 at Crowders Creek Elementary School. An online guest, that is, thanks to Skype and FaceTime.

“It’s our first time Skyping in the library,” said librarian Dot Guthrie.

Guthrie, a 9-year veteran at the school, uses contacts through her membership with National American Library Association to connect students with award-winning authors. Meeting Woodson may be the first of many visits from authors.

Guthrie has a convention trip to California later this year and plans to lay groundwork for monthly online visits from authors.

“I even have the email she sent me,” said fifth-grader Joel Patrautanu’s about the author of his favorite book. “It was like an essay.”

Students read Woodson’s before the chat and asked questions, including their own row press of students dressed in vests and caps asking about specific characters.

Woodson talked about “Brown Girl Dreaming,” a poetic detailing of her upbringing in South Carolina and New York.

Students said hearing from someone famous was a big deal. Others said they were interested to hear how Woodson created characters. One wanted to know why a character moved away before others could start being nice to her.

“It’s realistic fiction,” the author said, “and that happens.”

Woodson also talked about why black history is important.

“It’s important for people to know everybody’s history,” she said. “No matter who you are, you have a history.”

She even used a brief connection interruption to talk about the lessons she learned from writing. Students eagerly awaited her response on how it felt winning so many awards.

“You have to have patience as a reader, you have to have patience as a writer, you have to have patience as a mom,” Woodson said. “When someone gives you an award it makes you realize, yes, patience pays off.”

Guthrie said students learned more in that meeting than they could just from looking at a book.

“It’s worth the wait,” she said.

This story was originally published March 12, 2015 at 4:46 PM with the headline "Lake Wylie students Skype with author Jacqueline Woodson."