Ethel Gaides
Ethel Gaides is a Library Media Specialist at Waterville Valley Elementary School (K–8) in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. She’s committed to helping every student from kindergarten to eighth grade discover the magic of writing and the pride of seeing their words in print.
“I’m a firm believer in the importance of giving students a voice and instilling a love of books, which will inspire students to be lifelong readers and writers."
The Challenge
From a student’s perspective, typical writing assignments can lack energy and purpose, resulting in lower engagement. Ethel wanted a writing project that would transform student writing from "just another assignment" into something more real, relevant, and joyful.
The Solution: Book Publishing Project
Ethel led a school-wide book publishing project using StoryJumper.
Kindergarten–2nd grade students created content for a delightful acrostic poetry book and Ethel entered their content into the book.
Grades 3–5 dove into narrative stories — some flying solo, others working in duos or teams. These young authors used the StoryChat writing tutor tool to brainstorm outlines and the Clean Up tool to polish their prose.
The 6th–8th graders got extra creative. In collaboration with a science teacher planting flowers in the school garden, students penned a garden-themed group poetry book, blending STEM and verse in a truly interdisciplinary flourish.
The grand finale? A publishing party with book readings and cupcakes because every great story deserves a sweet ending.
To share the students’ work with others, Ethel sent each student home with 2 printouts:
- QR code for the student’s book so their family and friends can order more copies of their book
- Parent Permission Form so that the student can be recognized in the StoryJumper Published Authors Gallery
Also, she added the poetry books to her school library’s website and to her summer newsletter for everyone to enjoy!
Student Impact - “Students inspiring students”
The promise of holding their own hardcover book sparked excitement and sustainably engaged students, especially reluctant writers. Some students even asked to stay late to keep working on their books. When they finally received their published hardcover books that they could proudly share with others, students felt a deep sense of ownership (“This is my book”) and confidence.
To inspire future student authors, Ethel curated a special library section featuring student-written books, ensuring their stories and poetry would continue to encourage new writers long after the original authors graduated.
Results
The StoryJumper book publishing project had a clear and positive impact throughout the school. Students developed stronger literacy skills and showed increased self-confidence, motivation, and the ability to communicate their ideas more effectively. Writing felt less like a task and more like an opportunity. And because students were motivated, teaching them was easier and more fluid.
Tying writing projects to subjects like science helped make the learning more relevant and engaging, and also encouraged meaningful collaboration between the library and classroom teachers. For Ethel, this reduced the isolation often experienced by library specialists and helped transform the library into a more connected and active space for student learning.
“StoryJumper is a powerful product. The students’ excitement during the book publishing project brings more energy and satisfaction to my work. I’m looking forward to doing the project again next year.”
Tips for Other Educators
Want to replicate this success? Consider these key strategies from Ethel’s experience:
- Providing students with printed hardcover or paperback books leads to a deeper, more memorable connection with books than digital books.
- Collaborating with classroom teachers makes writing projects more relevant, especially when connected to topics students are already exploring in other subjects.
- Proudly share your students’ books with the entire school community so everyone can appreciate the great work that your students have created.
