Sometimes you receive a note that makes you smile. Here is one that MLP Author Jill received from a teacher:
Hi Jill,
I just wanted to let you know how much my students have been enjoying By Darkness Hid. We are scheduled to finish it on Thursday, but many students have already finished it and have gone on to To Darkness Fled. One avid reader has even finished the entire trilogy. I’ve lent my personal copies to students, and the library has had to order additional copies of the sequels in an attempt to meet the demand. Students have also told me they are checking them out of public libraries. I expect more will be asking for the sequels for Christmas. Highlights for me include a student actually squealing and jumping up and down when she learned Achan was really the prince. A boy–one of our biggest jocks in the sophomore class and a self-proclaimed “non-reader”– came to my office and quietly asked to borrow my copy of To Darkness Hid because there weren’t any library copies left. I got a little teary after he left my office. We high school teachers don’t get to see nonreaders turn into readers very often.
I wasn’t so sure about how the kids were responding to it at first. The day after I assigned the first chapter, one of my reluctant readers told me it was “boring.” I asked him how far he’d read, and he said he was still on the first page. That was an eye roller for me. The next day he came in and told me he liked it after all. Sir Gavin and the sword fighting lessons won over a lot of the boys, so it’s great that began so soon in the story. I’ve learned a lot about how I want to teach it differently next year and look forward to experiencing it again with a new set of students.
-Anonymous
I’m a senior citizen, and “loved” the triology! Gave it to my teenage granddaughter, who loaned at least one of the books to a friend.