Julia Walsh

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Dr Jennifer Means at the National Speech and Hearing Conference

Wings in the Wind is a wonderful book for children who are trying to find their way in the world as they may easily identify with the two characters, Julie and the Drake, struggle to find their own way. Some children will identify the Drake as he struggles with begin accepted by others and finding his flock while other children will identify with Julie as she empathizes with the Drake and his challenges.   The book includes multiple literacy themes and language concepts aligned with the Common Core State Standards allowing educators to instruct these areas during joint book reading using one story line, thus reducing linguistic, syntactic and semantic demands. This allows for systematic scaffolding to improve conceptual reasoning and text conventions for those who struggle with language and literacy development.  

Karen Veilleux Assistant Head of Youth Services

Julia Walsh, the author of Wings in the Wind, recently visited the Peabody Institute Library in Danvers, to read her picture book to a group of older elementary students. The heartwarming story, set in Newburyport, is about her experiences as a young girl when she encountered an orphaned duckling along the banks of the Merrimack River. It is a story worth sharing over and over again. Julia read her beautiful story with such feeling that everyone got a sense of what she had experienced as a young girl. The story is beautifully illustrated, and offers readers a glimpse of the wonder of nature, and the lesson that sometimes problems cannot be resolved quickly.  It is a story of perseverance and compassion that all ages will enjoy!
After reading her story, Julia shared a science lesson on the habitat of the river. She incorporated art and the children were very engaged. Julia was enthusiastic, and her visit was enjoyed by all.  I highly recommend her book and hope she keeps writing for children!
She can be reached at [email protected]
Karen

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Karen Veilleux

Assistant Head of Youth Services

Peabody Institute Library, Danvers

Reviews from Professional Educators

FROM: Massachusetts Audubon Society  – Lisa Hutchings, School and Youth Education Coordinator, Teacher, Naturalist, and mother, Newburyport, Massachusetts.
“I absolutely LOVED your book. What a lovely, personal story that so many could relate to, adults as well as children. The illustrations are so real that I wanted to touch the pages with the swaying grasses!”

FROM: Cecilie Zwick Coker, Lower School Librarian, Sanford School, Hockessin, Delaware
“Julia Walsh’s account of Julie and her interest in the mallard duck, presents with vivid imagery and is a beautiful intergenerational story about friendship and compassion. Children will enjoy hearing about Julie’s curiosity about the life of a mallard duckling, and they will be able to connect with the subtle topic of persevering when faced with a difficult situation.”

FROM: Nancy Donovan, marine docent and author of Wild Dolphin Rider, Oscar the Herring Gull, and Marissa the Forest Spirit
“Wings in the Wind is a delightful story of courage, persistence, and friendship. We watch, through Julie’s eyes, the survival and maturing of a mallard duckling. At the same time, we listen as Julie learns nature’s lessons. Information is accurate; presented in a way that children and adults can feel connected to the adventure. The illustrations are perfect for the story. They show a wide expanse of the marsh and river, while keeping Julie and the duckling still the focus of the story.”