Local children’s author Dori Marx offered a virtual visit with third grade students at Head O’ Meadow Elementary School on January 22.

For students in the classroom setting and those learning virtually from home, Marx spoke using Google Meet. Head O’ Meadow library/media specialist Beth Murphy organized the event.

Students learned about Austria, where she grew up as a child, saw photos from pages from a childhood notebook, and learned about her love of animals.

“Let’s talk a little bit about how one becomes an author,” Marx said, after explaining that she is the author of the Wonder World Kids book series.

According to its website, wonderworldkids.com, the series is “a chapter book series for curious explorers ages 7 (plus).”

The series follows the adventures of the Cook family, Marx explained for the students. The Cook children travel with their parents to solve curious animal cases around the world.

Marx told the students she always loved to write. As a child she would make up stories and write them down. Along with her love of animals, she also loved to travel. Marx shared photos from some of her travels, and she talked about what it is like to work with the illustrators for her books.

Then Marx walked the students through a writing exercise to sit quietly and let their mind wander while they thought about things.

“I love it: Your minds are filled with amazing things,” Marx said, before sharing how the students can use those “sparks” of ideas to write outlines for their own books.

Outside of the event, Marx shared in an e-mail that the fourth book in her Wonder World Kids book series was published in December. The Dilemma of the Lazy Lions continues to follow the Cook children and parents.

According to Marx, “This adventure takes young environmentalists to the majestic Tsavo National Park in Kenya to solve a puzzling case centered around a pride of lions and an orphaned giraffe. It was inspired by the story of the Waterman of Tsavo, as well as Kenya’s first all-female wildlife ranger unit. I was lucky to work with another talented local illustrator, Larry Esenerwa, from Nairobi, Kenya.”

A recent Kirkus Reviews review of the book, as shared by Marx, reads, “Animal lovers and young adventurers will appreciate the short chapters, sibling banter, and easy-to-read blocks of text, as well as… black-and-white, pen-and-ink illustrations.”

All of Marx’s books are available for purchase on Amazon.