After spending time speaking with students and signing books, author Tommy Greenwald spoke to an all-school assembly at Reed Intermediate School on Friday, February 24.tommygreenwald.com.

Reed Intermediate School Principal Anne Uberti welcomed the students to the assembly and said the school had "a wonderful presentation planned for you." Reed library/media specialist Pia Ledina also introduced Mr Greenwald, sharing that he was there to speak about some of the books he has written.

Mr Greenwald, who lives in Connecticut, shared his "Tommy Greenwald's Guide to Writing Funny Books About Real Life" presentation with the students. Mr Greenwald said both he and his wife love to read, and despite thinking they would pass their love of reading to their three sons, none of their boys grew up with a love of reading.

"When I was a kid, I loved to read," said Mr Greenwald, adding that he remembers the first book he ever read. "I've loved reading ever since."

He began trying to find ways to make his sons enjoy reading, but nothing worked. Then, he told the students, he had an idea: He would find a book that would get them interested in reading. He began searching for a funny, silly, entertaining book about a child that did not like to read. He could not find one, so he wrote his own.

Mr Greenwald told the students how he used his life as inspiration for his book, Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide To Not Reading. The main character was inspired by his three sons - Charlie, Joe, and Jack - and his family's two dogs, who inspired the dogs in the book.

Mr Greenwald also shared how he came up with the idea behind his "Crimebiters" series, and he spoke to students about the act of writing.

"The most important part of writing is rewriting," said Mr Greenwald.

More information about Mr Greenwald and his books is available on his website,