On Monday, Sept. 23, Simpson College’s Education Club hosted guest speaker Angela L. Glover, who is a Simpson alum and author of the children’s book “Ethan Eats Hot Lunch,” which was nominated for the prestigious Golden Sower Award.
Glover spoke to a group of over 20 attendees about her experiences as an educator and author, while also selling and signing copies of her books, which included her other popular title, “Ethan Goes to Recess.”
A former kindergarten teacher, Glover drew upon her teaching experiences in California and Nebraska to create the series, which now spans six books. The book series revolves around Ethan, a character inspired by Glover’s nephew, who has Down syndrome. The storyline focuses on the social skills and challenges that kindergarteners face, with each character based on a former student.
“It’s been really fun to reunite with students and have them be the characters in the book,” Glover said.
Reconnecting with her students and incorporating them into the story has been one of the most rewarding aspects of the project. The series was initially intended to be just three books, but due to its success and the depth of topics Glover wanted to explore, it has since expanded.
Glover also discussed the process of bringing her stories to life through illustrations, emphasizing the creative control she gained by opting for a hybrid publishing model.
“I had a couple of houses that were interested in the book, but they weren’t going to let me have any process in the illustrations. And at that point, it was a passion project. It was about my nephew, and we had decided that we wanted all the characters in the book to be based on former students,” Glover said.
This model allowed her to directly collaborate with her preferred illustrator, maintaining a vision true to her original concept.
The books also touch on important themes like literacy, student behavior, and character development. Glover, who has experience as a literacy coach, emphasized the significance of not labeling students based on their behavior and the importance of fostering meaningful conversations about difficult topics, like bullying.
“I try to take the nuance of that concept or that conflict that’s going on, and bring it to a space in which the five-year-old can relate to it,” Glover said.
Attendees were especially engaged by Glover’s insights into the challenges of working with real-life students as characters and the importance of community support in both education and writing.
“We’re all in it together, you know, nothing is black and white when you’re trying to learn something, and community is important,” Glover said. “Community needs to work together, and you can mess up and still do okay.”
In addition to sharing her personal journey with writing, Glover offered advice for aspiring educators, encouraging them to embrace both the challenges and rewards of teaching.
“Know why you’re doing it right, and know that it’s going to be hard work, and know that what you put into it can reap all sorts of great relationships later,” Glover said.
The event concluded with a drawing contest, and one lucky participant went home with a signed copy of “Ethan Eats Hot Lunch.” Glover’s visit left attendees inspired by her dedication to both teaching and storytelling and excited to see where Ethan’s journey will take him next.
