Author shares love of books with Howell pupils
BY LARRY HLAVENKA JR.
Staff Writer

Taunton School, Howell, pupils Jack Bundkowski (c) and Peter Dee (r) and their fellow third-graders use their imagination to conjure up a character during a presentation by author Ann Margaret Lewis (below) on Nov. 29.

HOWELL — On the same day, Anne Margaret and Mr. McGreevey came to the Taunton School.

That’s children’s author Anne Margaret Lewis and her 90-year-old character Mr. McGreevey.

Lewis, a do-it-all publisher, author and saleswoman, has run Mackinac Island Press in Michigan for 20 years.

After publishing other authors’ works, Lewis got into the act herself and began writing her own books three years ago. Since then she has written and published five books which are available in stores throughout the country.

Her most well-known book is “Has Anyone Seen Christmas?” It is the tale of Emit the Elf, who fell off Santa’s sleigh and needed to navigate his way through other holidays in order to find Christmas once again.

The book has attained a degree of national notoriety as characters from the story appeared on a float in America’s Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit.

PHOTOS BY MIGUEL JUAREZ staff

Lewis, a native of Michigan and University of Michigan alumna, said she felt right at home as she sat in the grandstand at the parade.

“That was awesome,” she said. “I swear, you don’t know what the emotion is like when you see your book come to life like that.”

The float should remain a fixture of the parade, which “really helps keep the story alive,” Lewis said.

Lewis said when her book was chosen as a finalist to become a float, she found out she was competing against the beloved children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak.

Winning the rights to the float against such a well-known story excited Lewis.

“It’s pretty cool,” she said.

As Lewis entertained the children at the Taunton School on Nov. 29, she explained the process of taking a book from one’s imagination to a bookshelf.

“I always loved to write,” she said. “When I was in the sixth grade, I wrote my own book.”

She read “Lighthouse Fireflies” to the children, a story about trust and friendship. The main character’s unselfish decisions allow him to receive help from others later on. Lewis told the children that remains an important lesson.

“What you do in the middle makes a difference in the end,” the author said.

Lewis, the mother of four children, asked the pupils if they had any questions, which always give her a chuckle.

“I love coming in and meeting with the kids,” she said. “I love their questions. They always know more than you think.”

Lewis guided the children through an imagination exercise as well. That’s where Mr. McGreevey came in.

The author asked the children to close their eyes and conjure up an image of the character. As the children opened their eyes, Mr. McGreevey was brought to life by an actress seconds later.

Lewis, a tireless promoter, traveled to 16 states in six weeks last year. The whirlwind tour brought her to more than 100 schools.

“If I go that way again, I won’t be making it,” she said.

In fact, Lewis almost didn’t make it to Howell at all. Her original appearance at the Taunton School was canceled because of travel delays.

Regardless, Lewis eventually made it to Howell, where student-teacher Debbie Lokerson, who is training to become a media specialist, beamed over Lewis’ work.

“It’s so exciting because so often you are teaching [the children] the whole process — for someone to come here and show them the steps, it gets them inspired,” Lokerson said. “You can tell that her books grab their attention.”

Partnering with Barnes & Noble, of Howell, Lokerson was able to bring Lewis to the Taunton School, which helped her to fulfill a requirement as a student-teacher.

Lokerson enjoyed the experience with Lewis.

“She’s a very sweet person and very down-to-earth,” the student-teacher said.