On Tuesday, October 23, Half Day welcomed Liesl Shurtliff and Brianna DuMont for an introduction to their new books, Time Castaways: The Mona Lisa Key, and Thrilling Thieves: Liars, Cheats, and Cons Who Changed History. Time Castaways is the first book in a historical time-travel adventure trilogy by Liesl Shurtliff. Thrilling Thieves: Liars, Cheats, and Cons Who Changed History is the third book in Brianna DuMont's Changed History non-fiction series. The authors shared their writing process including research using primary sources and the importance of finding additional sources to corroborate what they find. Brianna DuMont and Liesl Shurtliff like to check each other's work and give each other feedback to make their writing even better.
The authors shared some of the details surrounding the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa and the importance of using primary sources as well as additional sources to back up what they found. A few students were asked to use court records to reenact the scene in which the thief explains his reasons for stealing the painting. The Mona Lisa even chimed in about being packed away with the thief's underwear and being held captive for 2 years.
A few things the students thought would really stick with them about the presentation were:
~You have to research a lot to have a book published, and it doesn't always get published right away.
~There are facts about the Mona Lisa in Time Castaways even though it is a fiction book.
~Anyone can change the world, including thieves like Vincenzo Peruggia who made the Mona Lisa famous by stealing it.
Using research skills like those introduced by Liesl Shurtliff and Brianna DuMont, Half Day students will be ready to use information to change the world in positive ways!
The authors shared some of the details surrounding the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa and the importance of using primary sources as well as additional sources to back up what they found. A few students were asked to use court records to reenact the scene in which the thief explains his reasons for stealing the painting. The Mona Lisa even chimed in about being packed away with the thief's underwear and being held captive for 2 years.
A few things the students thought would really stick with them about the presentation were:
~You have to research a lot to have a book published, and it doesn't always get published right away.
~There are facts about the Mona Lisa in Time Castaways even though it is a fiction book.
~Anyone can change the world, including thieves like Vincenzo Peruggia who made the Mona Lisa famous by stealing it.
Using research skills like those introduced by Liesl Shurtliff and Brianna DuMont, Half Day students will be ready to use information to change the world in positive ways!
More Books by Liesl Shurtliff
More Books by Brianna DuMont