“I hope you remember visiting us at Gallup Catholic this winter. I had to pass this on to you. One of my eighth graders...is one of the most severe cases of dyslexia I’ve ever seen. When I first met him three years ago, it was almost impossible to get him to write anything—but what I have been saying is that the spelling is just something to clear up at the end, and the most important thing is to get the story down. Gradually, he’s become more and more fluent, and his voice as a writer has developed. They had a huge project due at the end of the year—publishing a story into a hardbound book. This student’s story was sixteen single spaced pages. It took him a long time to get it typed, and his father helped him edit and correct it. They did a great job. This is his About the Author [below]. You will see why I’m sending it on.     —Sharon Walker, Fifth Grade Teacher, Gallup Catholic School, Gallup, NM

“I am the author of this book, Chronicles of the Fire Riders. The inspiration for this story was when Rafe Martin came to our school and did a presentation on writing. He said that writing was a way for us to experience something we could not experience ourselves. I wanted to experience the sensation of flying on a dragon through the world of my own creation. A world where I can do anything I wish. To all who read my story, I hope you enjoy. To the author, Rafe Martin, I want to say thank you.”

“On behalf of the Spring into Reading Committee for Clarkston Community Schools, this note is filled with deep gratitude and appreciation for you. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to share your passion of reading and writing with al of us in Clarkston. We cannot begin to express how much our students, staff and parents enjoyed your visit to our school district in April. Your warm and friendly personality and sense of humor captured the hearts of everyone—students, as well as adults! It is very exciting to still hear the teachers and students talk about your visit and your books weeks after the special event. You definitely left a lasting impression on our community—thank you! We wish you nothing but continued success in the years to come.”
        —Sharon Crain, Spring into Reading Committee, Author Procurement Chairperson, Clarkston, MI

“I wanted to let you know how much my students appreciated your coming to West Point. Your performance was great. The children learned a lot about the writing process and how you go through to get a finished product. Your message was very important. Of course, I have told the children this a hundred times, but hearing it from a real author makes a big difference. Again, thank you.”
        —Belva Serio,Third Grande Teacher, West Point Elementary School,
           United States Military Academy, West Point, NY

“We are still basking in the warmth of the world you created for us—what a wonderful experience that was for teachers as well as children. You certainly set a standard that will be hard for anyone else to meet. As I looked around at the teachers in that after school workshop I recognized some who were not easily impressed. Yet there was unanimous praise for you—no mean accomplishment. I think what reached them was the intellectual steps you went through and took us through in arriving at your passionate and total commitment to storytelling. There is no jargon, no theatrics in your presentation; just disarming simplicity honed to poetic purity.”     —Marjorie Schlosberg, librarian, Heathcote Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY

“The Sharing the Fire Committee, indeed all of LANES (League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling) and everyone who attended the conference, wants to thank you for your inspirational keynote, your superb workshops and all your hard work that made Sharing the Fire '95 such an outstanding success. I’ve enclose your workshop evaluations. You can paper your study with them and, if you ever get discouraged, just read them, enjoy and bask in their warmth—as we basked in the warmth of what produced them. Again our thanks—come to Sharing the Fire anytime. What fun it would be to have you back.”      —Barbara Lipke, for the Sharing the Fire Committee