Multiple Award-Winning Author Dan Santat Visits AISV

We were delighted to welcome multiple award-winning author and illustrator, Dan Santat, to AIS Vienna from November 5 to 8. All Elementary and Middle School students had the opportunity to learn about Dan’s experiences, writing process, and his life as an artist and illustrator. Over these four days, students were also able to get their books signed and meet Dan personally. This visit was fully funded by the AISV Annual Fund. 

Middle School

As part of our One Book One Middle School program, all of our Middle School students read the winner of the 2024 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, A First Time for Everything, a middle grade graphic memoir based on Dan’s awkward middle school years and the trip to Europe that changed his life. 

Dan also held individual workshops with Grade 7 Reading and Writing students, where he gave deeper insight into his process and how he crafted his graphic memoir.

Elementary School

In the Elementary School, Dan met with each grade level and spoke about his childrens’ books, writing process, and drawing, and he even gave a preview of one of his upcoming releases.

Our young writers and artists were thrilled to have this opportunity to meet with a professional author and illustrator, and to learn how to draw from personal experiences as sources of inspiration in their own writing.

This is one of the many ways in which we create experiential learning opportunities for our students to aspire, to pursue their passions, imagine possibilities, and make them real.

More About Dan Santat

Dan Santat is the National Book Award-winning author of A First Time for Everything, the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, the #1 New York Times-bestselling Are We There Yet?, and the New York Times-bestselling book After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again). Dan is the author and illustrator of over a hundred books for young people.