Garfield Elementary students in Selma become published authors and illustrators

SELMA, Calif. (KFSN) -- A lesson on literary techniques ended with dozens of students becoming published authors and illustrators.

At Garfield Elementary School, students in Diana Baruti's 4th grade class take reading, writing and learning seriously.

So it was important to Baruti to make sure students really understood tough literary concepts like idioms.

"And so you say one thing, but you mean something different. For example, the common one, 'It's raining cats and dogs.' means it's raining really hard," Baruti said.

So as a class, they researched different idioms and how to use them.

But a post on Instagram from Student Treasures Publishing inspired Baruti to take the learning a little further.

"As teachers, we look for different ways to reach kids, to help kids enjoy learning," Baruti said.

Student Treasures Publishing allows teachers to submit student's work to be published in a hard-cover book.

The teacher gets a copy for free.

So each student picked an idiom, wrote about it figuratively and literally, then illustrated it.

This is Millie Ogan's page -- she chose "Losing his marbles."

"I think it fits me because I have siblings and they get on my nerves a little bit," Millie said.

Baruti didn't know that just down the hall, Heather Alves's 6th grade class also published their own book.

But their class is fully digital, so the majority of the work was done on a computer.

Those students focused on alliteration.

Each student picked an animal as a character and then, with alliteration, they had to decide which dish it would bring to Thanksgiving dinner.

"My animal was a t-rex and he brought tacos," Andy Santos, a sixth-grade student said.

The students in both classes say they're happy they have something to show off.

"I feel really proud, happy that people can see my work," Millie said.

Parents also have an opportunity to purchase a copy of the book as a keepsake so that they always have proof that their child is a published illustrator and author.

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