Testimonials: School Visits
"Our school has a strong social-emotional and mindfulness curriculum, and Deborah’s book was a perfect introduction of mindful practices for our youngest students. For our older students who have practiced mindfulness for a few years, her visit was a powerful reminder of how this daily practice can support children’s learning and their relationships. Deborah was engaging and thoughtful in her presentation. She was flexible to our time constraints and adjusted her presentation as needed. She is warm and personable to both children and adults, and her book held all our students’ attention as she invited them to participate in different elements of the story. I am excited to include her book in our classroom library for children to enjoy all year, and to use it as a teacher resource as a core component of our mindfulness/SEL curriculum."
—Sara Lev, Lead Teacher, Transitional Kindergarten, Citizens of the World Charter School, Mar Vista, Calif. (September 2016)
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"I cannot thank you enough for your visit! It was an especially busy day and I was disappointed not to make it. I heard your presentation was fabulous and the kids (and staff) really connected with it. We will treasure your signed copy of the book in our library for many years to come. I wish you all the very best of luck and know that the book will go far!"
—Alison Kerr, Principal, Citizens of the World Charter School, Mar Vista, Calif. (September 2016)
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"The students at Cornerstone Academy thoroughly enjoyed Deborah's visit this week! Because we practice daily mindfulness and meditation, the book is a perfect match for our students. Deborah's presentation of the book was interactive, lively and fun! What a wonderful way to involve students in the storytelling. Thank you, Deborah!"
—Amy McCormack, Teacher, 1st and 2nd grades, Cornerstone Academy, Northborough, Mass. (January 2017)
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"Thank you for sharing your wonderful book with us and teaching us how to write a story."
"Thank you for sharing your book with us. We love Charlotte and the Quiet Place. We wish you would come back soon! You are a great author. Thank you for teaching us the steps to publishing a book."
"THANK YOU for coming to our Writer's Workshop to talk to us about your book. We loved that you read Charlotte and the Quiet Place and that you gave us ideas about what our quiet place could be. We were excited when you signed the books for us."
—Newton Montessori School, Primary-Grade Writer's Workshop Students (December 2016)
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"Ms. Sosin captivated our young writers with her presentation and explained what she needed to do for her idea to become a story to become a book. The students were excited and shared many of their own ideas about the writing process. The students loved Ms. Sosin's presentation and had many, many questions for her, which she answered in great detail. The children felt a great connection to Ms. Sosin due to her warm and very detailed presentation. Thank you for coming!"
—Jutta Lossner-Liang, Primary Teacher & Writer's Workshop Teacher, Newton Montessori School (December 2017)
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"Debbie Sosin’s visit to Salisbury Central School’s Kindergarten was just what we needed at the end of a busy day. She taught us about the meaning of a quiet place through reading her insightful children’s book, Charlotte and the Quiet Place. Her creative ways to help the children build awareness about the positive aspects of relaxation was captivating. This has inspired us as teachers to follow through on her techniques for building mindfulness into our day. Debbie’s reading and presentation are very beneficial for teaching children self-awareness and self-control in this busy world."
—Lisa McClave, Joanne Klein, and Chelsea O'Brien, kindergarten teachers at Salisbury Central School, Salisbury, Conn. (Fall 2015)
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"Charlotte and the Quiet Place is a special book, and Ms. Sosin's presentation to our PreK students was perfectly orchestrated. Kids were actively engaged in her read-aloud and then thoughtfully absorbed in the accompanying mindfulness activities. A joyful respite in our always hectic school day!"
—Christian Porter, Lower Division Library Teacher, The Park School, Brookline, Mass. (Spring 2016)
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"Debbie’s visit to Cottage Montessori was fun and inspiring. Our preschoolers really enjoyed connecting a book from our shelf with the actual person who made up the story! Debbie got the children involved with an interactive reading and some breathing and mindfulness activities, then thoughtfully answered all their questions. Charlotte and the Quiet Place fits in perfectly with some of the activities we have been doing in our classroom. We had fun sharing our Silence Game with her and would love to have her come back again!"
—Karen Wagner, Director, Cottage Montessori School, Arlington, Mass. (Spring 2016)
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"The group liked how you explained with a lot of details, talked about the layout, and spoke in a way that was clear to understand. Their favorite parts were when you read the story and saw how you made the changes, with the funny cartoons introducing each section of the PowerPoint presentation. The writing tips were great too. I learned a lot and will be using what I learned next year. Thank you again. We’d love to have you back!"
—Elyse Seltzer, Director, Writers' Loft Picture-Book Camp at the Park School, Brookline, Mass. (Summer 2015)
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Testimonials: Adult Programs
Terrific turnout and beautiful setting at the Osterville Village Library for "The Making of a Picture Book: From Concept to Completion," December 4, 2015. Thanks to Laurie Young, Susan Belekewicz, and Tiffany Turner for hosting me.
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Presentation of "Going with the Flow: Mindfulness and the Creative Process," Cambridge Health Alliance, January 21, 2016:
"Deborah Sosin is a fountain of information and inspiration on mindfulness and creativity. What’s more, her free-writing prompts help one and all tap the deep well of creativity within."
—Jean Fain, Harvard Medical School-affiliated psychotherapist and author of The Self-Compassion Diet