Each year, Stephen Gaynor School invites authors to visit our students and speak to them about their books featured at the Book Fair. On November 12, Bianna Golodryga, Emmy Award-winning journalist and anchor of CNN’s “One World with Zain Asher and Bianna Golodryga,” along with Yonit Levi, anchor of Israel’s top primetime news program and co-host of the podcast “Unholy: Two Jews on the News,” spoke to Gaynor’s Silver, Green, and Blue Cluster students about their new book, Don’t Feed the Lion.
Don’t Feed the Lion is a middle-grade novel that tackles antisemitism and prejudice, as well as finding the courage to stand up for yourself. Golodryga and Levi spoke to the students about what inspired the book, particularly how each of them found inspiration from challenging situations that their own children went through. Levi shared that her son once asked her, “Why do people who don’t even know me hate me?” and she felt compelled to help him and other children process those questions and emotions.
During their visit, the authors encouraged students to ask as many questions as they wanted. Questions ranged from what Golodryga and Levi’s jobs are and how they wrote the book, to antisemitism and how to respond to it, to how the characters in the book find their own ways of speaking up. Students asked thoughtful questions that demonstrated exceptional maturity, while bridging their own experiences with the authors’ creative processes. When Silver Cluster student Wren S. took the mic, she commented, “I just want to say I’m feeling so inspired that two people have made a change and I’m really excited to read your book.” This was a great moment for our students to hear diverse perspectives about how antisemitism can affect both kids and adults, and to learn more from the authors themselves about why they wrote this story and what they wanted to achieve with it.
At Gaynor, we encourage our students to listen to others’ stories and share perspectives to learn how different situations can affect those involved. We are proud of our students for being earnest and active listeners, and for having a fulfilling dialogue with the authors that encouraged them to keep standing up for each other while speaking out when they see something that isn’t right.
