By Clyde Noel

Author Jack Hasling writes stories with simple themes for his grandchildren and young students. Hasling visits schools and interacts with the children about his book “The Little Rock and Other Stories,” (Wild Rose Publishing, 1997).

Hasling visited Almond School Nov. 28 and spoke to Liz Lamson’s fourth-grade class about the adventures of a glob of mud and a piece of straw.

“Who can tell me about erosion?” he asked the class. “What does it do to rocks?”

Hands were raised all over the room with the answers. The class read the book before Hasling arrived.

“The Little Rock and Other Stories,” is written for third, fourth and fifth-graders. Hasling weaves his stories around history, geography and literature.

He has been making presentations and doing readings for young people in school rooms and bookstores. Hasling has also given talks to adult groups on the importance of reading aloud to children.

“When I come to a class I tell the children how I came to write the stories, and then I ask them what they know about rocks,” Hasling said. “Then I read them the story and we talk about the meaning of the book.”

Hasling has taught communication skills at Foothill College for 27 years. He has a master’s degree in speech communication and a strong interest in oral interpretive reading.

He has three grown children and five grandchildren, and encourages families to read out loud to one another.