Books

The Make-A-Book Project and author-in-residence program school photographs. Pictured here are all four of the aerial-view school photos. Kids standing in the shape of a bicycle, worm, butterfly and cupcake.
Books

How the school photos are made

How I make the aerial view photos look real, including using satellite views and chalking the drawing out square by square.

The Make-A-Book Project and author-in-residence program school photographs. Pictured here are all four of the aerial-view school photos. Kids standing in the shape of a bicycle, worm, butterfly and cupcake.
Books

How the books are made

The following is a step by step summary of how the book is made, including: planning, creating, celebrating and making a difference in the world.

The "How's it going" Dream Workshop station with facilitators and children.
How we make stuff

The Dream Workshop Pilot Program

We tested the Dream Playbook in over a dozen schools. We called it our “Dream Workshop” but it was so much fun that the students called it “The Dream Club.”

Vamos Chicas, a young girls club pose in front of a scenic Paraguay mountiain.
Make-A-Book Project

Vamos Chicas Vamos

The Spanish edition of my “Falling Uphill” kids book “Cayendo Hacia Arriba” is being used by the Peace Corp in Paraguay to teach kids how to read and dream.

How to fall uphill infographic. A bicyclist falls up a mountain until they are standing on the top.
Games

How to fall uphill

Here is a fun new graphic that I created. It has been simmering in my brain for years. I think it really captures the essence of how doubt and fear are essential to any adventure. The trick is harnessing that emotional fuel and turning disadvantages into advantages.

Cayendo Hacia Arriba Paraguay Peace Corp s03
Books

Falling Uphill in Paraguay with the Peace Corps

Scott Stoll is an author from my hometown who served as the U.S. Embassy’s cultural ambassador in Argentina during the 2011-2012 school year. His time in Argentina and collaboration with Argentine schools resulted in a Spanish language version of his book, Falling Uphill: The Secret of Life, about his 4 year journey around the world on his bicycle.

Scott Stoll age 5 on his first bicycle
Make-A-Book Project

Acknowledgments / Agradecimientos

As I mentioned, celebrating the book, meaning feeling a sense of accomplishment, may be the most important step in the whole process. Read more about our goals.

Students from Argentina holding their certificates of achievements and their copy of "Cayendo Hacia Arriba," the book that we created together.
Make-A-Book Project

Celebrating the book

Students from Argentina holding their certificates of achievements and their copy of “Cayendo Hacia Arriba” the book that we created together. In my opinion, the celebration of the book is the most important step. It helps the students realize their purpose in life, take a step of action with their passion.

Falling Uphill Teachers guide
Crafts & Activities

Classroom Resources

This free guide to Scott’s bicycle ride around the world includes an exercise for turning dreams into reality, a world-travel trivia quiz, exercises for planning and mapping a world adventure, travel writing lessons, class discussions, backyard adventures, and more.

Purple and orange cupcakes matching the Cupcake Boy Cover
How we make stuff

The Cupcake Boy is here

The Cupcake Boy is the story about a boy who makes the most beautiful and tasty cupcakes in the world; however, the villagers take the boy for granted.

Sunflower cupcakes made out of candy corn.
How we make stuff

The Cupcake Boy Book Celebration

We celebrated the new book, The Cupcake Boy alongside a bake sale. Check out all the amazing cupcakes, including the Minions, Cinderella and more.

Step #3: Play it! Take a step of action to make your dreams real.

Take a step of action to help make dreams come true.

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