It all started in a grade 4 class in Edmonton.  A student teacher on a first round assignment (me) was assigned the task of motivating students to write their best story ever.  How do you motivate a class of lively, easily distracted learners to do their best story creation?  That was the problem, one that needed something extra.

The answer suddenly came to me.  What if I were to write my best story ever and share it with the class and then put out the challenge to go write something amazing and even better?  The New Mouse House was the result.  The first draft received a mixed review.

I was invited back a month after the assignment was completed to share the completed and polished version and a second story idea that had come together.  This time the class was very generous with their review, even excited by the stories.

Since The New Mouse House, eight other stories have come together and made it to the published stage.