Author visits Decorah Middle School

Decorah Middle School librarian Shannon Horton watches the audience reaction as Tim Green types information about Layne Guerrero into his cell phone.

Author Tim Green, who has written books of sports fiction aimed at middle grade students, visited Decorah Middle School last Thursday to speak to 3rd through 8th grade students.

Green was a first round pick of the Atlanta Falcons and played for eight years as a top defensive player.  While playing in the NFL he simultaneously pursued his law degree and began his writing career.  

Green stressed the need to work hard to achieve anything in life, not just in the life of a professional athlete.  He challenged students to reach out to someone in need of kindness and explained that you have to work at compassion.  A way to build empathy, he shared, is through reading.      

Green said real kids inspire him to tell their stories in his works of fiction. One of those real kids is Decorah eighth grader Layne Guerrero, who plays football even though he is deaf.