Author Chris Grabenstein entertained Hampton Bays fifth-graders, while also educating them about the life of a writer, during a Skype interview on April 21. The successful author, who made his third Skype appearance at Hampton Bays, is best known for his many collaborations with author James Patterson. In addition to writing both young adult and adult literature, Mr. Grabenstein has written feature films, as well as for Jim Henson’s “Muppets” and a variety of commercials. Earlier in his career, he performed standup comedy with Bruce Willis and Robin Williams.

During his talk with students in Scott Garofola’s fifth-grade class, Mr. Grabenstein entertainingly discussed his experiences as a writer and performer. He then fielded questions from the students.

The children asked him many questions, such as how he got ideas for his books and how he got so good at writing.
“Everybody has something they’re good at,” he told the students. “It’s up to you to figure out what that is and then work with it and practice. With practice comes improvement.”