School Visits
"Mrs. Ying Compestine delighted the Vienna International School Primary School students with her stories, her books and her writing process. She discussed her life, her experiences, her love of food and how she would draw from these as an inspiration for her writing. It was a fabulous opportunity for VIS students to meet with a professional author and her visit was a true inspiration to all."
--Helen Divett, Librarian, Vienna International School
"Ying’s presentation sparked creativity in our students. She is truly an inspiration to young readers and writers. I would recommend her to any school looking to engage their students in a real-world, literary experience."
--Karen Hayes, Director of Advancement, Escuela Bilingüe Internacional
"Ying Chang Compestine is such an inspiration, writing truths from the heart in the hopes that others' heads will follow. It was wonderful to welcome her back as she was one of our first author visits on this campus."
--Virginia Hunt, PS Principal, Hong Kong Academy
"Ying joined our 6th grade writers at the tail end of their personal narrative writing unit. She shared her writing process, the structure of a compelling story, and tips for creating realistic characters. She was engaging, passionate, and relatable! Students loved hearing from a published author and teachers are looking forward to reading students' final personal narratives with all of Ying's wisdom incorporated into them! Our students will read her novel Revolution is Not a Dinner Party in the spring, and it will be wonderful for our young personal narrative writers to examine Ying's own personal narrative. We would have her back in a heartbeat."
-- Maggie Verdoia, 6th grade English, Raymond J. Fisher Middle School
“During the month of January, we had Ying Chang Compestine visit our Middle School. The focus of her visit was to work with 6th graders who were reading various Historical Fiction novels and about to write HF picture book stories. I had communicated with her ahead of time our goals for her visit and writing goals as well as how the schedule might look like. Ying was a wonderful inspiration for our students, firstly because most kids had read her novel Revolution is not a Dinner party during our Battle of the Books event but mostly because she provided excellent advice and tips during her presentations. I used her writing expertise and advise to build mini-lessons around that and create charts kids are now actively using during the writing process.
Ying also spoke to the 8th-grade class about her experience during the Chinese Cultural Revolution (to support their Social Studies inquiry into the concept of Revolution) and presented her picture books to Elementary school students. Additionally, she had a small presentation for parents about healthy eating and presenting her cooking books. The signing of her books was another highlight during her 4-day visit.
Ying is a very experienced presenter and students have really enjoyed their interactions with her.
Lastly, Ying is a wonderful guest speaker for any school; she embraces learning about the culture of the country, the food, and the people. We had a lot of fun hosting her and I would recommend her in a heartbeat to any of the schools close to my heart, such as AISJ.”
-- Marisa Seco-Medina, Language Arts Teacher, Cairo American College
“Year 8 students at Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong received a crash course in novel writing, thanks to Ying Chang Compestine’s recent visit to our school. Using metaphors and anecdotes from her personal life, she painted a realistic picture of what a career as a published author can entail. Here’s hoping her words inspire the young writers in our midst to keep working towards their goals!”
-- Lauren Bull, Senior School Librarian, Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong
“The time Ms. Compestine spent at our college was an exciting learning opportunity for students and staff alike. A lucky group of Chinese Native Language (CNL) also got to join Ms. Compestine in the villa for some Mandarin led baking.”
-- Andy Mcilwain, Head of Libraries, Dulwich Shanghai College Pudong
“Ying Chang Compestine is a dynamic and inspiring speaker. Ying is particularly gifted in speaking to upper elementary as well as high school students and her life story is well worth hearing. Our younger students really enjoy Ying’s Chinese flavored picture books and being an international school in Taiwan, they could relate to the content. Look no further for picture books that make the Chinese traditions come alive! Ying’s tips on how to be better writers together with her personal anecdotes relating to growing up during the Cultural Revolution stimulated further discussion in the middle and high school LA classrooms.”
-- Megan Noble, EMS librarian, Morrison Academy, Taiwan
“I liked how encouraging she was to the students and how she made them feel like they’ve already got a great start towards their writing careers. She made them feel smart and capable.”
-- Scott Pagel, EMS librarian, Morrison Academy, Taichung
“This October we were so excited to have Ms. Ying Compestine to visit our children aged from 5-10. She held five amazing sessions that were filled with rich Chinese culture, book talks, and fun, engaging activities. It was such an incredible experience for our students to learn about how her books were created from getting inspirations to how she worked with publishers. What’s more, for our children who are on the Chinese immersion track, it was also a valuable experience to hear her presentation in Mandarin!”
-- Wei Zhang, ELC and LD Chinese Librarian, Avenues: The World School
“Ying took German Swiss International School (Primary) by storm. She is the whole package from K-12 and has written humorous picture books, nail biting novels, and mouth-watering cook books. Ying specializes in giving cooking classes! Her presentation were very professional but totally engaging with our students. Everything was well prepared and she left us wanting more. The year 5 students just soaked up her words about “Secrets of the Terra Cotta Warrior” and loved her writing tips. We definitely want her back and wait for her next book.”
-- Megan Lindsay, Teacher-Librarian, German Swiss International School
“Ying Compestine just completed a highly successful visit to our Middle School Division at Singapore American School. She had engaging conversations with students and teachers throughout her stay and made separate presentations to our 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. We would love to have Ying back to SAS in the future for a longer stay. ”
-- Ron Starker, SAS Librarian, Singapore American School
“Our students enjoyed listening to Ying’s stories and learning about her writing process. Her presentation inspired students to write their own stories!”
— Shannon Eves, Teacher Librarian, Canadian International School of Hong Kong
“Here at Singapore American School we loved having Ying come and share her talents! My 8th grade students read her story and preformed the delicious noodle recipe. Thank you Ying for being a positive Asian American roll model for our young adults. Grade 6 loved the cookies we made together and felt honored to have an author and chef join us for a lesson.”
-- Amy Ferguson, 6th-8th grade Teacher, Singapore American School
“The author visit with Ying was very exciting. If you are going to be preparing recipes from either of Ms. Compestine’s books, we most definitely want a taste!”
— Josianne Fitzgerald, Librarian, International School of Tianjin
“By far the most successful Author visit and enriching learning opportunity that we’ve ever had”
-- Phoebe Kao, Librarian, Tianjin International School
“Thank you for inspiring all of us and showing us how to grow as readers and writers!”
— Tanja Galetti, Teacher Librarian, Hong Kong Academy
“Be prepared for an inspiring presentation. Also, be prepared for Ying’s books to fly off the shelves!”
-- Debbie Alvarez, Teacher Librarian, Bradbury School
“Students were engaged in Ying’s stories about how she came to write Hungry Ghosts and her love of food. A large group baked a recipe of the green tea cookies that featured in this book and Ying told the students about the benefits of green tea. A great experience for Ying and the students to work together on a large scale. Thank you to Ying, for sharing all her experiences and also experiencing the wonderful students of Sha Tin College.”
— Rebecca Cottam, Head of Food Technology at Sha Tin College, Hong Kong
“Incredible… a beautiful inspiration to our students.”
-- Gina Gailmard, 6th grade, Bentley School
“We were most fortunate to have this exceptional author and chef visit our students and teach them, directly and indirectly, language, history, cooking, and the craft of writing.”
-- Kathy Ilyin, Librarian, Bentley School
“Students from kindergarten to fifth grade enjoyed presentations that enriched their writing skills and understanding of other cultures. Chopsticks-using contests and videos made Ms. Compestine’s words even more memorable!”
-- Joanne Endo, Teacher, Baker Elementary School
“Ms. Compestine was a wonderful speaker and enthralled everyone from kindergarten through 8th grade. Her personal stories are woven with her books in an entertaining and thoughtful way. The kids continue to talk about her visit.”
-- David Giff, Middle School Librarian, HPA, Hawaii
“Thank you Ms Compestine for a wonderful author visit to our school. The students were inspired by your life story and how it influenced your writing. Teachers were pleased with your many writing tips for the students, especially the photos of the pages of rewrites! You artfully modified your presentation to fit the audience grade level. We hope that you will again come to our school.”
-- Linda Reser, Librarian, ‘Iolani School, Hawaii
“…the students loved your author presentation! We are all looking forward to reading your books.”
-- Debra, Head Librarian, Hamlin School, San Francisco
“We sold a ton of books. Especially the paperback copies of Revolution. We ordered more Cooking w/ Green Tea for the girls. You made quite an impression on them! And it’s always a pleasure working with you.”
-- Jess Ridout, Bookseller at Books Inc
“Ying was a trooper. She was very flexible with our technology glitches.”
-- Librarian, Hatch Elementary School
“Ying was perfect for this event and the teachers were thrilled.”
-- Librarian, St Joseph’s Elementary school, Atherton
“Ying was engaging and involving, especially since we had adults.”
-- Librarian, San Mateo Public Library
“I enjoyed how engaged Ying was with the HMB school visit that I was able to observe. The kids asked a lot of questions and she kept on going…”
-- Librarian, Westlake Public Library
“Thanks again for the engaging, informative, and thought provoking visit. You started a conversation about healthy living and eating that is still continuing!”
— Sally James, Librarian, South School, Hillsborough CA
--Helen Divett, Librarian, Vienna International School
"Ying’s presentation sparked creativity in our students. She is truly an inspiration to young readers and writers. I would recommend her to any school looking to engage their students in a real-world, literary experience."
--Karen Hayes, Director of Advancement, Escuela Bilingüe Internacional
"Ying Chang Compestine is such an inspiration, writing truths from the heart in the hopes that others' heads will follow. It was wonderful to welcome her back as she was one of our first author visits on this campus."
--Virginia Hunt, PS Principal, Hong Kong Academy
"Ying joined our 6th grade writers at the tail end of their personal narrative writing unit. She shared her writing process, the structure of a compelling story, and tips for creating realistic characters. She was engaging, passionate, and relatable! Students loved hearing from a published author and teachers are looking forward to reading students' final personal narratives with all of Ying's wisdom incorporated into them! Our students will read her novel Revolution is Not a Dinner Party in the spring, and it will be wonderful for our young personal narrative writers to examine Ying's own personal narrative. We would have her back in a heartbeat."
-- Maggie Verdoia, 6th grade English, Raymond J. Fisher Middle School
“During the month of January, we had Ying Chang Compestine visit our Middle School. The focus of her visit was to work with 6th graders who were reading various Historical Fiction novels and about to write HF picture book stories. I had communicated with her ahead of time our goals for her visit and writing goals as well as how the schedule might look like. Ying was a wonderful inspiration for our students, firstly because most kids had read her novel Revolution is not a Dinner party during our Battle of the Books event but mostly because she provided excellent advice and tips during her presentations. I used her writing expertise and advise to build mini-lessons around that and create charts kids are now actively using during the writing process.
Ying also spoke to the 8th-grade class about her experience during the Chinese Cultural Revolution (to support their Social Studies inquiry into the concept of Revolution) and presented her picture books to Elementary school students. Additionally, she had a small presentation for parents about healthy eating and presenting her cooking books. The signing of her books was another highlight during her 4-day visit.
Ying is a very experienced presenter and students have really enjoyed their interactions with her.
Lastly, Ying is a wonderful guest speaker for any school; she embraces learning about the culture of the country, the food, and the people. We had a lot of fun hosting her and I would recommend her in a heartbeat to any of the schools close to my heart, such as AISJ.”
-- Marisa Seco-Medina, Language Arts Teacher, Cairo American College
“Year 8 students at Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong received a crash course in novel writing, thanks to Ying Chang Compestine’s recent visit to our school. Using metaphors and anecdotes from her personal life, she painted a realistic picture of what a career as a published author can entail. Here’s hoping her words inspire the young writers in our midst to keep working towards their goals!”
-- Lauren Bull, Senior School Librarian, Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong
“The time Ms. Compestine spent at our college was an exciting learning opportunity for students and staff alike. A lucky group of Chinese Native Language (CNL) also got to join Ms. Compestine in the villa for some Mandarin led baking.”
-- Andy Mcilwain, Head of Libraries, Dulwich Shanghai College Pudong
“Ying Chang Compestine is a dynamic and inspiring speaker. Ying is particularly gifted in speaking to upper elementary as well as high school students and her life story is well worth hearing. Our younger students really enjoy Ying’s Chinese flavored picture books and being an international school in Taiwan, they could relate to the content. Look no further for picture books that make the Chinese traditions come alive! Ying’s tips on how to be better writers together with her personal anecdotes relating to growing up during the Cultural Revolution stimulated further discussion in the middle and high school LA classrooms.”
-- Megan Noble, EMS librarian, Morrison Academy, Taiwan
“I liked how encouraging she was to the students and how she made them feel like they’ve already got a great start towards their writing careers. She made them feel smart and capable.”
-- Scott Pagel, EMS librarian, Morrison Academy, Taichung
“This October we were so excited to have Ms. Ying Compestine to visit our children aged from 5-10. She held five amazing sessions that were filled with rich Chinese culture, book talks, and fun, engaging activities. It was such an incredible experience for our students to learn about how her books were created from getting inspirations to how she worked with publishers. What’s more, for our children who are on the Chinese immersion track, it was also a valuable experience to hear her presentation in Mandarin!”
-- Wei Zhang, ELC and LD Chinese Librarian, Avenues: The World School
“Ying took German Swiss International School (Primary) by storm. She is the whole package from K-12 and has written humorous picture books, nail biting novels, and mouth-watering cook books. Ying specializes in giving cooking classes! Her presentation were very professional but totally engaging with our students. Everything was well prepared and she left us wanting more. The year 5 students just soaked up her words about “Secrets of the Terra Cotta Warrior” and loved her writing tips. We definitely want her back and wait for her next book.”
-- Megan Lindsay, Teacher-Librarian, German Swiss International School
“Ying Compestine just completed a highly successful visit to our Middle School Division at Singapore American School. She had engaging conversations with students and teachers throughout her stay and made separate presentations to our 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. We would love to have Ying back to SAS in the future for a longer stay. ”
-- Ron Starker, SAS Librarian, Singapore American School
“Our students enjoyed listening to Ying’s stories and learning about her writing process. Her presentation inspired students to write their own stories!”
— Shannon Eves, Teacher Librarian, Canadian International School of Hong Kong
“Here at Singapore American School we loved having Ying come and share her talents! My 8th grade students read her story and preformed the delicious noodle recipe. Thank you Ying for being a positive Asian American roll model for our young adults. Grade 6 loved the cookies we made together and felt honored to have an author and chef join us for a lesson.”
-- Amy Ferguson, 6th-8th grade Teacher, Singapore American School
“The author visit with Ying was very exciting. If you are going to be preparing recipes from either of Ms. Compestine’s books, we most definitely want a taste!”
— Josianne Fitzgerald, Librarian, International School of Tianjin
“By far the most successful Author visit and enriching learning opportunity that we’ve ever had”
-- Phoebe Kao, Librarian, Tianjin International School
“Thank you for inspiring all of us and showing us how to grow as readers and writers!”
— Tanja Galetti, Teacher Librarian, Hong Kong Academy
“Be prepared for an inspiring presentation. Also, be prepared for Ying’s books to fly off the shelves!”
-- Debbie Alvarez, Teacher Librarian, Bradbury School
“Students were engaged in Ying’s stories about how she came to write Hungry Ghosts and her love of food. A large group baked a recipe of the green tea cookies that featured in this book and Ying told the students about the benefits of green tea. A great experience for Ying and the students to work together on a large scale. Thank you to Ying, for sharing all her experiences and also experiencing the wonderful students of Sha Tin College.”
— Rebecca Cottam, Head of Food Technology at Sha Tin College, Hong Kong
“Incredible… a beautiful inspiration to our students.”
-- Gina Gailmard, 6th grade, Bentley School
“We were most fortunate to have this exceptional author and chef visit our students and teach them, directly and indirectly, language, history, cooking, and the craft of writing.”
-- Kathy Ilyin, Librarian, Bentley School
“Students from kindergarten to fifth grade enjoyed presentations that enriched their writing skills and understanding of other cultures. Chopsticks-using contests and videos made Ms. Compestine’s words even more memorable!”
-- Joanne Endo, Teacher, Baker Elementary School
“Ms. Compestine was a wonderful speaker and enthralled everyone from kindergarten through 8th grade. Her personal stories are woven with her books in an entertaining and thoughtful way. The kids continue to talk about her visit.”
-- David Giff, Middle School Librarian, HPA, Hawaii
“Thank you Ms Compestine for a wonderful author visit to our school. The students were inspired by your life story and how it influenced your writing. Teachers were pleased with your many writing tips for the students, especially the photos of the pages of rewrites! You artfully modified your presentation to fit the audience grade level. We hope that you will again come to our school.”
-- Linda Reser, Librarian, ‘Iolani School, Hawaii
“…the students loved your author presentation! We are all looking forward to reading your books.”
-- Debra, Head Librarian, Hamlin School, San Francisco
“We sold a ton of books. Especially the paperback copies of Revolution. We ordered more Cooking w/ Green Tea for the girls. You made quite an impression on them! And it’s always a pleasure working with you.”
-- Jess Ridout, Bookseller at Books Inc
“Ying was a trooper. She was very flexible with our technology glitches.”
-- Librarian, Hatch Elementary School
“Ying was perfect for this event and the teachers were thrilled.”
-- Librarian, St Joseph’s Elementary school, Atherton
“Ying was engaging and involving, especially since we had adults.”
-- Librarian, San Mateo Public Library
“I enjoyed how engaged Ying was with the HMB school visit that I was able to observe. The kids asked a lot of questions and she kept on going…”
-- Librarian, Westlake Public Library
“Thanks again for the engaging, informative, and thought provoking visit. You started a conversation about healthy living and eating that is still continuing!”
— Sally James, Librarian, South School, Hillsborough CA
Online Visits
“Recently our Kindergarten classes had a wonderful Skype session with Ms. Compestine. They were so excited to meet the author of the many books that they have read and loved such as The Runaway Rice Cake, Crouching Tiger, The Run Away Wok and any story with the Kang brothers! Ms. Compestine welcomed all of their questions with genuine interest and great warmth. She answered their questions, which ranged from her wonderful stories and life in China to favorite foods and healthy eating. The children were thrilled when she taught them a tai chi movement from “Crouching Tiger” and how to hold chopsticks properly. They have been talking non-stop about their “visit” with Ying and I am sure they will remember it for a long time. What a wonderful experience for them! Thank you Ms. Compestine – we look forward to working with you again in the future!”
— Peggy Maxted, Kindergarten Teacher, NJ
“The students loved your author presentation! We are all looking forward to reading your books. I will be contacting you regarding speaking at the Association of Indepentdent School Librarians Conference in April.”
— Debra Cardone, Head Librarian, Hamlin School, San Francisco
“The next best thing to having Ying in person is to Skype with her! For 3 years, she has been a part of Global Literature Circles with Web 2.0. Students were able to ask questions about Revolution Is Not a Dinner Partyand add knowledge to their cultural knapsacks. Students are able to make new connections between book and author.”
— Joan Collins, Librarian, Bedford Public School, MA
“Thank you so much for another great SKYPE session. The children are talking about you like you are their new friend. (“Remember when Ying told us her favorite food?”, Remember when Ying told us about living in China?”….) It is so nice to see them so excited to meet and talk with an author in today’s world of sport star/ rock star heroes! Thank you for presenting them with such a memorable experience!”
— Peggy Maxted, Kindergarten Teacher, NJ
— Peggy Maxted, Kindergarten Teacher, NJ
“The students loved your author presentation! We are all looking forward to reading your books. I will be contacting you regarding speaking at the Association of Indepentdent School Librarians Conference in April.”
— Debra Cardone, Head Librarian, Hamlin School, San Francisco
“The next best thing to having Ying in person is to Skype with her! For 3 years, she has been a part of Global Literature Circles with Web 2.0. Students were able to ask questions about Revolution Is Not a Dinner Partyand add knowledge to their cultural knapsacks. Students are able to make new connections between book and author.”
— Joan Collins, Librarian, Bedford Public School, MA
“Thank you so much for another great SKYPE session. The children are talking about you like you are their new friend. (“Remember when Ying told us her favorite food?”, Remember when Ying told us about living in China?”….) It is so nice to see them so excited to meet and talk with an author in today’s world of sport star/ rock star heroes! Thank you for presenting them with such a memorable experience!”
— Peggy Maxted, Kindergarten Teacher, NJ
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