Testimonials

The Seacrest Country Day School community was honored to host author Kerry O’Malley Cerra during the school’s annual Young Author, Young Artist Week. Mrs. Cerra’s back-to-back presentations to the combined Middle School and Upper School audience and the Lower School audience were engaging and informative. While Mrs. Cerra primarily writes for a middle-grade audience, her life experience as a deaf person, with the grit to overcome the limits of her disability, made her relatable and inspiring to Seacrest students across all divisions. Kerry Cerra is lovely and well-spoken–a role model and author to be admired!

Kerry Cerra’s newest book is The Gallaudet Eleven, an information-packed nonfiction picture book highlighting the contributions of eleven deaf bioastronauts who assisted NASA in researching ways to counteract the effects of anti-gravity-induced motion sickness. The contributions of these eleven deaf bioastronauts extended to the safe and secure space travel experienced by the historic Artemis II mission! The Lower School students enjoyed the biology, physics, space-race history, and NASA information presented in this book during library classes in preparation for Kerry Cerra’s visit to Seacrest.

~Dr. Angela Burchett, Library Media Specialist, Seacrest Country Day School, Florida

I was deeply touched by Kerry Cerra’s story, Just a Drop of Water, and knew without a doubt she was the author we should invite to visit CMS and Central School. None of our students were even born when the horrific events of September 11, 2001 transpired, yet through her book, they were not only able to gain a concept of what happened but also how that day impacted the lives of everyone in the world. I was especially impressed with the manner in which she handled the Muslim, mosque, and Quran issues, making readers understand that none of these are things to fear. Kerry’s visit most definitely did not disappoint either! She shared her personal connection to the events, including the overwhelming fallout worldwide. She responded to each question with food for thought about fear, bigotry, and standing up for what one believes is right. Her ability to touch and make a difference during just one visit was nothing short of amazing!  Our students and staff were truly blessed by her visit.

~Laurinda Davidson, Media Specialist, Chillicothe Middle School, Missouri

Kerry O’Malley Cerra has met with the third-grade classes at my school for the past two years after our grade level read her amazing book, Just a Drop of Water. Not only did Kerry make her presentation meaningful and appropriate for our kids, but she spent time answering our students’ questions and asking them questions on their feedback about the book. In addition, the students fell in love with reading her book and the teachers (including myself) truly resonated with her description and storyline surrounding the 9/11 attacks and impact on the Muslim community. Thank you, Kerry, for being so wonderful and meeting with us to share your author story.

~Isabel Quiñones, teacher, P.S. 310, Bronx, NY

Kerry O’Malley Cerra was a guest speaker at the IT GIRLS camp. Her story of overcoming personal challenges and how she used that to tell her story through children’s books was SO INSPIRING! She was so detailed with the girls on how to create their own characters in a story from beginning to end! It was amazing! If you would like to know more about character building for a novel or you need book suggestions for Middle School age kids reach out to her. She inspired the girls and let them know that everyone has a story!

~Stacie Harris, IT GIRLS Camp Founder

We had a visit from author Kerry O’Malley Cerra. Ms. Cerra is the author of Just a Drop of Water, which is an amazing historical fiction book about two young friends dealing with the events of September 11, 2001. Our 7th graders were very fortunate to listen to Ms. Cerra speak about her book and life experiences. She then provided a writer’s workshop for two classes where the students were able to start working on their own novel with characters and a theme created by the class. The students enjoyed the visit and speak to me often about how much they loved it.

~Stephanie A. Suraci, Media Specialist, Walter C. Young Middle School, Florida

Ms. Cerra just glowed with interest and excitement about her subject. She connected amazingly well with my students and inspired them as young writers.

~Maureen Daffner, creative writing teacher, Florida

Mrs. Cerra spoke in two assemblies for the 4th and 5th graders. A former teacher herself, she knew just how to present—immediately connecting to the students and sharing her love of learning and writing using visual examples—notes, diagrams, research and experiences that she used in developing her story. One could see from the students’ enthusiasm and the questions they asked, the impact she had. She even did an exercise with the students that demonstrated how to connect to others who are different from yourself and make them a ‘friend.’ ‘Create peace’ and ‘be the hero you are inside’ were themes that permeated the book. It was a history and writing lesson wrapped into one. My students returned to the classroom asking numerous questions about 9/11 and if they could write and use some of the techniques that Mrs. Cerra had shared. She had accomplished in a one-hour assembly what teachers attempt to do every day. Inform, instruct, and inspire.

~Marla Press, 5th grade teacher, Florida

Kerry Cerra offers so much more than your typical author. She spoke to my ninth and tenth grade students in an intimate setting and made her visit most personal by bringing actual writing examples and book production pieces. My high school students were engaged the whole time and really appreciated how relatable Mrs. Cerra was. Just A Drop of Water had them thinking beyond the classroom. What more can a teacher ask for?

~Kelly Grady, reading teacher, Florida

Kerry O’Malley Cerra’s presentation to the creative writing students was superb! The students were engaged from the very beginning to the official Hollywood-style “The End.” Mrs. Cerra generously shared her many writing tips/secrets of the trade and visuals, especially the plot clock that she explained in wonderful detail using her newly published award-winning book, Just a Drop of Water. Her presentation is a must for anyone interested in writing. Highly recommended and inspiring!

~Ann Panoch, Media Specialist, NBCT

After reading Just a Drop of Water, having the author, Mrs. Cerra, come in to talk with my students gave the students a real sense of what an author goes through as he or she creates a novel. A great experience for all my students. This visit helped make their writing more meaningful.

~Debra Yost, 8th grade language arts teacher, Ramblewood Middle School, Florida

“I like that she told the truth, she worked on a book for eight years before getting Just a Drop of Water published!” —Jackie M., 9^th grade SPHS

“I enjoyed how Mrs. Cerra explained the illustration process. I had no idea she didn’t get to design the cover! Having an author come speak to my class was a fantastic experience and one that I will remember.” —Brianna C., 10^th grade CGHS

“I learned so much from her writing tips that gave me confidence as a writer.” —John C. WGMS

“Ms. Cerra was informative, creative and full of great writing ideas.” —Isabela R., 6^th grade MMS

“The presentation inspired me to pursue my dreams in writing.” —Alexis T., 7^th grade LCMS

“Her explanation of her journey as a writer and the tricks of the craft she shared provided me with great new ideas for planning and structuring my work. They made a future as a writer seem closer to reality.” —Ancy J. V., 12^th grade JPTHS

“Just a Drop of Water provides a powerful insight of the hardships of post 9/11 life, hearing Mrs. Cerra speak of the characters made them seem real.” —Samantha H., 8^th grade GRMS

“Just a Drop of Water helped me understand 9/11 and the struggles going on in America.” —Acacia J., 8^th grade RMS

“Mrs. Cerra helped us understand how to develop a character and how to make a character feel real within our own writing.” —Laura C., 8th grade SSMS