A blog post by our founder, Isabelle Baril
About the author:
My name is Isabelle Baril and I am the founder of Mind Growth Education. I have taught for over ten years at the French Immersion primary level. I graduated from the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, BC, with a Teaching Degree in Social Studies and Special Education, and also have an undergraduate degree in Geography and French from Laurentian University, in Sudbury, Ontario. I’ve always had a strong passion for helping others, that is why I became a teacher and an entrepreneur in the education world. PS. Can you tell I love books?
Good day!
Do you have a favourite book character or a favourite author whose work you admire? Would you like to let them know how you feel about their work and get a response by mail? Try writing a fan letter to them. Some authors call it snail mail or meow mail, either way, they would really appreciate your letter!
A handwritten letter is a great way to show your appreciation, work on your writing skills and have fun!
Here are eight easy steps to write fan mail:
- Gathering your writing materials: Start by getting a sharpened pencil, an eraser, a blank page or a lined page or download/print our template. This will be your “rough draft”. During your rough draft, you can make mistakes, have mom and dad correct right on your page, do some doodling to help you express your ideas, etc. If you are using a blank page, write the following bullets as seen in the image for guidance:
- Introduction: Start writing your rough draft. You will need to write your name and address in the top left corner of the letter and the present date. Now, it’s time to introduce yourself. You will need to include your name, where you are from, and your age in the letter. Mention your personal connection to the person or the work that they do. (For example, you might want to say something like: Hello, my name is ____________, I am ____________ years old and I am from ____________. I have been reading your books since I was ____________ years old. My favourite book is ____________.)
- Paragraph (Body) : Make a connection with the author or the book character that you are writing to but keep your letter short and to the point. You are also more likely to get a response if your letter is short.
- Ending: Finish off by asking for a response. If you would like a response or an autograph let them know. It may or may not work, but it’s worth a try. For example, you should say, “I would love an autographed picture from you. Thank you so much.” or “A simple hello back would be great! Thank you so much.” You should also consider sending a drawing of yours, but never send a picture of yourself. Just in case!
- Closing: For example, you might want to say “Sincerely”, “Yours Truly”, “Your friend”, “Hope to hear from you!”, “Have a great day!”, “You are the best!”, etc. – be positive!
- Email format: If you are writing an email to the author/celebrity, no need to include your full address, just your email address instead. Write out the message like you did on the rough draft and VOILÀ! (It’s always best to ask your parent for help!)
- Envelope time: Now find the address of the author or celebrity and practice writing the addresses (yours and theirs) before writing on an envelope (our template lets you practice at the bottom).
- Stamp: You will need to get a stamp to send your letter. Remember, you need to make sure you get the proper stamp. If you are sending the letter to the USA from Canada, you would need a different stamp than if you were sending your letter to the author in Canada from Canada.
(Please note: I will be adding address as I get new ones. So keep checking in on a daily basis!)
(Also, click on image to purchase from Amazon(1)!)
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Pete the Cat Meow Mail 2126 E. Victory Drive #112 Savannah, GA, USA 31404 |
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Mini Pop Kids Fan Mail 220 Saulteaux Crescent Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3J 3W3 |
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid Jeff Kinney C/O Abrams 195 Broadway, 9th Floor New York, NY, USA 10007 |
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Todd Parr Fan Mail (by email only) Email address |
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Owl Diaries Fan Mail |
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Dragon Masters Snail Mail Tracey West (author) PO Box 368 Delhi, NY, USA 13753 |
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Dog Man & Captain Underpants Fan Mail Dav Pilkey (author) Dav Pilkey c/o Scholastic Inc. 557 Broadway Street, New York, NY, USA 10012 |
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Robert Munsch 84 Basswood Drive Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 4X7 |
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Sarah Mlynowski (author) c/o Scholastic Inc 557 Broadway New York, NY, USA 10012 |
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Ben Clanton Ballard Mail and Dispatch 1752 NW Market St. #1511 Seattle, WA, USA 98107 |
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The Data Set Series Meredith Rusu (author) Contact Form She has written more than one hundred books from preschool to young adult for licenses such as The LEGO Movie, LEGO Ninjago, Peppa Pig, Disney Princess, American Girl, and Star Wars. |
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Geronimo Stilton |
My daughter, Ayla’s FAN MAIL experience (writing by my daughter):
Hi everyone! My name is Ayla and I am 7 years old. Today, I wrote a letter to Mini Pop Kids and Pete the cat. I really enjoy writing so this activity was great for me! I wrote out the rough drafts, got them corrected by my mom and properly re-wrote them on blank cards. Here are some pictures of the package of envelopes and blank cards my mom got for me, my cards (I drew little pictures on the top of the card for them to have) and envelopes ready to be mailed and me currently writing to Rebecca Elliott, author of my favourite books “The Owl Diaries”. I hope you enjoy this activity as much as I am – can’t wait to get a response from them all! 🙂
Materials used: Click on links or product image to purchase.(1)
| Darice Coordination’s A6 Size Cards and Envelopes (Set of 12), White Canvas |  |
| Mind Growth Education’s A Friendly Letter Template |  |
(1) N.B. I am an affiliate associate with Amazon. If you click on some of the links, product image or book image, it will send you to Amazon’s website where you can purchase the product/book, which means I’ll make a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase through one of my links. Thank you for your support! Happy shopping!
Happy Writing!
IB 🙂
Founder of Mind Growth Education
