Children’s author Mattie Brown paid a recent visit to four Effingham County schools, but she had no interest in sitting in a chair and reading her books to the students.

As Brown explained, she can’t sit still while sharing a story.

“We are storytellers. We don’t read you a story,” Brown told the pre-kindergarten and special-needs students at South Effingham High School.

Accompanied by her granddaughter Kirsten Torrence, Brown acted out stories for the children. Using a lively delivery and interacting with the students, Brown told stories that were all fictional – but carried the moral to be of strong character.

“I love the joy of telling stories,” Brown said. “It’s good for all ages. Do you know why? In every story, you will learn a lesson.”

Brown, a former school teacher and principal who lives in Hinesville, also visited Blandford, Guyton and Sand Hill elementary schools. Her campus visits were sponsored by Live Oak Public Libraries, leading up to the Savannah Children’s Book Festival.

Brown also told the children about the power of writing, using as an example her book “Spencer Spider Spins Spinach Over Spaghetti.” The book tells the story of a spider and a fly who become friends rather than adversaries.

The story, Brown explained, is a lesson about the dangers of bullying. The fly is being bullied and called a “pest,” but wants to show that he is just like everyone else. Rather than the demise a spider would be expected to bring a fly, he befriends him.

“As the writer, I control the story,” she said.