Mrs. Piaschyk and her Graduating Class of 2025

Remsen students with their copies of Matylda, Bright & Tender, upon graduation

I received a copy of a letter last week from Mrs. Piaschyk, who teaches 5th grade in Remsen, New York, a few miles from where I grew up. I spoke to her school quite a few years back; Matylda, Bright & Tender is not an easy book, and I was deeply moved at that event, at what the students shared with me about their own grief as I signed their books. I’ll never forget it.

Flash forward to last week, and Mrs. Piaschyk shared a letter with me, which I’m sharing an excerpt from below; it was for all of her students from that class who are graduating high school this year. It means more to me than I can put in words. I had signed a copy of Matylda, Bright & Tender for each of her students, and her plan was to give them the books at their graduation.

“To the 2025 Senior Class,

Here it is, just six short years after your 6th grade graduation and you are ready to graduate from high school. It’s amazing how quickly time has gone. I am so proud of each and every one of you.

As promised, with this letter comes your very own signed copy of MATYLDA, BRIGHT & TENDER. I hope you have fond memories of the day we invited Holly McGhee into our classroom for an author’s visit. As you may recall, she spoke with us about making mistakes and learning from them, having strong friendships, on new beginnings and fresh starts. As you embark on the next chapter of your lives, I think her words of the wiser ring true more than ever.

In 2019, Remsen experienced a Halloween flood that flooded the 4-6th grade wing of the elementary school. During that time, many of the signed books were damaged. I was devasted as I knew many of you were looking forward to receiving your book upon graduation. I painstakingly removed the title pages with your advice to your future self written in your 5th grade handwriting and pondered about what I should do. I reached out to Holly McGhee to explain the situation to her. Not only did she donate forty copies of the book, she signed each and every one of them. This act of kindness goes to show you that there is greatness in the world around you and Holly is one of the greatest . . . Learn from her act of kindness and pass it on to others . . . these books have been read and loved by many 5th graders over the past 6 years but they have been kept in excellent condition. I hope you appreciate them and listen to the advice that you gave yourself all of those years ago.”

Mrs. Amy Piaschyk, you are one of the greatest—your heart, your time, your dedication to your students, and your love of reading, as well as your kindness, make the world a better place. Wishing all of these students the very best for their futures.

Love to all.

Holly xox