SCHOOL:Franklin Elementary
CLASS: 2nd Grade/3rd Grade
SCHOOL PHONE: (909) 307-5530
About The Teacher
Wow! My fourteen years as an educator has gone by so fast! Now, a
little bit about myself . . .
Mora Nichols was born in Reno, Nevada. There she spent her time playing
soccer, reading books, and traveling with her family. On one of her many
family vacations, she visited Hawai’i. Mora’s family had visited the
islands many times in the past, starting with her grandfather who served
in the Navy at Pearl Harbor during World War II. Fascinated with the
culture, history, and people, Mora knew she had a found a place special to
her heart.
During college many years later, Mora again went to O’ahu to visit
friends. There she expanded her interest into Hawaiian traditions,
branching out to local libraries and museums to increase her knowledge
about Hawai’i. While studying for her Master’s Degree at the University of
San Francisco, Mora spent two summers in O’ahu, researching Hawaiian
Children’s Literature for her thesis. She visited many local schools and
met wonderful teachers and students who helped her with her studies. She
also helped Caldecott-Award winner Gerald McDermott research a book at The
University of Hawai’i at Manoa and the Bishop Museum.
Upon completion of her graduate degree, Mora began teaching first grade in
Los Angeles, California. It only seemed natural to her to write stories
for her students about the land she loved best: Hawaii. Mora’s first book,
Kai: The Honu Who Didn’t Know He Was Brave, was released in October, 2005
from Mutual Publishing. Her second book, Going to the Zoo in Hawai'i, was
released in 2006 and her third book, My Five Senses, was released in 2008.
In addition, her fourth book, Little Mouse's Christmas Present, was
published in November, 2011.
Mora is a member of The Society for Book Writers and Illustrators. She is
also a member of the Hawaiian Historical Society and Children’s Literature
Hawaii. She has presented at Reading The World, an annual multi-cultural
children’s literature conference held in San Francisco, California. She
currently lives in Alta Loma, California, where she spends her time
teaching 2nd/3rd grade, writing funny stories, planning more visits to the
islands, and spending time with her husband Chris, daughter Grace, son
Grady and their three mischievous kittens: Emma, Owen, and Schroeder.
Mission For The Class
It is my duty to create a safe, educational, and welcoming environment for
all my students. My goal for the year is to make learning exciting,
challenging, motivating, and down right fun, too! We are getting ready for
3rd and 4th grade!