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'School Is Wherever I Am:' A Timely Exploration of What School Means

Author & illustrator Ellie Peterson explores the shifting definition of school in new picture book

By Kara Murphy May 6, 2022

Since March 2020 my idea of "school" has changed. In the time "before" I would have identified school as your traditional brick-and-mortar classroom experience. 

But now? The idea of school has changed so much — kids have gone from in school to virtual learning and back again ... repeatedly. Some have moved to homeschooling. Others are enrolled in cyber school.

Who would have ever thought I would know what an asynchronous day meant?

But here we are. 

Author and illustrator Ellie Peterson explores the shifting and ever-expanding definition of school in her charming new picture book School Is Wherever I Am. She thoughtfully considers the idea in a way kids can understand and relate to, after almost two years of tumultuous schooling. 

Get your copy of School Is Wherever I Am now!




School Is Wherever I Am is a great, positive reminder that learning can happen anywhere, whether it be homeschool, traditional school, remote learning, or even summer camp.

Peterson, herself a longtime teacher, explores the idea of learning, adventure, and the thousands of the things you can discover outside of a classroom, whether it's about the world, about your family, or about yourself. 

Because school, we've all learned, is truly wherever you are.




Ellie Peterson is a picture book author, illustrator, and science teacher living in the Seattle area. She is the author/illustrator of It’s A Round, Round World and The Reason For The Seasons. She was also the illustrator for Bea’s Bees by Katherine Pryor. Her work is inspired by her experiences teaching STEM, her upbringing as a biracial child in a military family, and her adventures in parenting. You can buy her newest book, School Is Wherever I Am at your favorite bookseller now.