Westhampton Beach Middle School seventh grader Alexandre Schroeder recently received a surprise email response from Lian Tanner, author of “Icebreaker,” as part of an independent reading project.

For the assignment in Michelle Bennett’s class, Schroeder had the option of emailing the author after reading her book. He carefully drafted a message with poignant questions, such as what inspired her to write the tale of a young outcast living on an ancient ship.

Schroeder was thrilled to hear back from Tanner and receive answers to his questions. “I was surprised and happy,” he said.