a monkey and a cymbal

Woot!

2012-02-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Like Soccer (May 2012) is a Junior Library Guild Selection for Spring! What a team effort! Thanks, JLG!

Words

2012-01-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

On long, dull road trips, we sometimes play a game with country music. Each of us picks a word common to country songs, such as beer, honky-tonk, bar, pick-up, girl, etc. Points, along with hoots and hollers are awarded every time a person's word is mentioned. It's not a particularly exciting game, but we do have some good laughs as we hear the same words re-hashed and served up in a new tune. All you country music lovers out there, I like Taylor Swift. I do.

I just finished reading Markus Zusak's book, "The Book Thief", which is right up there in my top ten books of all time. Maybe in the top three. They're wrestling right now for position. Talk about evocative writing, a thrilling, tragic plot and some of the most unique and thoroughly real characters you'll ever meet in a book.

Here are a few quotes...

“It’s a small story really, about, among other things:

* A girl
* Some words
* An accordionist
* Some fanatical Germans
* A Jewish fist fighter
* And quite a lot of thievery”
______________

“Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness.”
______________

“A DEFINITION NOT FOUND
IN THE DICTIONARY
Not leaving: an act of trust and love,
often deciphered by children”

_______________

“Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day. ”

_______________

"...he stood around the bed and watched the man die-- a safe merge from life to death. The light in the window was gray and orange, the color of summer's skin, and his uncle appeared relieved when his breathing disappeared completely.

"When death captures me," the boy vowed, "he will feel my fist on his face."

_________________

In The Book Thief, one of the major themes of the book is how Hitler used and manipulated words to evoke terror and hatred. Those words seeped in and festered, and lead to the action of the annihilation of six million Jews.

To contrast, Martin Luther King, Jr. used words to lift the veil and expose the fracturing of the nation. He used words to spur love and courage and risk. Through words and fury, his dream became our dream. Can I tell you how happy I was when I heard they were changing one of MLK Jr.'s quotes on the memorial to be his exact words, rather than a paraphrase?

All of our words, however chosen and arranged, written or spoken, have power. We can make them count, or throw them to the wind or to the gutter.

One last quote from my new hero, Markus.

“I like that every page in every book can have a gem on it. It's probably what I love most about writing--that words can be used in a way that's like a child playing in a sandpit, rearranging things, swapping them around. They're the best moments in a day of writing -- when an image appears that you didn't know would be there when you started work in the morning.”

This is what happens when you give stickers to thousands of kids

2012-01-05T04:58:00.000-08:00

I have looked at this so many times, but as part of my New Year's resolution, I will not use the overused words "awesome" or "amazing". Instead, this is SPECTACULAR.

http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2012/01/yayoi-kusama-obiliteration-room/

Unleash the Writer Within

2012-01-03T12:36:00.000-08:00

This title should be followed by a growl or roar, eh? A writing friend of mine, Kristi Holl, blogged about this new book by best-selling author Cecil Murphy. I ordered it right away and have been reading it uncharacteristically s-l-o-w-l-y. It's the kind of book that invites writers to ask themselves some pretty big questions, like...

"Why do you write?"
"Whom do you wish to please?"
"What would it do to your writing if you could appreciate yourself as you are and see that your weaknesses are as important as your giftedness?"
"What if your inner critic has something valuable to say?"

And so on. See why it's a slow read? I'm highlighting like there's going to be a test and contemplating my answers because I think they may have some power. One of Murphy's assertions is that the deeper you know yourself, and the more you're willing to reveal yourself, the more authentic your writing voice will be. Actually, he says that everything we write reveals who we are, even our attempts at self-concealment. Whoa.

Thus concludes my initial review, and I'm only a few chapters in. More to follow!

Yay for 2012!

2011-12-27T13:22:00.000-08:00

Rather than catch up on 3 months of life, and bore you with all the gory details along with some not-so-gory ones, let us launch head-first together into 2012 with a little inspiration from Mr. Twain.

"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do, than by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Yep. Made the bathroom mirror.

What do you want to write?

2011-09-26T16:14:00.000-07:00

So I wanted to write a story with a theme of "found riches" and I had it in my mind that I MUST break free from the realistic fiction I love and try my hand at quirky animal characters. For three laborious days I messed around with Duck, Chicken, Cow and Goat. They find a box of money in a pasture, they plan, they dream, they say and do quirky things, etc. I had a middle with some tension and an only mildly satisfying ending. At the end of the third frustrating day, I said to myself, "This is horrible stuff. No kid would ever want to read this. What is the story I really want to tell?"

I thought for a while, and it hit me. "I want to write a story about found riches that involves a real kid. Not a duck. I kinda hate writing about ducks. Other people are really good at writing about ducks. Let them do it."

The floodgates opened, and the story poured out. A real kid in a big city. I knew exactly what he looked like, what he would have in his lunchbox, how his black, curly hair hit his collar and curled. I could hear his voice and I think I understood the size of the problem I was asking him to solve.

Tell the story you want to tell. Don't make the mistake I did and think you "should" be writing something other than what you really want to write. Experiment--yes. But know when to fold 'em. Or in my case, close the barn door.

Margaret Wise Brown

2011-09-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

"In this modern world where activity is stressed almost to the point of mania, quietness as a childhood need is too often overlooked. Yet a child’s need for quietness is the same today as it has always been — it may be even greater — for quietness is an essential part of all awareness. In quiet times and sleepy times a child can dwell in thoughts of his own, and in songs and stories of his own..."

Margaret Wise Brown

The Shadow

2011-08-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

"Between the Idea and the Reality,
Between the Motion and the Act,
Falls the Shadow..."

T.S. Elliot The Hollow Men

The launch of fall and a new school year always makes me crave a crave a crisp notebook filled with new ideas and goals, new schedules that make so much sense on paper, new approaches to old problems I've worked years to figure out. The key word here that invigorates is NEW.

So I make lists, goals, schedules. I shoot arrows into the future of where I want to be, say, next year at this time, 5 years from this time, and even further. Darwin and I set some goals as a couple, too. He does not get as excited about this session as I do, but he rides the wave with me. : )

I read this quote from T.S. Elliot a few weeks ago and keep thinking about how true it is. The "shadow" that fills the space between my great and lofty and noble intentions and my action is the way real change gets derailed. It happens every fall. It happens every January, too, with New Year's resolutions. After establishing my best-laid plans, the shadow creeps in. The shadow is where I decide my goal is too big. The cost is too high. The risk is too great. The shadow is where I get lulled back into doing only what I know, doing what is safe, doing what is easy.

So because of you, Mr. Elliot, I'm trying something different. Along with the goals, I'm identifying, naming and dealing with the shadow that accompanies the particular goal. Okay, here's an example. I would like to be able to jog 3-5 miles at a nice pace. Darwin is joining me in this one. I set the goal, hoping to run a 5 K in October. (I ran a half-marathon 10 years ago but no real running since then.) We started with a few gruesome times around the track. Yesterday, we ran 2.5 miles. And when I say "ran", I mean "slogged my way down the trail" counting down the seconds of when it would be over. IT'S HARD WORK. All you marathoners out there, including my newly buff brother-- I bow before you. How do you do it? During yesterday's run, I was keenly aware of my shadow the whole time. My running shadow likes to yawn and say, "You like walking. You like riding your bike. You don't like running. You like to sit on a soft couch and watch "The Dog Whisperer". This is hard on your knees. Shouldn't you be writing?"

I slogged on despite it's siren song, swatting the thoughts away and discovering at the end of this little jogging experiment, I actually felt... not bad. Almost alive, even. Tomorrow, we'll run three miles. And I'm assuming, I'm hoping, I'm planning, that in a few weeks, we'll run five.

A good quote...a big difference.

A love letter to a library

2011-07-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

I am forever grateful for the role a library and a dedicated librarian can play in a life, and this beautiful, touching, informative tribute to a public library in San Francisco made me appreciate them even more...

http://therumpus.net/2011/05/meanwhile-the-san-francisco-public-library/

A Good Day for Dixie

2011-07-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

I bought a baby pool on clearance, jammed it in my car, filled it up and waited to see what Dixie would think of it. A few minutes later, she was "swimming". Now, every time she heads outside, she wants to get her laps in. Will caught it on video.

The same day, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt invited readers and authors to submit photos of their pets enjoying books, for a feature called "Bookpets". I quick snapped a photo of Dixie and "The PS Brothers", since it's the house that published it. Dixie cooperated, but the only reason she looks like she's smiling is because her new pool is in sight. Here's the link to look at all the other submissions, too, if you're into cats, dogs and chickens reading books--which obviously, I am! Also, if you have your own "bookpet", submit his/her photo!

http://hmhbooks.tumblr.com/tagged/bookpets

Say YES

2011-07-27T04:18:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I read, cut out, and taped these thoughts to our bathroom mirror and they've been inspiring me since...

"Find a way to say yes to things. Say yes to invitations to a new country, say yes to meet new friends, say yes to learn something new. Yes is how you get your first job, and your next job, and your spouse, and even your kids. Even if it's a bit edgy, a bit out of your comfort zone, saying yes means that you will do something new, meet someone new, and make a difference. Yes lets you stand out in a crowd, be the optimist, see the glass full, be the one everyone comes to. Yes is what keeps us all young."
----Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google

Boys and Girls Can Be Different

2011-07-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

The son heals, the garden grows, our nest empties back down to three, and two manuscripts sit in the inbox of over a dozen editors. In the midst, I've been making lots of trips back and forth to Wildwood Hills Ranch, outside Des Moines. Wildwood Hills Ranch is a camp for under-resourced and at-risk children ages 8-18, and it's a place that is beyond incredible. Wildwood's target audience is the child who may be in foster care, the child who may have troubles at school, the child with a challenging home life. It's a unique camp with a well-trained staff who understand the often fragile, yet full of potential children they are serving. They offer the kids not only the most high-intensity camp fun you can imagine (horses, aquatics, art, athletics, team-building, etc.) but a non-denominational, faith based foundation as well.

Our Waterloo campers, ages 8-12 go to Wildwood for one week each summer. But having been involved for multiple years, we now have a small group (7) of young teens who grew up attending camp and have now been selected to enter a "Leaders In Training" program for ages 13-18. These lucky ducks get to attend camp multiple weeks each summer, so they've required lots of trips to and from Waterloo. Last week, I took two 13 year old boys to Wildwood, then picked up two 13 year old girls to bring back home.

As a former tomboy with continued leanings, and as a parent, I've tried not to stereotype the genders of our kids, but the contrast between the ride down to camp with boys and the ride back home with girls made me laugh as well as ponder.

Being careful not to wall in either gender (can you tell how careful I'm being???) , here are specific examples from the boys....

1) The boys commented on cool cars. We played a long game of "the next car is yours", which kept them entertained for at over an hour. They thought it was hilarious that I always got the mini-vans. Fitting.

2) We played "would you rather?". One of the boys asked the question, "Would you rather have your eyes plucked out by a buzzard or be shoved in a cage with a grizzly?"

3) They talked bodily functions.

4) They did the arm gesture that signals semi drivers to honk and were SO EXCITED when they actually honked.

Onto the girls....

1) Girls used many, many more words.

2) They talked about the friends they had made and the little relational dramas that took place.

3) They analyzed boys of every type, including the one who "looks-cute-but-he-knows-it-but-not-in-a-bad-way-you-know-what-I-mean"?

4) They did much more stream of consciousness talking, flitting from one subject to another effortlessly then back again.

It could have been this particular mix of boys and girls, I don't know. All I know is that it was fascinating to see such clear, concrete examples of differentiation.

Back to the grizzly and the buzzards? Grizzly, all the way.

Update in Photos

2011-05-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

A new book comes out June 16th, with the first two copies arrived Fed Ex yesterday. Hello, Kitty!


The garden grows. I can't even believe it. We've eaten spinach, lettuce and radishes so far. If Mel Bartholemew (author of Square Feet Gardening) was my neighbor, I would bake him a pie. No, I would make him a SALAD. Next year, we're going to add two more boxes--one for strawberries and one for other vegetables. Darwin doesn't know this yet.


More garden. Is that kohlrabi in the lower left corner--why yes it is!


Hanna and Noah graduated from the U of I and are living with us this summer until they move to Minneapolis for grad school and work. Hanna is an incredible cook. Not sure how she'll feel about being represented by a head of garlic, but it is in so many of her dishes. We like, as well as love each other, so it's a gift to be together this summer.


Will had a semester long honors English project. The only criteria was to learn something you know little about, then create and present what you've learned. We found out that Will needs open-heart surgery to correct congenital heart defects. This will happen June 8th at Mayo in Rochester. On his own, he decided to spend the semester learning about the heart, since he knew nothing about it, and had avoided the subject at every turn. He then wrote and illustrated a children's book. For his presentation, he read the book, shared his process and demonstrated how to take blood pressure, using a "volunteer" (who also happened to be a friend) from the class. He got an "A". :)

When I have a lot on my mind and heart, long walks outside help immensely. My shoes are wearing out and our middle-aged dog is as fit as a fiddle. Wondering if she sighs when she sees me pick up her leash?

Canoeing the beautiful Upper Iowa tomorrow. This photo is of Chimney Rock, where we'll be paddling. With the river levels up a bit, it might make for a read adventure!

Square Foot Gardening

2011-04-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

Our house is surrounded by master gardeners who tend all growing things faithfully and expertly. We, in comparison, can grow standard flowers, but our vegetable gardens have yielded weeds, mammoth, inedible cucumbers, squash vines with no squash, tomatoes that rotted before they ripened, etc. etc. We call it the Boelts family "Gardening Hall of Shame". It might have something to do with not knowing what I'm doing, and with forgetting things like weeding and watering. It just might. But enter my new best friend, Mel Bartholomew and his Square Foot Gardening book. The last few months, a friend and I have studied his philosophy on why gardens like ours fail year after year and how a 4x4 raised bed with 12" grids and a special soil mixture practically GUARANTEES success, even for beginners. Even for me! Mel Bartholemew is to gardeners what Cooks Illustrated is to cooks. He tells exactly, and I mean exactly, how to set up, plant and maintain a garden, and we are exactly following his unique and inside-the-box ways. Here goes...


We built three 4x4 boxes for the gardens which are supposed to be big enough to supply a plentiful harvest for our family of five this summer. My job? Taking pictures and annoying him by reading aloud Mel's book as he worked.

We ran around town picking up vermiculite, peat moss and three different kinds of compost, then dumped them all on a tarp and began the mixing process. I used a shovel to mix...the big boy did not listen to Mel's suggestions and started mixing it with his bare feet. A neighbor started asking questions.

These are the finished boxes with the lath grids!

I bought seeds from Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa and according to the book, planted my spring seeds today... lettuce, spinach, radishes, etc. Neighbor asked me, "anything growing yet?" The soil is loose, light and full of promise. With a weed guard cloth on the bottom of the box, we should never have to weed!

We built these rabbit protecting "lids" last weekend. They have a frame at the bottom and all we have to do is lift them off to work in the box. Take that, all the rabbits that live under our deck!

This is what I'm hoping to harvest, with the exception of the eggs.

New Paperback Cover

2011-04-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

The PS Brothers cover got a makeover for the paperback edition coming out soon. This is a very typical Rottweiler held tilt and expression, and it's what won our hearts over when we adopted Dixie.

Yoga for Writers

2011-03-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

Caught a certain youngest son in this position as he wrote an English paper tonight. Had a good laugh trying to picture myself trying this tomorrow.

Thoughts for the Day

2011-03-29T07:08:00.000-07:00

"Worry is the misuse of imagination..." Dan Zandra

"Consider the lilies of the field... " Jesus

JK Rowling's Plot Outline

2011-03-29T05:13:00.000-07:00

These are JK Rowling's notes for "The Order of the Phoenix". Can you imagine juggling not only the central plot but ALL the subplots and minor characters, too? Funny, I don't see groceries anywhere on this paper. : )

Happy Like Soccer

2011-03-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

Lauren Castillo just finished the art for a new picture book, "Happy Like Soccer" that is being published by Candlewick Press. I've mentioned before how much I love Lauren's work, so I can't wait to hold a whole book of her artwork! Here's the skinny on the plot of this book...

"A young girl from the inner city, Sierra, is chosen for an elite soccer team that plays its games at a complex far from her apartment. Sierra longs to have a game in her own neighborhood so people who know and love her, like her auntie she lives with, can attend more easily. Sierra gets courageous enough to try to make that happen."

Super-Size Me

2011-03-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Just got this back from G&R Publishing in Waverly, IA... a giant copy of Dogerella! This size is SO much better for sharing with groups of kids, and much sturdier, too, as compared to the original version. I'm looking forward to super-sizing some additional titles-- anything to avoid using PowerPoint to read a story!

When Scribbled Notes Tell a Story

2011-03-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

Time has its big boy boots on. I picked this sheet of paper off my table and as I read over the notes I had made about a story I've been working on, I noticed two other "stories" happening. It perfectly encapsulates what's been going on since my last, long-ago post.

There are three parts...

1) Grocery list: Potatoes, Onions. No matter what else is happening, we need to eat. Wow, could this list be any more boring?
2) Revision notes: I have been swallowed by some very huge revisions for both a middle grade and a chapter book. These notes were made to weave in a sub-plot to the middle grade. It actually worked but took some major remodeling.
3) Mayo Phone Number: Unexpected news has thrust us all into a new land, especially for our youngest.

Interspersed with household, writing and Rochester, I have had some particularly wonderful experiences doing school visits lately, and look forward to many coming up in April and May. I am encouraged, refueled, and inspired by kids (and GREAT teachers)--that never changes!

New book news to come once I have photos!

One more book.

2011-01-31T12:12:00.000-08:00

Winter+Iowa+Gift Cards=Reading

2011-01-31T11:25:00.000-08:00

I recommend them all. Simultaneously.

Up for Air

2011-01-14T11:29:00.000-08:00

1) Brand new author, 46-year old Clare Vanderpool just won the Newberry with her first book, "Moon Over Manifest", I read an interview with her and she said it took her 5 years to write while raising her four children. She grabbed the time while they were watching Sesame Street. This is the kind of news that should encourage every writer out there, still working their day job, honing their craft, hungering for more time to write and needing good news every once in a while. Go, Clare Vanderpool!

2) This from my agent for everyone writing scenes that include school cafeterias:

""Mystery Meat" is overused, has been for years. The phrase in a middle grade ms makes me think Generic. Dig deeper, writers. Cafeteria food is a cliche— as airline food was to stand-up comics years back."

3) My new middle grade remains untitled. It's actually had three working titles, all worse than the other. Here they are...

"HORSE" (I liken this to someone asking you to describe your child and you say, "Well, he has a head and a body.")

"THE SWITCH" (Yes, there is a "switch" that takes place in the story, but this title is also the title of a movie with Jennifer Anniston that got bad reviews. Not to be confused with "The Help" which was the perfect title for a perfect book.)

"PRUNIPER" (The main character's name is Juniper, and her siblings call her variations of her name including "Prune" and "Pruniper". Would a kid choose to read a book with prune in the title?)

I even paid the 6th grade daughters of a friend of mine to read the manuscript and brainstorm some titles. They tried hard but had about the same luck as I did. I will press on.

4) I've been reading an interesting genre of books from Random House called"Stepping Stones". These are bridge books for the reader who has graduated from early readers but isn't quite ready for middle grade novels. The word count seems to be 8,000-12,000, which is less than half of a middle grade novel. After Christmas I hardly came up for air as I experimented with this new genre-- writing from early morning through evening. I submitted the new manuscript this week. It's an easy-breezy plot line-- all action, no backstory, and geared to the third grade boy who might be a reluctant reader. The big miracle is that I actually like the title, too.

This was one of the Stepping Stones books. Nice little mystery with just the right amount of eeriness.

5) One of my biggest fears, outside of flying and my brakes going out in the mountains and the car rolling backwards (!), is being accused of plagiarizing someone's work. So when I get an idea for a book, one of my first stops is Amazon to see if someone else has had that same idea. If the storyline seems even remotely close, I don't write it. With this latest story, I didn't do any checking and decided just to run with it. I didn't think I'd read anything like it, but I wasn't sure. So I finished the story, shipped it off and THEN checked Amazon. Lo and behold, there's a book that shares some similarities but it's for a younger audience and the central conflict is completely different. Darwin needed to point all this out to me as I stared at the computer screen and hyperventilated. A few years back, beloved author Helen Lester had a picture book called "Score One for the Sloths" come out months before I had an early reader come out entitled "The Sloths Get a Pet". I wrote a letter to Helen expressing my concern about her thinking I copied her idea, and she wrote me back such a gracious letter-- "There is certainly room in this world for more than one sloth book." I know that ideas are out there for everyone, and that it's our unique take on that idea that makes a story our own. That's what I tell kids, anyway.

6) If you struggle with plot more than characterization- stop right now and go plop down your hard-earned cabbage to see the movie "True Grit". Note how the story launches--within the first minute or so, we know what that main character wants (and wants BADLY), and we can imagine what stands in her way. Then the story unfolds with one huge complication after another. I saw the John Wayne version of this movie when it came out, but when I say "saw", I mean I was 6 years old and running around with my siblings and cousins at the drive-in theater as my parents watched it in the car. Go, Coen Brothers!

6) Enjoy your writing weather, wherever you live. Nothing better than sub-zero temps and icy roads for hunkering down and focusing! Sorry this post is so long-- this is what happens when we haven't talked for a while!

What To Do When A Door is Locked

2010-12-06T12:41:00.000-08:00

So, people say that writing takes a persistent, mostly gentle touch most of the time. Don't force. Let the story tell itself. Be sure your characters lead the story. But there are times, like in the revision process of this middle grade story for example, when I've had to call in the battering ram. It's the beginning that I'm confused about (nice way to say "tantrum-ing about") The second half of the story is where all the action begins, and that's actually working. I have revised/scrapped, revised/scrapped for a while now. Enough. Battering ram, set to work. Time to write a new beginning. Let's crack this story open.

What a trip!

2010-12-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

The trip to Cambodia was life-changing, eye-opening and heart-softening. I know that I've just overused hyphenated words, but each descriptor is true. Here's a little summary...

With two nurses in our group, plus Molly (daughter of one of the gals in our group, missionary in Cambodia) who has training in third world medicine, we ran medical clinics in two slum areas, one outlying village and in an orphanage. These two little guys were perfectly healthy and loved my camera! My job at the clinics was running our makeshift "pharmacy". Tylenol, medicine for parasites and antibiotics were the most in demand.

Cambodia today is a nation of children and young adults as a result of the Khmer Rouge's genocide in the 1970s. Many of these children are from the orphanage where we held a clinic. Molly is front and center. Her sister, Erin is in the pink tie-dye shirt.

Our gang enjoying some r&r in Thailand. I learned that ordering your food "medium hot" in Thailand means something very different from the US. YOWZA!

To keep kids entertained while they waited their turn at the clinic, they colored pictures. This 16 year old young man's living conditions were as poor as you can imagine, yet we spotted him hanging these pictures on the outer walls of his shack. This scene touched me at a deep level. What struck me was our universal, personal desire for beauty and order, no matter what the circumstance. After seeing this photo developed I noticed that the back of his shirt says "realize".

In Thailand, we swam with elephants in the jungle at an elephant camp, then went for a long ride. This was an unbelievable experience! Did you know elephants are hairy? Did you know, too, that they are AMAZING?


I know this is a weird highlight but I made lists of ways we traveled to and around Cambodia/Thailand. Planes (survived!), taxis, vans, buses, ferries, trucks, tuk-tuks, bikes (well, one of us) elephants, motos (above-yes, I'm excited!) and the back of a policeman's motorcycle (SO worth the $5.00 I gave him) There are other lists, too, but that blog will come later. : )

Cambodia

2010-10-29T04:46:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday, I leave for Cambodia with a group of friends for a 16 day trip. We're going to visit the daughter and sister of two of the women in our group. Her name is Molly, and she's been a missionary in Battambang, Cambodia for the last 4+ years. She plans on returning to the US in 2011, so this is a chance for her to show us first-hand everything she's loved about the country and people she's served so faithfully. Molly will be our tour guide and has an itinerary for us that will keep us busy the entire time, either serving or sight-seeing. We'll take a walk in her shoes- visiting the orphanage her team started (photo above of one of the beautiful children there), helping at health clinics (two in our group are nurses) and serving in the Youth Center. We'll visit the temple complex of Angkor Wat, one of the seven wonders of the world, and may travel to Thailand, or to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to visit the Vietnam War memorial. We'll ride on motos (a moped/motocycle), eat like the locals, and do it all together! I am so excited to be in Cambodia!

Truth be told, the flight has been the only real concern. I used to be nearly phobic about flying, avoiding it at all costs, but after facing it down flight after flight, I can say it's been down-graded to a resigned, tense toleration (c'mon, that's better), with the exception of a flight where the pilot repeatedly attempted to land the plane in 60 mph wind sheers. That was a bad one. This flight, all 24-hours-in-the-air-6-take-offs-and-landings-total, should help knock down the bulk of this stubborn fear. I think psychologists call it "exposure therapy". With wonderful, calm friends around, and lots to do to keep busy on the plane, I think it will be okay. Just wished I hadn't read the CNN article "What Your Pilot Doesn't Want You to Know". Seems they're running light on fuel these days to save the airline money. Comforting, considering we're flying over a billion miles of OCEAN. Also wished I hadn't watched the opening scene of "Lost", when the plane breaks in two mid-air.

Courage means feeling fear and doing it anyway... I've always loved that quote, and I think it applies perfectly in this situation. Cambodia, here we come!

Don't Hide It Under A Bushel

2010-10-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

I returned from a conference for the Iowa branch of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators this past weekend. Beyond getting to meet and work with the faculty, rub shoulders with Iowa authors, and learn, learn, learn--I loved just listening to other people's stories. There's SO much hidden talent out there, and I'm not sure there's much more thrilling than getting to witness a hidden talent being uncovered. It happened this weekend. Writers who were working their day jobs, raising kids, doing life, etc, but still writing, hoping, learning and pressing on. Then they invested in a conference, got very brave and shared what they've kept under wraps, and voila-- the room almost sparkled with their new take, their new voice, their new idea! How awesome it that?

So, three cheers for new BOOKS to come!

Peek

2010-10-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

Early preview of the cover art for the new Random House reader, "Sleeping Bootsie". This book was written in response to the little girls I meet that ask me, "How come you don't ever write about cats?"

My mom was crafty...

2010-10-01T16:54:00.000-07:00

My mom had a creative, make-something-out-of-nothing gift when we were growing up and still does today. To celebrate the first of October, here's an example of our Halloween costumes. I was the particularly raggedy Raggedy Andy. : )

Great Spot on Kate DiCamillo

2010-09-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

First Review for The PS Brothers

2010-09-17T05:59:00.000-07:00

Gearing up for the October 4th pub date...here's the first review from Kirkus!

"Russell and best friend Shawn do everything together and share a dream of having a dog of their very own. Their perfect dog would be big and aggressive and inspire fear in the many bullies that plague the twosome at school. When the boys spot a sign advertising Rottweiler puppies for sale, they hatch a plan to earn $200 for one, and the PS (Pooper Scooper) Brothers business is launched. All seems to be going well until Russell stumbles upon evidence that the puppies' owner is engaged in illegal dog fighting. If Russell blows the whistle, he may lose the puppy and disappoint his buddy, but if he does not follow his conscience then more dogs will suffer. Boelts has her story elements all right: worn urban setting, quick comic dialogue, well-developed characters and a good dose of suspense. Especially affecting is the growing relationship between Russell and the uncle who took him in when his dad went to jail. Heartwarming yet full of gritty issues, this is a successful story for middle-grade readers who also like the works of Barbara O'Connor and Frances O'Roark Dowell." (Fiction. 9-12)

Write for Yourself

2010-09-15T12:26:00.001-07:00

Warning: This post is too long but I can't help it.

About 5 years ago, I watched a PBS "American Experience" episode about a man named Vivien Thomas. Thomas was an African-American man working as a surgical tech at Vanderbilt and then at Johns Hopkins who developed a procedure used to treat a fatal heart condition in children called "Blue Baby Syndrome". Having planned on going to college, Vivien Thomas lost his savings with a bank failure during the Depression. Instead, this brilliant man was self-taught through his work in the lab and his voracious appetite for books and research. Enduring poverty and overt and ever-present racism, Thomas did not get the recognition he deserved until later in his life. He became a cardiac surgery pioneer, and trained some of the world's most renowned surgeons.

After watching this story, I felt sure that I was supposed to write a biography for middle schoolers on the life of Vivien Thomas. So without any knowledge of how to write a biography, and with no idea if any publisher would even be interested, I took on the project. To this day, I think that the driving force was gratitude. Our youngest son was born with congenital heart defects and I remember some scary early days with him. But I knew that help-- real help, was only a visit away in Iowa City or Rochester. As I read the stories of how utterly helpless parents of blue babies felt, watching their babies and toddlers gasp for breath, faint, and even die in their arms-- with no treatment available, and none on the horizon--the magnitude of what Vivien Thomas actually did hit me. He saved countless babies and toddlers destined to die and he trained generations of doctors who would go on to tackle even more mysteries of the heart.

So I started researching the story. I traveled to Baltimore to interview doctors who had known him well. I had coffee in the apartment of a sweet old soul who worked side-by-side with Dr. Thomas in the lab. I read scores of articles in the Johns Hopkins medical library, and asked his son-in-law as many questions as time would allow. I studied Dr. Thomas' autobiography, which was technical and under-stated and at many times, WAY over my head. I wrote. I rewrote. I tried very hard to communicate to middle schoolers what Dr. Thomas was up against during the time of Jim Crow, and beyond. I tried to tell his story truthfully, without embellishment or edge-smoothing. We're all complicated on the inside, and Vivien Thomas was no different.

Today, the manuscript sits in a small rubbermaid tub completed. The feedback on it has not been what I'd hoped, and it looks like it will remain with me. That's a edge-smoothing way of saying it was rejected. However, having some distance from it these last couple years, I can honestly say I would do it all over again even knowing the outcome. I would invest the time, energy and money into writing his story. It was an honor and a privilege to get to know a man I so admire, and to talk to others who were inspired and moved by his story. I learned some big things as I wrote, too, about the mechanics of the heart, along with the tenacity and sacrifice of the spirit.

A good friend of mine has a quote on her blog today that I must share because it's what prompted me to write this post:

“My suggestion is that you start with the love and then work very hard and try to let go of the results. Cast out your will, and then cut the line. Please try, also, not to go totally freaking insane in the process. Insanity is a very tempting path for artists, but we don’t need any more of that in the world at the moment, so please resist your call to insanity. We need more creation, not more destruction. We need our artists more than ever, and we need them to be stable, steadfast, honorable and brave – they are our soldiers, our hope. If you decide to write, then you must do it, as Balzac said, “like a miner buried under a fallen roof.” Become a knight, a force of diligence and faith. I don’t know how else to do it except that way. As the great poet Jack Gilbert said once to young writer, when she asked him for advice about her own poems: “Do you have the courage to bring forth this work? The treasures that are hidden inside you are hoping you will say YES.”

– Elizabeth Gilbert, “Some Thoughts on Writing” (via theuproar)

Happy 300th book, Jane Yolen!

2010-09-14T07:49:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's true. The prolific and legendary children's book author Jane Yolen, will have her 300th book be published next month. "Switching On the Moon" is the latest--may be the #299th? Isn't that incredible??

Slush Pile

2010-09-10T06:13:00.000-07:00

For the writers out there, you know all about the slush pile. For anyone unfamiliar, the slush pile describes the home for unsolicited manuscripts at a publishing house. The author sends a manuscript to a publisher, and it becomes friends with all the other manuscripts in a ginormous (gianormous? gynormous?) stack that the editor(s) will eventually and hopefully sift through. With electronic submissions, the slush pile is otherwise known as the inbox.

John Cusick is an agent and the newly published author of a fascinating, mind-bending, heart-touching book "Girl Parts" (Candlewick Press). He works with Scott Treimel, who is my agent, and he recently posted his thoughts about the slush pile. I hope this encourages every writer as it did me. Having been once been rescued from the slush pile, I have a deep gratitude for editors and agents like Scott and John.

http://armchairshotgun.wordpress.com/2010/09/07/in-defense-of-the-slush-pile/

Writers Make Books

2010-09-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hats off to the authors of a blog I follow at http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com. Educators Ruth Ayres and Stacey Shubitz have created a huge resource for teachers, parents, and all who have a passion for developing young writers and readers. But the application goes beyond the classroom. Take this clip for example. Here, Ruth Ayres is presenting a simple lesson to kindergartners, "Writers Make Books". If you get a minute, and you're interested in either writing for children, or helping children become writers, watch it. Listen to the kindergartners draw in their breath with excitement, and burst into applause, and shout out their own ideas for the books they're going to create after seeing the examples. Kindergartners don't worry about sales, reviews, if the idea's been done before, if the idea is too "out there", etc. etc. With their own positive experiences with stories, they're able to take on their blank book, grab their pencils and crayons and let their imagination flow. I love the gutsiness of young children when it comes to creating.

Ruth and Stacey also have a new book coming out in October..."Day by Day: Refining Writing Workshop Through 180 Days of Reflective Practice". Yep, just pre-ordered it!

Little Bunny

2010-09-02T15:38:00.000-07:00

Happy pub date, Little Bunny!

Reviews

2010-08-31T13:44:00.001-07:00

Amazon reviews can be terrifying, particularly the ones written by kids, which may be coming with "The PS Brothers". Kind of like getting your body parts rated in front of a really big crowd. Okay, that's exaggerating, but still.

Here's one example of what I'm talking about. The book is "A Chair For My Mother". I saved the review because it was something else, particularly the last line. I happen to adore this wonderful, touching, timeless book in every way. Award-givers did, too.

This review is from: A Chair for My Mother 25th Anniversary Edition (Reading Rainbow Book) (Paperback)

Where's the father in this story? With all the unfortunate divorcing going on in this world, I plan to inundate my child with stories about happy families with both a mom and a dad. If it doesn't work out for him when he grows up and gets married, at least I can say I tried my best. I'm tired of forcing the feminist agenda on our kids. They need to know that not having a GOOD husband/father at home is not a good thing. Also, I thought the book was boring and the chair was ugly.

New Art

2010-08-26T05:28:00.000-07:00

Just ordered this print from Lauren Castillo, the illustrator of our new picture book, "Happy Like Soccer". I am now happy like new-art-on-my-wall.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LaurenCastillo

Author Shout-Out

2010-08-24T13:02:00.001-07:00

I've recently discovered the work of Sherman Alexie, having read "The Diary of a Part-Time Indian" (young adult fiction), and "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" (young adult short stories--how awesome is that title??). I've watched his interviews on Stephen Colbert, and have the movie "Smoke Signals", which he wrote, ordered on Netflix. He's a fascinating writer who grew up on an indian reservation in Spokane, Washington. His work seems very much reflective of all he saw, heard and experienced on the reservation, and he crafts brilliant, wise stories around who he is, and where he came from, with a degree of honesty that challenges me to no end. Plus, he has a wicked sense of humor. I'd drive a long way to hear him speak and want to keep reading his work.

On another note, "Those Shoes" was included in a reading textbook produced by National Geographic. It was interesting to see how this story was taken apart and used in a teaching context for primary grade students.

Happy first days of school, kids, teachers and parents! Have a great year!

Quote

2010-08-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

"Man is a shaper, a maker... he repeats his vision in a song, a picture, a stone jar, and by this art makes our lives memorable and provides a stay against confusion."

James Hearst, Poet

Summer in Two Snapshots

2010-08-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

It is August, and as I write the locusts buzz. It's a sound that's always made me feel sad around the edges as it hints, no announces in a really persistent, annoying way that frost is not far off. Six weeks, according to the locusts. But looking back through scads of photos from the summer and taking stock of what has transpired, I'm so very thankful for both the big moments and little moments that have taken place inside and outside our family. A highlight was watching our son slip a ringer on his lovely wife's hand, and her do the same, promising forever. Unforgettable. And a few weeks ago, another highlight. All seven of us stood in the waters of Multnomah Falls in Portland, Oregon, on a family trip that included incredible hikes, breathtaking scenery on the Oregon Coast, and what seemed like a million miles, most of which Darwin drove. We cooked. We talked. We had so much fun. There were times on this trip when I couldn't even express what I was feeling. Ever had your heart that full?

Pondering

2010-07-09T16:27:00.000-07:00

"Souls are like athletes, that need opponents worthy of them, if they are to be tried and extended and pushed to the full use of their powers, and rewarded according to their capacity."

Thomas Merton

New Writing Partner

2010-07-08T12:15:00.001-07:00

We are dog-sitting our friends' dog, Miles, for the next 10 days. Miles decided he'd like to sit on my lap while I write today. I'm hoping he gives me some help on the latest projects in exchange for a good place to sit.

Eloise Wilkin

2010-07-06T17:30:00.000-07:00

I have always loved Eloise Wilkin's illustrations for Golden Books. I enjoyed a little respite today looking through her books and remembering many of them, both from my own childhood and when our kids were little. They're so very sweet, and while their realistic preciousness may not appeal to everyone, they hold a unique place in children's literature.

Here's a brief bio of Eloise Wilkin...

Eloise Wilkin was born Eloise Burns on March 30, 1904 in Rochester, New York. Her career, covering more than fifty years, involved free-lance drawing, doll designing, illustration and writing.

Wilkin won several awards for her writings and illustrations including the Ewald Eisenhardt Memorial Merit Award for excellence in printmaking for her lithograph "Lilybet." Two books which she illustrated, The Boy With a Drum (1971) by David L. Harrison and I Hear: Sounds In a Child's World (1971) by Lucille Ogle and Tina Thoburn, were each named children's book of the year by the Child Study Association of America. She also received honorable mention in l940 from the New York Times Book Review for her illustrations for A Good House for a Mouse written by Irmengarde Eberle, 1940, and in 1950 for The Tune is in the Tree written by Maud Hart Lovelace.

Eloise Wilkin was also known for designing dolls and doll houses. In the 1960s she successfully marketed a new-born infant doll called "Baby Dear." Reportedly, former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev returned home with several of the dolls after a trip to a toy store in New York City.

While studying art at Mechanics Institute (now Rochester Institute of Technology), Wilkin met Joan Esley, best known as an illustrator of several books for adolescents. They formed a lifelong friendship that included collaboration on The Visit. Eloise Wilkin died October 4, 1987 in Rochester, New York.

Source: Contemporary Authors, Volume 124, pp. 478-479.

How about this little tidbit I found on another site:

Little is know of her early life but she was fortunate to have had a mother who seemed to be a free spirit and encouraged her children to enjoy their creative gifts. One day she allowed them to draw all over one wall in their house just before redecorating.

Write What You Know

2010-07-01T11:19:00.000-07:00

“If you take it in its deepest meaning, ‘write about what you know’ means write from your heart, from your own real being, your own thoughts and emotions…If you don’t know who you are and what you know, if you haven’t worked to find out what you yourself truly feel and think, then your work will probably be imitation work, borrowed from other writers.”

Ursula K. Le Guin

The photo has nothing to do with the quote but this month we're heading out on a big family vacation, big kids, spouses and all, and I found this peaceful van shot of our three kids as we headed home from Niagra Falls years ago. This was before being stuck in rush hour traffic in Chicago, with no supper, and 10 days of travel under our belt, and us paying Hanna mile by mile to keep singing "Don't Worry, Be Happy" because it kept Will from crying. Ahhh...vacation!

Book Recommendation

2010-06-29T06:57:00.001-07:00

Worked 12 straight hours on a new book yesterday then thought about it all night after waaaaaay too much caffeine. As a reward I'm purchasing this book (makes sense, doesn't it?), which is quite possibly the most marvelous early reader/chapter book I've read in years. Whether you're a 5-8 year old girl who is in love with horses, or you're a children's book writer who has wanted-a-horse-her-whole-life-but-has-had-to-settle-for-other-pets-which-are-wonderful-too-but-not-the-same, you will love it. This is book one in the series. Marvelous job, Erica Silverman!

Authentic Dialogue

2010-06-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

No posts for 2 weeks, then 2 posts in one day. Sorry for the blogging rule-breaking! I'm always on the hunt for authentic dialogue-- in books, movies, out and about as I eavesdrop on conversations on occasions. Okay, lots of eavesdropping, particularly when it involves conversations between little kids.

Yesterday, a friend sent me a video from an NPR feature called Story Corps. The video is 4 minutes, and it records a conversation between a mother and her 12 year old son who has Asberger's Syndrome, a form of autism. Their interaction is beautiful, touching and very real, even though his questions are full of tangents. Real dialogue can be that way when two people love each other, can't it? Lots to learn in this conversation beyond a writing lesson...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126513865&sc=emaf

Old friends, Buzz and Woody

2010-06-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'm heading off to see Toy Story 3 with a gaggle of kids. I think I'm more excited then they are since the Toy Story movies are in that rare category of "never get sick of them" movies. The list is short...Raising Arizona, The Sound of Music, Beauty and the Beast, While You Were Sleeping, The Little Princess and Toy Story, 1,2, and hopefully 3! There are plenty of other more "important" movies that I appreciate- such as the well-acted, very well-written Crazy Heart we just saw and dissected, but I wouldn't choose Jeff Bridges on a bender when I'm home sick with the flu. You know what kind of movie I'm talking about. Part guilty pleasure/part all-is-right-with-the-world?

"If you have two pennies, buy bread with one, and a lily with the other" Chinese Proverb

2010-06-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

I found out a few days ago that The PS Brothers is a Junior Library Guild selection. According to their website (www.juniorlibraryguild.com) "The Junior Library Guild is a literary review and selection service for children's and young-adult books serving schools and public libraries, established in 1929, and used by more than 17,000 librarians today."

Cheery news, according to my editor and agent.

***

I was introduced to the Etsy website by a talented artist friend of mine (http://liberateblog.tumblr.com) who is currently creating items to sell on this site. For those of you unfamiliar, Etsy is an "Ebay for artisans". This website provides artists a forum to sell handmade items, vintage items and craft supplies. I've heard that some people spend many, many hours perusing it when they should be doing other things that may be more important, but not as good for their soul. Not me, of course.

How adorable is this crocheted mouse and cookie? I may need this. It's a business expense, right?

If you do feel like taking a break in your busy day to gaze at beautiful artwork, check out children's book illustrator, Lauren Castillo's art on the Etsy website. http://www.etsy.com/shop/LaurenCastillo

Some of her prints choke me up... not sure what that's about, but an editor from my past liked to use the word "evocative". That's a perfect description for Lauren's art... it's evocative. The big decision will be choosing which prints I'll purchase. Lauren, by the way, is the illustrator for an upcoming book, "Soccer Dreams".

Book Signings

2010-05-27T04:39:00.000-07:00

How I can relate!

Favorites

2010-05-15T15:00:00.001-07:00

To cap off the celebration of Children's Book Week, I'm curious what everyone's favorite books was as a child? Mine was...

The Dragon In The Clock Box by M. Jean Craig

On another note... it's a two week countdown until our oldest son, Adam and his fiance, Janelle get married! Let the festivities begin!

Quote Of The Month

2010-05-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

Two posts in one day... I met with a friend a few weeks ago who shared a story from a conference she attended. The speaker talked about a surgery that corrected club feet in children in third world countries. Before being educated about this particular birth defect, most mid-wives said that that they had not seen it before in the babies they had delivered. The mid-wives were then taught more about club feet, and about the surgical correction. A year or so later, most reported that they had seen evidence of club feet in the field. The speaker then said, "The eye sees what it knows."

I have been simmering on this quote since my friend told the story. "The eye sees what it knows" has real application to faith, to writing, to raising children, to interactions with others, to appreciating beauty, to creating a legacy, to writing a wrong. To everything, pretty much. What is it that we KNOW? How does that shape the way we SEE? How can the hard or even traumatic things we know about, that we wish we didn't, be seen and used for good?

Babies

2010-05-10T07:49:00.000-07:00

The family and I went to see "Babies" this weekend in Iowa City, and it was the most riveting, inspirational, beautiful movie I've ever seen. What really struck me was the intimacy of this movie, and all the little moments that made you hold your breath, laugh, feel your heart nearly burst out of your chest (not sure Darwin and Will would describe it the same way) as you watched the babies explore their unique environments, face challenges, interact with their families, and grow and develop. It was so interesting to read the interviews with the parents and their reactions when they watched the finished movie. Despite such different cultures, I think this movie drove home the universality of LOVE. What a gift it was!

Feedback Time

2010-04-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

Starting today, I'm reading "The PS Brothers" to a class of 5th graders at our local elementary school for a half hour each day until we finish. I'm feeling vulnerable about this, truth be told, but excited to hear their thoughts, get their feedback, figure out what they do or don't like or understand. Their teacher is a dog-person, Rottweilers in particular, so that's definitely a bonus.

Sleeping Bootsie/Little Bunny

2010-04-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

I love finding out who the art director has chosen to illustrate a new book. For my Step Into Reading book from Random House, "Sleeping Bootsie", it will be artist Patricia Cantor. Checking out her website, she looks like a wonderful fit for this manuscript. http://www.patriciacantor.com/Childrens_Illustrations.htm.

In other news, a new Little Bunny board book will be released this September! Originally written in English, but published only in Germany for a company that has partnered with Albert Whitman & Company, "Sweet Dreams, Little Bunny" is geared to the baby/toddler market. It was fun to tweak this manuscript and revisit my old friend, Little Bunny.

Follow My Leader

2010-04-15T04:01:00.000-07:00

A hundred years ago, or when I was in 4th,5th and 6th grade, "Follow My Leader" by James Garfield was one of my favorite books. I found it on Amazon last week, and last night, read the first 18 pages. More like studied the first 18 pages, trying to figure out why I loved it, and how, after being published in 1957, it is STILL IN PRINT. And not only that, the Amazon Sales Ranking is around 50,000. For a 53 year old middle grade novel!

Okay, back to the first 18 pages. Here's what happens.
1) It opens with a group of 11-12 year old boys arguing about the baseball game they're playing at a local park. A perfect way to set up characterization, right off the "bat". We learn that Jimmy has his sites set on becoming a pro baseball player, and we learned that his dad died a few years back. We also learn that Mike is impulsive.

2) It's the 5th of July, and one of the boys finds an unlit, over-sized firecracker with a short fuse. Mike wants to light it. The other boys think it's a bad idea.

3) Mike lights the firecracker, Jimmy shouts at him, causing Mike to turn toward Jimmy's voice and launch the firecracker at him, where it explodes close to Jimmy's face.

4) Jimmy's face is burnt and he loses consciousness. He's rushed to the hospital, and his head is wrapped in bandages for several days. When the bandages are removed, we learn that Jimmy is blind.

5)By page 18, Jimmy is leaving the hospital. Hating Mike, angry about being blind, and believing that his life is essentially over.

6) That was Chapter One.

Big stuff needs to happen in books. Otherwise known as "tension". That's what I'm taking away from the first 18 pages of Follow My Leader.

One day later

2010-04-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

They arrived!

Wait a Minute, Mr. Postman

2010-04-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

I am stalking the Fed Ex and UPS drivers, waiting for them to deliver the advanced readers copies of "THE PS. BROTHERS". A few days ago, a box awaited me by our front door. Ah, the books!

Here's what was inside...(the container, not the sugar. Ordered online.)

Then today, I came home, and there was another box waiting by the front door. The books!

But alas, here's what I found...Will's lemon "tree" he ordered from Michigan bulb. The boy has a green thumb, for sure, and everything he plants and nurtures thrives. The weirder, the better, too. His latest acquisition is a horrible thing called a "voodoo plant".

So while the mail comes and goes, and the UPS truck rumbles right past my house, (seemingly gleeful, I might add)... I wait.

Treadmill Desk, Part 2

2010-04-02T12:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, more on this amazing contraption (amazing because I haven't actually built or used it yet)...

http://www.treadmill-desk.com/

And for those of you interested in the $39.00 treadmill desk instead... here are the plans, along with a video:

http://www.treadmill-desk.com/2007/12/49-treadmill-desk.html

I'll let you know how it goes once it's in action. Happy Easter, everyone!

Writing+Exercise=Win/Win

2010-03-30T07:26:00.000-07:00

Just got done with a long period of writing... weeks, really, with my rear in a chair and not nearly enough exercise. Today, I came across a young adult author named Arthur Slade, and his genius invention to combine writing with exercise. Got pretty darn excited about his idea! Would it work??? I have a treadmill, a laptop, and a dozen projects needing my attention.... Hmmm...

http://blip.tv/file/1734273

Sugar Grove Elementary

2010-03-27T16:12:00.000-07:00

Just back from a visit to Sugar Grove Elementary, outside of Indianapolis. Wow, what an amazing trip! If ever you want to be encouraged and excited about what's happening in education, take a road trip to Sugar Grove. It is ALIVE with creative, inspiring educators with high expectations. The kids are steeped in literature-based experiences...you see the evidence in the writing and work in the hallways, but also in the questions they asked about my books, and about writing in general. It's so refreshing to walk into a school and "feel" such a great vibe! Sugar Grove is one of Indiana's four star schools, and after talking to over 600 students, meeting the enthusiastic staff, and working with their outstanding literacy coach, Marcy Buergler-- it's easy to see why.
One of the teachers commented that it's important for students to see that authors are "real people", not just names on the book covers. I've been thinking about that. It's also important for ME to see that the audience reading my books are "real kids", too. I need to hear what makes them laugh. I need to hear how they're processing themes in my books. I need to know what they don't understand or what makes them yawn. Too often, this business becomes too much about reviews, sales numbers, and Amazon rankings. It's cliche to even write that, but it's true. This visit restored me, plain and simple... and helped me connect what I'm writing, with who is reading.

PS: Though our UNI Panthers got knocked out of the NCAA Sweet 16, we had another team to cheer for this afternoon... the Butler Bulldogs out of Indianapolis. They just beat Kansas State this afternoon... GO BULLDOGS!

Korea Author Visit

2010-03-01T17:59:00.001-08:00

Remember Kip's song in Napolean Dynamite? "I love technology, but not as much as you, you see."
I do love technology. I especially love it when I can sit at my kitchen table and Skype with 5th grade students in an international school in Korea. Tonight, that's what happened. Their teacher, Miss Kim, used "Those Shoes" in her classroom, and inquired about a Skype visit. We made the arrangements, and it worked so well! The kids asked thoughtful questions about writing, the revision process and new books coming out. They wiggled, laughed, and interacted like I was there in front of them. Because I was at home, I could show the kids our extremely obese cat, hoisting her up on my lap and Dixie got in on the action, too. What a fun visit!

Lesson Plans

2010-02-10T13:04:00.000-08:00

For all you teachers out there, there are some very creative, clever lesson plans worked up by Suzy Red at Kids' Wings Creative Educational Associates at http://kidswings.com for both "THOSE SHOES" and "BEFORE YOU WERE MINE". Suzy graciously sent them to me today, and I was impressed!

Bunnies

2010-01-30T11:24:00.000-08:00

"It is the first duty of a flagging spirit to seek renewal in the latitudes of whimsy. I, for one, dream on beyond the five planets to a world without wickedness; verdant, mild, and populated by amiable lapins".

-Benjamin Franklin, letter to his nephew, 1771.

(Like this quote...author Rosemary Wells was inspired by it, too... thus her books about visiting the bunny planet, where everything is as it should be.)

Sneak Peek!

2010-01-20T08:02:00.000-08:00

Here's a preview of my new middle grade book, coming out in August. A few weeks ago, our oldest son Adam told me I was "excitable". If my heart-pounding, giddy reaction to receiving this long-awaited cover and the forthcoming book is any indication, I agree. The illustrator for the fun cover is Lawrence Burns (www.lhburns.com), and the target audience for "The P.S. Brothers" is 9-12 year old boys who don't necessarily like to read and crave action in a story. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Beverly Cleary Quote...the adoration continues

2010-01-12T11:36:00.001-08:00

As rain beat against the windows, a feeling of peace came over me as I wrote far beyond the required length of the essay. I had discovered the pleasure of writing, and to this day, whenever it rains, I feel the urge to write. Most of my books are written in winter. -- A Girl from Yamhill (Beverly Cleary)

Epiphany

2010-01-05T07:13:00.000-08:00

I had a writing epiphany. For weeks, I've been looking forward to the schedule returning to normal, and for some serious writing time devoted to a new middle grade novel. Monday finally came and I had a quiet house, my laptop, a mug of tea and a comfy couch and ottoman, along with a lot of good intention. Should have been ideal, right? Wrong. I tried everything. More caffeine. More pep talking. More walking around between sentences. Then I decided a change of scenery was worth a try....I switched from comfy couch to a tiny, circa 1976 particle board, too-small, desk and chair in a guest bedroom. And there, I found it. I sat up straight. I got down to business. I wrote. I also woke up, and I learned something about comfort and its lure being traps in more ways than one. So now it's Day Two. I stuck my tongue out at the couch this morning and returned to the Catholic convent desk and chair that is "just enough". I am curious, though, about people reading this. Where and under what conditions are you most productive? Most focused? Most engaged?

Catching Up, Dusting Off

2009-12-06T08:25:00.000-08:00

Oh, dear blog! October 29th was my last entry! I hope this day finds everyone tucked in in the midst of winter kick-off. I love winter, actually, and find it to be the best writing season of all. Very few distractions, quietness, and no chores outside, particularly in January, when I hole up like a bear. Let's see.. here is just a peek of these last five weeks.

1) Finished the very, very last edit for the middle grade manuscript, "The P.S. Brothers", due out next fall from Houghton Mifflin/Harcourt. Great editor who went over this manuscript so carefully and meticulously, but yet with such a creative touch. I felt like we ran a marathon together by the time it was good to go. Now, it's finger crossing time as we wait for publication and early reviews.

2) School visits in Missouri were wonderful, and I got to try out some new tricks to keep kids engaged and learning. I keep stopping short of bringing along my laptop, and rely instead on a lot of hands-on props. Can I trust the technology of a school's projector system? I watched an illustrator with a gym full of students, have a technology struggle, and while the kids wiggled (one threw up actually, since it was flu season) the illustrator and the teachers worked to get her program up and running. Made me shudder, although when it finally launched, it was a captivating talk.

3) Poured out my heart and soul in a picture book manuscript entitled "Heaven". No idea if it will sell, but absolutely, positively had to write it or I would have burst. Wrote another picture book manuscript that I thought was funny. My mom agreed, my agent did not. : )

4) Did my first "Skype" author visit with a school in Wisconsin. This was so interesting! I sat in my kitchen, laptop on the table, and my books all around, and visited with 4th grade students. One by one, they asked their questions, and though there were a few minor hiccups, it was a grand experience. At one point, I lifted up 80 pound Dixie so she could get in the picture, too, which didn't work so well. She kind of licked the screen. I have a feeling that this technology is on the fast track for improvement. Who knows what it will look like in a year? For now, it's an immediate, albeit limited way for authors and kids to connect.

5) Here's the biggest news of the last 5 weeks in the writing world.... I wrote an effusive, appreciative fan letter to Beverly Cleary, thanking her for her tremendous body of work, and telling her how it was her books that made me determine in second grade to be a children's book author. I told her if she lived in my community, I would bring her a pie and a bouquet of flowers. She wrote back a few weeks later, writing that "appreciation is even better than a pie or a bouquet." Her handwriting is faint, but lovely, at age 93. I plan in framing this letter, and will treasure it forever.

6) Read Laurie Halse Anderson's book "Speak" with the 14 year old girl I mentor through Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Man, what an incredible writer. We didn't just read this book, we studied it. Then, we watched the "Speak" movie together and had a good conversation. If you want to watch a movie that gets every tiny bit of dialogue exactly right, this is the one, and if you have a teen girl to watch it with, and discuss after, that's even better. For you Twilight fans, Kristen Stewart plays the main character and does an outstanding job.

7) "Yes" to Facebook, "no" to Twitter. I don't really get how Twitter works--and my life is not nearly interesting enough to post that frequently.

Have a peaceful, memorable week, everyone, and if I don't write before December 25th, the merriest Christmas to you all!

A Beautiful Poem

2009-10-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

Children's poet, and author of 50 books, Karla Kuskin, died August 20th, 2009 at the age of 77. My agent shared one of her poems with me today, and I thought it was absolutely beautiful... why is it so very touching?

What separates each one of us
from all the beasts and bugs and birds?
Well, they have feathers, fur, and wings
but we have words, and words, and words.

Roald Dahl's tips for writers

2009-10-07T08:12:00.001-07:00

Happy Fall, Everyone! I have a bushel of really good apples from the orchard, and a stack of books...perfect companions. Okay, so I love Roald Dahl, and I'm also just a teensy-weensy bit afraid of him, too, if that makes sense. (His photo has a slightly creepy feel, don't you think?) The guy (now dead) had a wicked, twisted streak, but he was a phenomenal, fully unique, often hilarious writer. Yesterday, I finished reading "The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar", which is a collection of his short stories. I believe they're geared for middle grade/young adults, but they lean toward young adults for sure, and in my case, middle aged adults. There is one true story and the rest are fiction, and the collection includes the story of his journey from a child in the meanest, cruelest boarding schools you can imagine-- a place where he was thought to have no writing talent whatsoever, to his first published story as a young man in the Saturday Evening Post and beyond, to his acclaim. In this same chapter, Dahl gives tips to those wanting to write for children... and I decided to include them in this blog, as they were very good.

1) You should have a lively imagination.

2) You should be able to write well. By that I mean you should be able to make a scene come alive in the reader's mind.

3) You must have stamina. In other words, you must be able to stick to what you are doing and never give up, for hour after hour, day after day, week after week, month after month.

4) You must be a perfectionist. That means you must never be satisfied with what you have written until you have rewritten in again and again, making it as good as you possibly can.

5) You must have strong self-discipline. You are working alone.

6) It helps if you have a keen sense of humor. This is not essential when writing for grown-ups, but for children- it's vital.

7) You must have a degree of humility. The writer who thinks that his work is marvelous is heading for trouble.

Got a favorite Roald Dahl book? I'm thinking "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", but I'm partial to "Matilda", too.

Sentences with Sticking Power

2009-09-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

How do some authors do it? Shape a few words into a sentence that pierces through the reader's mind, and stays put. For years, sometimes. Just read Laurie Halse Anderson's book, "Chains", and there is a scene where a young slave girl (set in 1770s) with a cruel "madam" for an owner, is branded on the cheek with the letter "I". This is to remind her of her "insolence", as her madam unfairly charges. After the branding, the girl, "Sal" walks to gather buckets of water each day. With her head down, and utterly ashamed, she approaches the well. An elderly, kind "grandfather" reaches out to her, kisses her cheek where she is branded, and says, "A scar is a sign of strength. The sign of a survivor." I got chills when I read that!

Another incredible book, "Out of the Dust" by Karen Hesse is about a young girl, Billie Joe, growing up in the Dust Bowl. After her father leaves a bucket of kerosene by the stove, her mother grabs it and pours some if it on the stove, thinking it is water. This causes the bucket to burst into flames. Billie Joe, trying to help, but unaware that her mother has turned to come back into the house, flings the burning kerosene outside, covering her mother with the flaming fuel. The mother, and the baby born soon after, dies. Billie Joe is racked with guilt and grief. Family and friends gather, and while they are cordial and respectful to Billie Joe, Karen Hesse writes this line, "Under their words, a finger pointed." I've carried that six word sentence in my head since.

On a lighter note, how about this one from Eloise Greenfield's marvelous little book, "Honey, I Love"... "Love don't mean all that kissing, like on television. Love means Daddy saying keep your mama company till I get back, and me doing it."

Or Ruth Kraus, in "Open House for Butterflies"... "A screaming song is good to know in case you need to scream."

What about you? Any unforgettable sentences you've got knocking around in your psyche?

Bad Guys

2009-09-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

Entering this world of middle grade fiction, I've found that bad guys, villains, etc. are so hard for me to develop as characters... what makes them tick, what motivates them, etc. I think it comes down to the adage of "write what you know". I know a lot of really great men, and the while I've met some seedy characters, too-- it's much harder to figure out what makes them tick, what motivates them, what draws them left of center. J.K. Rowling is the master at developing shadowy characters...not all bad necessarily, but full of little twists and turns, personality-wise.

August

2009-08-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

The locusts are buzzing. I noticed it about a week ago, and according to farmer lore, that means it's 6 weeks until first frost. Which means my tomatoes should freeze before they ever ripen. Like summer's curtain call, the sound of locusts fills me with a kind of pensiveness over what's behind... and a restlessness to get moving on what's ahead.

Ignoring the locusts, I do get energized by school supplies. New crayons. Colored spirals, pocket folders and those fat, pink erasers. We bought supplies for 5 kids today at three different schools, and man, it was fun! This sounds super corny but aren't those school supplies symbolic? Don't they hold promises and dreams, hard work and creativity? Who knows how many maps will be drawn with those colored pencils? What kind of stories will be written with those newly sharpened pencils? Oh, the way new crayons smell...(yes, I'm the weird lady in aisle 9 sniffing the crayons) I love a fresh notebook, a new black pen, a writing tablet. Thermoses are pretty cool, too, but we didn't need any of those today.

***

I've been working on mountain stories. It's a simple recipe, really... characters, setting, a goal, three attempts to reach the goal (picture a mountain range with three mountains) but running into problems, and a solution. It's not hard coming up with characters, setting, a goal, and even three attempts-- but the trick lies in making the solution satisfying to the child reading the story. Writing with this formula is good practice-- kind of like playing scales on the piano, or stretching before a run (should a person play the piano or run). They may not turn into books, but they help me focus on story structure, plotting, and pace.

***
Three other tidbits...

1) "Julie and Julia" is a wonderful movie...it's one you can even take your mother to, if she doesn't mind a few hilarious, yet mild zingers.

2) The Marengo Public Library (had a gig there last night) is one of the most beautiful libraries I've ever been in. It's a Carnegie library-- the town of Marengo was given $10,000 from Andrew Carnegie in 1903 to build a library. The town then committed $1,000 per year in support of the library as their part of the agreement. It's the smallest town in the U.S. to boast a Carnegie library, and the photos on their website don't do it justice. Brick, marble, oak, stained glass, and a reading room with leather furniture and fireplace. If you happen to pass through town, ask for a tour from the very hospitable and knowledgeable women who work there.

3) We visited a vintage clothing store in uptown Minneapolis last week. Will likes old t-shirts, bowling shirts, etc., so this is where he wanted to do his school clothes shopping. You know you're old when "vintage" means stuff YOU used to wear. I recognized the white patent leather boots, floral sleeveless shirts, embroidered chambray, izod polos, Gunne Sax dresses, etc.

Happy start to the school year, all you students, teachers and volunteers!

Finishing vs. Faithfulness

2009-08-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a sentence is read and it grabs hold of my thoughts for days. This is the jist of one I've been mulling over... "Life isn't always about finishing-- it's about faithfulness." I love finishing-- in fact, I love finishing so much that I avoid beginnings for fear that I won't be able to finish. Make sense? But the thought that faithfulness trumps finishing is so darn freeing! If faithfulness is required, then I'm free to take on, and continue on in seemingly "un-finishable" things... Faithfulness also means approaching life one day at a time-- another concept I'm working on. : )

Happy Anniversary!

2009-08-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday was our 26th anniversary...we kicked it off by an early morning 5 mile hike out at Hickory Hills State Park. The park seemed empty, and we decided to get off the beaten path and explore the side trails. At one point, the trail went uphill, with prairie on one side (in full-bloom) and dense woods on the other. We were totally alone, and the view was so pretty. Think Julie Andrews/Sound of Music but set in Iowa. So I started running ahead, throwing out my arms and singing, "The hills are alive..." while Darwin smiled and oh-so-subtley rolled his eyes. Just as we came over the hill, my heart still alive with the sound of music, we saw it. 20-30 BOWHUNTERS. Moose, bear, turkey targets set up all around us. Full camo. Mad faces. They started yelling at us to get off the trail-- one guy firmly escorted us, saying it was really dangerous to be out on the trails during a bowhunting event. I told him it was our anniversary and we had no idea that the park had been reserved. I also told him I appreciated him leading us out of harm's way-- after all, an arrow through the spleen might not be the best way to start a special anniversary day. We had a great laugh about the kinds of pickles we seem to always find ourselves in. It's been 26 years of them, and I wouldn't trade one!

Newsie News

2009-07-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

I've been eagerly awaiting for the name of the illustrator of my new picture book, "Soccer Dreams" with Candlewick Press. Today I also found out that the illustrator will be Lauren Castillo. Checking out her website, and the picture books she's done previously, I think she's a great fit. She has a cool way of depicting city life, and this story is set in the heart of a bustling city. Very expressive children and adults as well.

UPS stopped by today and dropped off copies of "Those Shoes" in DVD form, by Nutmeg Media. It was a fun project to work on... they like to have the author read the book, so I did that at a studio in Cedar Falls. Then they put the narration and the illustrations together, and included an "interview with the author" (just audio, along with images from the book) at the end. We recorded this past winter, and now it's available to schools and libraries.

On a totally different tangent... our family has never subscribed to cable TV beyond the most minimal channels (Catholic network, weather?) This has worked out peachy, but with Darwin home for the summer recuperating, we thought he needed to have full access to his beloved Cubs. So we have cable. And we now have this magical world of HGTV. And oh my gosh, what a total pull away from writing, even if it's in the evening only! My brain gets full with questions such as...Should I crush old pop and beer bottles into pieces and then incorporate them into my concrete kitchen countertop that I've yet to decide upon doing because it would have to weigh about a billion pounds? Why wouldn't we, you know, buy a fixer upper, do some cool things to it relatively effortlessly, then flip it? Which condo in Portugal will the artsy couple on "House Hunters" choose? So many projects, so many amazing things to try, and real people with the same clutter, space issues, weird layouts, tight budgets, etc. that we have. (At least some of the shows are this way... others are on opposite extreme.) Can you hear the vacuum drawing me in?? Because doing all things in moderation is a struggle for me, I honestly look forward to baseball season ending and prying off the grip this channel has on me at night. I've got a sequel to "The P.S. Brothers" to write, "The P.S. Brothers" to revise and writing projects for my "day job", too. The common theme is writing. Which I love. Which takes time. Which takes focus. Which means no HGTV.

Happy August to everyone!

The More Than Blustery Day

2009-07-13T13:40:00.000-07:00

A big storm hit Cedar Falls about 3:00 AM on Friday morning. Not a tornado, but something that created winds clocking in at 108 MPH, along with inches of rain and the steadiest, most showiest lightning we've ever seen. Trees down everywhere, and in a couple of neighborhoods, so much damage the streets were impassable. On the University of Northern Iowa campus, over 320 trees were down or damaged. We have friends who lost trees that were over 100 years old (they counted the rings). No one killed, and no one injured-- it's hard to believe with the extensiveness of the destruction. Our trees had little damage, but we were without electricity from Friday morning until 6:00 PM Sunday. It was strange. The first hours without power were shocking. What-- no internet? No lights? No microwave for nuking tea 15 times a day? Neighbors spilled out of their houses, and we did, too. We laughed in the driveway about mindlessly trying to flip on lights, throw in a load of laundry or turn on a radio. We compared supper notes-- peanut butter sandwiches, grilling something before it thawed in the defunct freezer, or grabbing a pizza? We hung around outside, went disc golfing, washed windows (that was my idea-not anyone else's), went for walks, and read. My sister and I went roller-blading, and the next day, toured a dairy farm where my little nephew got to milk a cow and feed a calf a giant bottle. When the house got dark, around 9:00, we went to bed just like old-timers. There was this tiny part of me that was disappointed when the power came back on, and life returned to normal. (Spoken like the person whose power just came on and is now typing happily on the computer!) The call of the computer, the radio, the tv, the air conditioning, etc. is powerfully distracting. I'm determined to unplug, at least occasionally, for the good of all of us-- without being forced to by a wild storm.

Inspiration

2009-07-01T13:46:00.000-07:00

My warm, gracious, creative aunt has written a book, and had it published at a local print shop in paperback form. I read it cover to cover the minute I had it in my hands, and it is a real treasure. It is written in essay form about her experiences growing up as the eldest on a scrappy Iowa farm with 7 siblings and a mother with M.S. This same family farm later became the home place for her and her husband as they raised 12 children (!) on a next-to-nothing income. I think what inspired me most was the sheer work the whole family, but particularly my aunt put in to raise all the kids. And somehow she managed to keep a cheerful, hospitable spirit! For years she had an enormous strawberry bed, and each day when they were ripe, she would pick between 100-120 quarts of strawberries to sell in town for 75 cents per quart. She also baked bread every morning at 4:00 AM for years... drove a school bus for years...lead Boy Scouts, 4-H, taught CCD (Catholic Education) for 30-some years, and canned everything that grew in the garden and patched everything that had a hole. My uncle and aunt's crowded bedroom had a bed for them in it--along with a big crib, a bassinet and a saggy-bottomed buggy for the little ones. My own "smaller" town family, with 6 kids and two parents, and equal scrappiness, often traveled to my aunt and uncle's farm for the day. It was a paradise for any kid. Chickens, ducks, cows, hay in the barn, old buildings to explore, a creek to swim in, a pond close by to fish in, and lots of cats to dress up. (How they hated that!) There was also a big, old mangy Collie named Nickle who you could practically ride he was so docile. My cousins were lean, adventurous kids and they always had great ideas. When we left, there was often a big tub of warm, just-picked strawberries on our laps and hand-me-down clothes passed between the families. So many happy memories on this farm with my cousins, but this book tells more of the story behind the story. Hard times when kids were sick, injuries happened, money was next to nothing, and resources were few. But still, there was a faithful, hopeful perseverence. There was always music in this home... it seemed everyone played an instrument and/or sang. There was art. And with my aunt, there was always her writing. She has written a newspaper/newsletter of sorts every month for years and years, and those, too, are touching, funny and informative. I soak up each word every month.

So the day I read this book, I was inspired to hang sheets and towels out on the clothesline, weed the garden, and bake some bread. That lasted one day. : ) But reading her book also inspired me to get back in the saddle and start writing. After a month off hunkering down for Darwin's surgery, I found it nearly impossible to put thoughts to paper, much less entertain ideas for kids. Tumbleweeds blew about in my brain. When this block has happened in the past, I've identified with Emily Dickinson who was sure that every poem she wrote was surely her last creative thought. It wasn't true, but at the time, I'm positive it felt very true.

There's a lot to be grateful for... so many people to be thankful for...and somewhere in the shadows, I do trust that a story waits. My aunt is 80 years old, and while she's an author now-- what matters most is the life she lived... a life that was so worth writing about.

Why I love kids...

2009-06-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

I've watched this video about 15 times. Okay, maybe more. Something about this kid just does my heart so good... It's a YouTube video, from a Sioux City, IA reporter's "blooper reels". The reporter is interviewing "Adam" about the basketball event that's going on... and asks him, "what's your favorite part?" What Adam hears, however, is "what's your favorite park?" His description of the park he loves, and the swings that go really high is so great. We've been quoting, "I like it. I just really like it."

Enjoy this little guy, and his 100% enthusiasm for life, for swings, and for basketball!

Friday Chat

2009-05-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

The days have been spinning by fast! And a lot has happened...here's an unorganized list of highlights...

1) Adam (eldest son) is now engaged! We're very excited about this, as are the happy couple. : )

2)"Those Shoes" just came out in paperback. I received a box of copies from the publisher already, and they hit the shelves June 9th. I'm always relieved when a picture book comes out in paperback... much more affordable for the average parent, even if not quite as durable. The DVD should be arriving soon, too.

3)Waiting to receive an editing letter regarding the middle grade manuscript, "The P.S. Brothers". I'm eager to get to work on this, and it will most likely be one of two major summer projects. "Sleeping Bootsie's" editing letter should be gracing the mailbox soon as well.

4)Saw Playhouse Disney's "Dan Zanes" in concert last weekend, with family and lots of very enthusiastic children mostly under the age of 6 or so. The concert was supposed to be outside, but because of rain, got quickly moved indoors into a to0-small space. Dan Zanes and Friends played ukuleles, danced around as best they could, started a conga line train of children, and put on an energetic show for a wiggly, loud, happy audience, in a steamy, small lobby. Go, Dan Zanes!

5)Because of a myriad of happenings at home, I sequestered myself in this tiny, window-less room at our local library to write this week. It's effective, although kind of painful to sit in a straight chair, in a closet of sorts with brown walls, and nothing interesting to look at. But it works for me, given our houseful right now, and lots of writing assignments. The room must not hold much appeal for the public, as it seems to be always available. Fancy that. I read that Christopher Paul Curtis wrote "The Watsons Go to Birmingham" in his own local library...maybe there's something to it?

6) This weekend holds a graduation reception, a funeral, a fund-raising gathering, and another concert..and all the edges full in between. Next Thursday, we head to Rochester for appointments. When I walk in the morning, I process and try to surrender to the "beautiful mess" that we find ourselves in. The walks are getting longer. : )

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Clifford the much-loved dog

2009-05-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

So I have this stuffed Clifford dog that I use as a little prop with preschoolers and kindergartners when I go on school visits. Our cat, Karmen, as I might have mentioned previously, drags socks all over the house, in a type of kitten fantasy. Every day, she heads to the laundry room and pulls socks out of the baskets, meowing and carrying on as she moves her sock kitties from room to room. If there are no socks, a dish cloth will do. No dish cloths? A dryer sheet or a pair of underwear will work in a pinch, too. Anyway, for some unknown reason, the new kitty obsession is Clifford. She'll search through my school visit supplies to find him and then will cuddle (nurse????) Clifford, and drag him throughout the house. If we take Clifford away, she'll go on the hunt again, meowing and "calling" for the big red dog to come back to the barn for his nuturing.

So I've given in... Clifford, the big red dog now belongs to Karmen, the strange fat cat.
***
We have a fun, busy weekend ahead... kids home, multiple graduation receptions, including my wonderful nephew Sam's. My sister is here from Phoenix, and we have a picnic and an outdoor Dan Zanes concert (a peppier version of Raffi for this generation) in Iowa City with my 4 year old nephew. Lots of food and festivities... Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend, everyone.

What To Do With Bullies

2009-05-16T04:16:00.000-07:00

I'm always on the lookout for books and movies that will help kids deal with bullying. They're rare, and for good reason. As a writer, it's tough to figure out how to handle a character who is a bully, because in real life, it's hard to figure out how to handle a bully! Some of the most common advice to "just ignore" or "tell a grown-up" often doesn't work. I've heard parents give kids advice to "fight back", which also doesn't work and may just escalate the aggression. There's also the thought that a kid could trying "being nice" to the bully, which may make him/her soften and feel some compassion. I've never been fully satisfied with any of the advice, so though I've had an editor ask me directly for a book on bullying, I've not been able to deliver. Recently, there's been one movie that I thought did the best job at exploring the world and the back story of a bully-- "Son of Rambow". The weirdest title ever, but my brother recommended it, and we decided to give it a chance. What a great movie-- poignant, hilarious, and the bullying aspect of the story was handled unusually masterfully. I kept interrupting the movie, and replaying some of the dialogue, exclaiming, "They got it right!" (I can be an obnoxious movie watcher!) Then yesterday, I received a copy of Jill Esbaum's new picture book, "Stanza" in the mail. Written in clever, spot-on rhyme, Jill humorously writes about a bully dog named Stanza who, along with his tough-dog brothers, terrorizes a neighborhood. Stanza, however, has a burning passion for writing poetry, which his brothers don't know about. He enters a poetry contest on the sly, and the rest... well, you'll have to read it. A particularly satisfying, uplifting ending, too. I'm curious if any of you have come up with a working plan for dealing with a bully? Can you share?

THE BOSS

2009-05-13T03:45:00.000-07:00

My brother and sister in law, John and Teresa Condon, gave us tickets to see Bruce Springsteen. Our tickets were amazing, and though we tried to convince them to trade ours for their nosebleed section tickets, these generous folks would hear none of it. Bruce put on an almost three hour show that delivered incredible music in the spirit of a tent revival, political rally, motivational hoo-rah, pep rally, and let's see, the kind of class reunion a person would actually WANT to attend! It was so fun, so good for the soul... We went to a Bruce concert 23 years ago (!!), and expected him to have mellowed, but we sure didn't see that Monday night. If you saw him play at this year's Superbowl, picture that same type of energy for three hours. The crowd was age-diverse, too. We had a nine year old boy next to us, and an 80 year old couple ahead of us, and everything in between.
What a night...what a concert...what a memory! THANKS, John and Teresa
Today it's back to reality with revising a story about a town goat and mountain goat, and all their escapades. I wonder what "The Boss" is doing today? Paying bills, cleaning the garage? Nah...

Beautiful Mess

2009-05-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

I follow and really enjoy Iowa author Jill Esbaum's blog, and she writes a cool synopsis each week called "Friday Five". Because I could write a novel about all that has transpired in the last week or so, and will happen in the next weeks ahead, I think it would be better if I "Friday Five-ed" it, instead.

1) We spent a couple days at Mayo Clinic...we learned that Darwin will be facing a major surgery and a more major recovery.
2) I sold a book to Random House--"Sleeping Bootsie", an early reader.
3) Oldest son moved home, after his house was broken into twice in a matter of days.
4) We were given incredible tickets to see our favorite rocker, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN in St. Paul next Monday night.
5) I learned that my picture book, "Those Shoes" will be sold in all Target stores.

I'm reading the book, "This Beautiful Mess", by Rick McKinley, which illustrates and illuminates the tension we so often feel in this shadow and light world...and where we can find hope. It's an encouraging read, and the picture of life being a "beautiful mess" seems really fitting right now.

I tried to write all week, but creativity was non-existent. Here's the lame masterpiece I came up with after a few hours of staring at the screen (we're still laughing about this...)

Mim and Mac were friends.
Let's build a fort," said Mim.
"Okay," said Mac.

Aren't you dying to know what happens to Mim and Mac and their fort building? Yeesh...
****
On another note, for all you moms out there, Happy Mother's Day! Need an idea of something to get your own mom? How about the children's book, Hazel's Amazing Mother by Rosemary Wells? It's funny, touching and droll, and your mom may be tickled!

Happy May Day!

2009-05-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

I love May Day... The dixie cups, the construction paper hangers, the pipe cleaners, the popcorn that spills all over the car when you're out delivering, the chasing and kissing when you catch someone on your doorstep. It's just a fun holiday. But with our kids mostly grown, May Day has become well...quieter. This morning, in the middle of writing, I heard a light knock on the door. There were three little May baskets, and a gaggle of preschoolers from the home day care across the street. How sweet! But what could I give them. A box of raisins? A low-fat granola bar? Never! A quick trip to the store for candy, cups,stickers, etc to fill 9 May baskets ensued. Then we ran them across the street for delivery. I went back to writing, and soon heard a knock on the door again. I went to the door, but no one was there... On the porch was the May basket in the photo. Who set it there? I went around the corner of the house, and there was Darwin. He even glued the little butterflies on it. What a guy...
***
On another note, I talked to a young man in his twenties at an event last Saturday and somehow the conversation turned to children's books. His whole face just lit up when he told me about his all-time favorite children's book, "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs". He said he read it over and over, and over again. So, as a surprise, I ordered a copy for him, and it arrived last night. Will walked in the door and had the same reaction to that book. Then our oldest son, Adam came over, saw the book, and waxed nostalgic about it, too. So, not having read it, I sat down and took it in, and then really thought about why it struck such a chord with three young men, one of whom is not a reader at all. What I discovered in this immensely popular book is that there's not much character development or important dialogue. BUT, the book is clever, full of fun, visually exciting, and satisfying right down to the end. And most importantly, cool, exciting, mysterious things happen in the plot! No wonder kids love it. Kids like things to happen in a story!

Enjoy the weekend, everyone, and chase and kiss someone you love today!

Firefighter Darlin'

2009-04-22T05:17:00.000-07:00

Darwin and his fellow firefighters visited the Head Start preschool where we volunteer together. There, because his name is a little hard to say, Darwin is "Darlin'", which I find amusing to no end. Of course, I had to inform the other two firefighters as well of his fitting nick name. : ) This time, "Darlin" wasn't the guy playing blocks with them on Thursday mornings, he was a firefighter, with gear, a mask, and air tank, and a firetruck and ambulance. Here are a few photos...I'm not sure I've ever seen such engaged preschoolers. Just look at those faces. How do we write picture books that capture that kind of rapt attention?

Hee-Hee

2009-04-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

This is off my agent, Scott Treimel's blog today.

"...Funny middle-grade, which is, take note, the consistently most sought-after kids' book category. The book-buying population peaks during the middle-grade years and few writers can reach it. The stories we see are derivative, trite, dreary; the storytelling is wordy, ill-shaped, and in a fake voice; the characters are flat, wooden, inauthentic. Authors do not dig deeply enough into their imaginations to realize the childrens' experience. These readers are still children, but they are not cutesy, gosh-golly know-nothings..."

Any humorous, middle grade manuscripts out there? Send them off to Scott!

Writing and Bread

2009-04-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

I like metaphors... so do you want to run with me on this one? Recently, a good friend told me about a miracle bread making process from a great book entitled "Artisan Bread In 5 Minutes A Day". Foolproof, easy, delicious, Panera-like bread...even I can do it! Here's the website in case you want to check it out yourself... http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/

In making multiple batches and kinds of this bread, I've found a metaphor that has application not only for parenting, but for writing, too.

1) This bread needs intentionality. While it's easy...you do need to have the correct ingredients. You need to measure carefully. Follow directions closely. Stir just until the ingredients are mixed, but not beyond.

2) Then, though you're tempted to kneed and mess with the dough once it's mixed up-- you have to resist the urge and surrender. The yeast will do the trick. The formula will work. You may not have bread immediately, but you will have bread.

3) Then, when all is said and done, there is pure enjoyment. You open that oven, and stand amazed at what has been created through intentionality and surrender. You get out the butter (not margarine!), you get out the strawberry jam, and you sit down with someone you love or all by your lone, and you ENJOY. That crusty, warm bread, with all its delicious-ness. Yum.

***
So,this need for a balanced dance of intentionality, surrender and enjoyment can be true of writing as well.

I need to be intentional about the time I spend at my computer, the books I read, the conferences attend, the health of my writing soul, the outlook I have. I revise, polish, throw out, word smith, howl, try again, pretty much continuously. With no intentionality, there would be no finished work-- there would only be ideas about stories I would someday like to write.

I also need to surrender the story. When I finish something, I try hard to set it aside, let it cook for a while. If it seems worthy after a period of time, I send it off.... surrendering it to my agent or editor. It's hard not to obsess at this point, and ruminate on things I should have done differently. If the book sells, there's another surrender as I wait to see who the illustrator will be. I surrender it when I wait for reviews to come out. And I surrender it again when it comes to how the book performs. Without surrender, there's no peace in the writing process. There's only the firm clasp of intentionality, along with the tendency to over-handle a story.

The last point-- enjoyment. Writing can give deep, deep pleasure, no matter what the outcome. Finding the right word or phrase, nailing a line of dialogue, painting a picture with a paragraph, sealing up a satisfying ending... all those things can be fully enjoyed. Without enjoyment, there's no zest... no reason to face a blank piece of paper beyond duty. "Enjoy" doesn't seem like a strong enough word... when I read someone else's perfect poem, or a book I don't want to end...my heart almost hurts. It can be that good.

Intentionality, surrender, enjoyment. True of bread, parenting and writing, at least for me. Let me know if you make the bread... better yet, invite me over! Have a great weekend!

STORY-TELLING

2009-04-13T06:43:00.000-07:00

Did everyone have a beautiful Easter? We had a house full, which was wonderful...3 of my 5 siblings, their children, grandparents, my brother and sister-in-law's "adopted" University of Northern Iowa student from Malaysia, my son's girlfriend Janelle, and an elderly dog named Beau (my brother and sister in law's) In the photo, we have Hanna, her hubby Noah, Will, Adam and Janelle. We went to a student-lead Good Friday service, where seniors in high school took apart the story of the death of Christ, and applied supporting passages to their own lives, sharing their personal narratives. While some of their stories were of stable families, ease at school, and lives relatively free of tragedy, others were not. One young man talked about witnessing his mother getting beaten up by his step father, and then later choosing to forgive his step father, another struggled with anorexia...and another with injuring herself. I was struck when we went to church on Easter as well, where I heard three more powerful narratives, and how they related to the hope found in the resurrection.
Listening to the stories of others helps me understand... telling me something in story form helps me remember, too. Aren't we all connected through our stories? Writing your own personal narrative is an important exercise... the easiest way to begin is with creating the time line of your life, keying in on pivotal moments, decisions, impressions, events. Then, once the time line is finished, you can begin writing the narrative, fleshing out the details from the time line. This may take a while, and there may be a good period of time when you just need to stop and think. Trust the process... Whether or not you share it with anyone is up to you, but it's a powerful, bonding experience to listen to a personal narrative and share your own. Even if you feel completely vulnerable, it's worth it... When I shared mine in a class a few years ago, I'm not sure I slept the night before. I ended up reading it word for word, at break neck speed with a red face. But I survived, and it was cathartic. Once finished, people asked questions and said a little prayer, and the rest of the class, I got to sit back and listen to everyone else's stories, which was much, much better. : )

“We live immersed in narrative, recounting and reassessing the meaning of our past actions, anticipating the outcome of our future projects, situating ourselves at the intersection of several stories not yet completed.” Peter Brooks

The Message

2009-04-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a writing blog written by two editors, and just came across this golden reminder. It has to do with writing a story with too much awareness of the message you're trying to communicate. Since I've certainly been guilty to this, and have watched the story collapse before my eyes because of a heavy-handed message, I thought it might be helpful.

It's from the blog-- http://edittorrent.blogspot.com/

Here's the nugget...

"If you want to send a message, write a bumper sticker. Write a blog post. Write a rant. Just don't write a story. If you want to write a story, write a story. Aim for an interesting plot, intriguing characters, a credible voice. If you have something to say, it should come out in the story... without your forcing it."

***
I liked this... it's all where we place our focus, isn't it? An interesting plot, intriguing characters and a credible voice-- that's enough of a challenge for me. : )

CELEBRATIONS

2009-04-05T11:42:00.000-07:00

Jensen Elementary in Urbandale, Iowa held an outstanding Iowa Author and Illustrator Celebration on Friday. It was wonderful to be able to join illustrator Susan Cornelisun, and authors Eileen Boggess, Lori Ferris, Amy Mauer, and Mary Meinking for a day of presentations and visiting with the kids and staff. They have a writing club at Jensen who worked hard on writing and illustrating their own picture book, "TURTLE DUDE'S NEW SHELL", and then presented it at the whole school assembly. The plot was great, the illustrations were darling--and I loved that this day celebrated and spot-lighted their creativity, too. There were some special extension activities that the teachers did pre-event that helped generate a buzz throughout the building. The energy and hard work that the team at Jensen, lead by Jen Reiter, poured into the day really showed. I'm not sure I'll forget a conversation I had with the first grade teachers who showed me an activity they did with "THOSE SHOES". The discussion and activity centered on empathy, and putting yourself in someone else's shoes. First graders were able to really grasp the concept of empathy--and the deeper message in this book, in a way I haven't seen before at this age level. One of the teachers said, "First graders are a lot more capable than people think." That struck me... That capability is nutured, encouraged and expected in classrooms just like this one...with teachers who go above and beyond, and won't settle for the middle road.
As a writer, I can run on a day like this for a long, long time. Talking with, laughing with, learning with kids and teachers, and on this day, other writers and illustrators, inspires me to keep at it. I'm facing months of "seat time" revising the now-sold middle grade book, re-working a picture book, and stacks of ongoing side-job writing projects. I love the work, but need the kids, too.
An example of someone who created amazing books apart from rubbing shoulders with kids is one of my favorite authors, Roald Dahl... check this un-glamorous writing ritual..."Dahl's writing took place in a shed hidden behind his greenhouse, at the same times every day, with a break for lunch which (he said) "is always the same: Norwegian prawns and half a lettuce" Once inside, a "grimy plastic curtain" covered the window and his isolation was complete. As Dahl said: "No one goes in there but me". And the routine began: He steps into a sleeping bag, pulls it up to his waist and settles himself in a faded wing-backed armchair. His feet he rests on a battered travelling case full of logs. This is roped to the legs of the armchair so it's always at a perfect distance. Dahl said he wrote with six yellow pencils in a jar beside him – "always six, there must be six" – on American legal paper. A thermos full of coffee and an electric pencil sharpener were also "vital" There were heaters aimed at his hands in case it got too cold. And then he wrote.

I can relate to needing quiet and little stimulation to write, but the process for me has to be interspersed with bursts of social interaction, just like Friday. How do you work best? Are you one of those lucky types who can head to a noisy coffee shop and do your best thinking and creating?

Ch-Ch-Ch Changes

2009-03-30T12:17:00.001-07:00

We're in the process of digging out and turning an office into a bedroom and a storage/catchall/bedroom into an office. Multiple trips to Goodwill, recycling, etc. involved. Much pitching, a few hard swallows, too, as sentimentality took a backseat to practicality. I found an old manuscript submission log from 1993-94. In it, I had saved letters from editors, and had jotted notes, happy and frown faces about the submissions and their responses.

A couple things struck me...

COMMUNICATION: The climate for communication in the publishing world has really changed. Editors wrote letters- often thoughtful, lengthy letters, even when rejecting a manuscript. While form rejections were also part of the process, there was much more communication. I haunted the mailbox so much more then than now, and boy, did I go through stamps and paper! Now, almost all my work is done through email, and while there can be an immediacy, I feel for editors who have to wade through thousands of emails. No wonder responses are short and to the point. When I re-read some of the considerate letters I received years ago from editors, it made me appreciate the pace of the earlier writing days. Things seemed a little kinder, a little less frantic. In this same log, I jotted down notes about phone calls, too. When you called a publisher in 1992, for example, you could usually speak with an editor. Sometimes, they even called you, which was always nice. I love technology, and wouldn't trade email for anything actually, but there is something really nice about the personal touch of a letter, or a phone call. Recently, I asked an editor if he wanted just the manuscript or a little back story on the manuscript, and he said, "manuscript only". So that's what he gets, but I have this twinge whenever I submit a story... a story without a cover letter seems so... I don't know, naked??

RESPONSE TIME: Back then (gosh, this sounds like..."in the olden days") it was about three months. Now, there is much more "limbo land"... In fact, some publishers have gone to not responding at all to a manuscript unless they want it. If you don't hear anything for a while--one month, one year?-- then the writer can assume the publisher wasn't interested. More publishers seem to be losing manuscripts, too, which may be because of email-box overload and too many hastily emailed submissions, along with editorial staff cut-backs at most houses. This is why I think an agent can be key in this market. Agents know how to navigate through this changing maze in a way that most authors aren't able to do.

Back to the gleaning... anyone need a Kodak slide projector for a less than high tech but dependable vacation presentation to your neighbors? I'll throw in a polaroid camera as a bonus!

Good Pig/Bad Pig

2009-03-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

This one is in my Amazon shopping cart, too (not available locally)... I love Margaret Wise Brown, and I really like the premise...
A boy wants a pig,
"Not too little/And not too big/Not too good/And not too bad-/The very best pig/Any boy ever had."
Maybe it'll make me forget about hockey? Any good book you'd recommend lately?

One more thing...

2009-03-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

Coach Tony Dungy has a children's book, too... "YOU CAN DO IT!" It's going in my shopping cart. : )

HOCKEY

2009-03-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

We like to try new things as a family, so on Saturday we accepted an invitation to go to our first hockey game. Our local team is actually really good, with lots of wins. They're on the road to a championship, too. Before the game I printed out the basics of hockey-- players, positions, penalties, that kind of thing. What the website didn't tell me was how much hockey fans LOVE the game of hockey! A little back story... Darwin and I coached soccer for 5 years for under-resourced kids who had never before played an organized sport. A HUGE component of the program was learning sportsmanship and practicing "Character Counts" attributes. We didn't care if they won or lost but we (along with all the other WONDERFUL coaches) worked so darn hard at the deeper values that can develop in kids through athletics. Doing your best, playing fair, shaking hands at the end, showing up, respecting the refs, respecting the opposing team, etc. We've also been to lots of baseball, football, soccer and basketball games, at the high school level and beyond, and never had any real issues with fan behavior. But HOCKEY. Wow. Group booing of the opposing team, organized group jeers of the refs, the coach got ejected from the game for chucking a water bottle at the ref, then running out on the ice and wiping out three times as he argued a call... When the refs backs were turned (and when they weren't), players intentionally roughhoused, jabbed, shoved, tripped, kicked... you get my drift. I like to watch a good, aggressive game, but man... this was over the top, and at the same time, seemed to be completely "normal". Okay, in terms of fan behavior, what does that adult behavior say to a kid, which is the one thing I care about??? If you scream that a ref "sucks", position yourself so you can heckle the goalie... what does the kid sitting next to you internalize?? Maybe there are people who can compartmentalize and say, "Well, that's just hockey..." but I don't buy it. We are what we do, right? One of my heroes is former Indianapolis Colts' coach, Tony Dungy. What a man. So quiet, so cool, so grounded. A deep river for sure...I have his newest book, UNCOMMON on order and can't wait to read it. There has to be another way, and I think Tony Dungy was a master at finding purpose beyond the "win". Anyway, I didn't mean to rant this morning, and what this has to do with writing, I'm not sure. For writers, new experiences are good for creating new thoughts...even if they're discouraging! Let me know what you think...
Oh, by the way, our local hockey team did win the game, and it was exciting to watch.

News

2009-03-18T16:48:00.000-07:00

My agent sold my middle grade novel to Harcourt today. : )

Creative Teachers

2009-03-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a fun school visit in northwestern Iowa. In a preschool room, there were two wonderful ideas that I just have to share with you. Did you know 500 milk jugs hot glued together can form a really cool igloo? How fun is that? (They're now looking for a place to store the igloo when it's not in use... my house, perhaps?) Also, in this same preschool classroom, teachers had taken full body photos of each child, and printed them so each photo was about 8 inches tall. Then they mounted the individual photos on cardboard, cutting around the details of the body so they're almost like paper dolls. When issues come up, the teachers use the cut out preschool children to act out what happened, and what the alternative choices might have been. The children are mesmerized by these reenactments using the life-like cardboard figures.... What an intriguing idea! Another teacher had students recite a poem in the morning about choosing to be happy, and choosing to have a good day. I've been searching for the words for that one, as I think I need to say it each morning, too!

This week

2009-03-13T11:48:00.001-07:00

It's been an odd and yet good week. I thought I was going to be out of town on Monday and Tuesday for school visits, but the gig was rescheduled to next week because of icy weather out west. Darwin had surgery on Wednesday, and is now home and recuperating nicely. No wireless internet at the hospital as I sat in the waiting room, and by his sleeping bedside, so work was on hold... Instead I got to read one of the best books I've ever read in my life, "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down", by Anne Fadiman. Don't get me started...but the blend of a gripping true story about a little Hmong girl with epilepsy, alongside the rich historical context of the Hmong people had me in its grips from start to finish. When reading was done, I filled out all the paperwork for for us to become foster parents-- an ongoing discussion. After that, I was inspired to write a birthday poem for my niece. (ADD really amping up) However, I found myself without any paper and didn't figure Darwin had any tucked in his hospital nightgown. I had used up an old envelope in my purse already, so my only option was squirreling the "Your Rights As A Patient" form on my husband's bedside table. On the back of that, I wrote a poem. This week, all three kids had some sparkling good news regarding either school or work, my historically never-vacationing mother went to Mexico, my father was fixing a muffler on a car when it slipped and left him with the most dramatic black eye you've ever seen (while my mother was in Mexico), and an editor and my agent called within an hour of each other with some hopeful writing news. I learned about Japanese Manga (comics that are all the rage) and the Terracotta Army for my non-fiction writing projects, too. So... while others head off to Florida or Cancun for Spring Break next week, we'll be home as my dearest gets his land legs under him again. I am so thankful this moment, and really most moments... for family, for friends, for healing, and for the work and play God puts before us each day...

Beauty Shop

2009-03-06T12:37:00.000-08:00

I was with some Head Start preschoolers yesterday, and one of the centers was "Beauty Shop". I squeezed my behind into a too-small chair in front of the mirror while two fancy-pants four year old girls with gorgeous braids themselves proceeded to work with my recess-tangled hair . One of them, clearly the lead beautician asked as she was combing my hair, "So... what are you going to do today?" I told her that since the weather was so nice, I was going to go out for a walk with my dog. She kind of raised her eyebrows and "hmmm-ed" a little bit. Then she said, "So, you wanna look good for your dog?" I said yes. But then I told her that after the walk I was going to a big party (not true, but I felt she was disappointed with my un-glamorous lifestyle). That perked her up, and she and the other beautician started spritzing and "cutting" my hair with more gusto. When it was done, she said I owed her two dollars. I thought that was a good deal, so I plan on coming back.