Cynthia Lord's Blog, page 100

Six Things on a Saturday

Fryeburg, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

1. Thank you to the Christian Science Monitor for naming Touch Blue to your Top Children's Books for 2010 list!  I don't think I've ever had a book on year-end list like that.  So it's extra special.

2.  Yesterday, I had a lovely visit to the Albert Hall School in Waterville, Maine. It was my second time visiting AHS. I was invited to speak about Touch Blue at their Family Literary Breakfast.  It's such a nice event.  The families who sign up to come get a delicious breakfast, a chance to hear an author or illustrator talk about their latest book, and they get a free copy of the author's book. So every family that attended received Touch Blue.

After I was done signing books for the families who came to the breakfast, I walked around the school and popped in to say hi to every class.  RULES was their all-school read this fall, and the school was only expecting me to speak at the breakfast.  But I felt for the kids who weren't able to attend (they can only allow so many families--so it's a ticketed event). So I asked the media specialist if she thought the teachers would like me to just drop in for 15 minutes or so to each class and say hi to the kids. 

I felt a little shy about interrupting all those classes, but no one seemed to mind.  In fact, in some classes, the kids raced to the rug as soon as the teacher said it was okay.  I had several heartfelt conversations with siblings of kids with autism, and one teacher told me she had been adopted and had related strongly to Aaron in Touch Blue.  It was a lovely, spontaneous morning.

3.  Flannel sheets are amazing.  And Milo agrees--he loves the new ones I bought. 

4.  I have three more school visits:  Raleigh, North Carolina; Boothbay Harbor, Maine; and Rye, New York. 

And then my next speaking event is the first week of February.  I usually do about 40 author events a year (school visits, conferences, bookstore signings), but this year, I did 70.  I'm proud of myself for all those events and with two new books, it was a good year to go all out with speaking. But I miss writing, and it'll be nice to return to my novel next week. 

5.  Happy Birthday, Hamster is almost done!  And it's adorable!  I'm anxious to show off the cover as soon as it's final.   

6.  I have a lot of Christmas shopping left to do! 

Happy Hamster Holidays!

I'm off to a school visit in a few minutes, so I'll leave you with something fuzzy and fun.

Happy Hanukkah!

Pemaquid Point, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

Hamsters in New Hampshire!

Thank you to the New England Scholastic Book Fairs and Stratham Memorial School for a wonderful day yesterday! I talked about Touch Blue with the fourth and fifth graders and Hot Rod Hamster with preschool through third grade.


As I stepped through the door, I was greeted by all these fabulous hamsters!  


It's a hamster BUS!


That's a great hamster and a great car, Corey!


Tyler likes the part where Hamster says "Grr!"


Picasso Hamster!


Juliana was in my lunch group.  :-)  She drew us together in the conference room where we had lunch.  I had pages for Happy Birthday, Hamster in my black portfolio case, and I read that book to my lunch group.  So that's what I'm holding in my hand and my portfolio case is right where I put it--next to my chair at the head of the table!   


I like when Hamster gets the trophies, too,  Avery.

Seeing these and all the other wonderful pieces of writing and art, I feel like I'm the one who got the trophies. 

As Hamster says at the end of his book, "Thank you!"

From my mail

 
My assistant's filing skills leave something to be desired.

These lines made me smile or touched me from the batch of mail I answered yesterday. 

To answer your question in Hot Rod Hamster, I would choose the clean car, because I'm afraid of germs (hahaha!) --Saylor

If you could be any superhero, who would you be? And why?  --Maggie, Hailey, and Miyalla

I am wondering if you could write a book similar to Rules (but not exactly) and make it a series? --Amanda

Last year when I was nine, my mom's friend's kid who has autism had a birthday party and his mom gave us all your book called Rules. --Sequoia

Was it challenging to have a son like David? Did your daughter sometimes get upset like Catherine? --Ryley

I went out for Halloween with my friends. We went as fast food. I was a milk shake. --Abby



I felt bad for Catherine because all of the family's attention has to go to David. I know how Catherine feels. My mom has to take care of me and two babies all by herself. --Andres

I have a black and white ferret named Phil. --Kayla

I'm very excited because I will have lunch with you on the day you are at my school. --Sydney

Why did you call the book Rules and why not Words? --Kyle

Will there be a sequel to Rules? I hope so because you made the first one pretty good. --Riley

Big Nate is off to Illinois!

I put all the names for my BIG NATE signed book contest into my Christmas mug and drew out one name!



Kristen!  I already had your library address, so I put the books in the mail to you this afternoon!

I wish I had a river so long. . .

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs, even though it's not a traditional carol. I grew up on a lake, and we used to skate on it every winter. The world is a different place from the middle of a frozen lake.

I remember being out there at dusk, my cheeks and fingertips tight with cold, knowing it was probably suppertime but wanting to hold onto a few more minutes. All that ice, all that dark sky running outward and upward. As alone as I could ever be.

Then digging my toe pick into the bumpy lake ice and skating toward the tiny lighted windows of home.

Back to Work!

Thank you to the students of North Haven Island, Maine for a whole packet of wonderful blue cards and artwork! 

I'm down to two weeks and five school visits left to do in 2010. Those visits are in New Hampshire, North Carolina, New York, and Maine. Today, I'm putting together all those details and presentations.

The funny thing is that those five events include all different ages and book combinations: Hot Rod Hamster and Touch Blue, Rules and Touch Blue, just Rules, just Touch Blue. All three books!  It keeps it fresh to do different books and audiences, though.

Start your engines!  Ready, Set. . .  

Black Friday Big Nate Contest!

I had a festive afternoon yesterday. I signed books at the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance's annual Holiday signing at the Portland Public Library.  My daughter, Julia, came with me. She went shopping downtown while I signed, and then we went to supper together and saw the tail end of the city tree lighting ceremony.  It was a beautiful way to kick off the holiday season.

It was the Portland Public Library's Open House. The next three photos are from their Facebook album of the event. It's a gorgeous library.

    

At the signing, I met some wonderful kids, including Gabriel and his dad from Waterville (whose school I'm visiting on Friday!), a teacher from Cumberland who told me how much her students love RULES and who snatched up TOUCH BLUE without even asking me what it was about. . .and several kids who told me they read RULES "ages ago" or "when I was little."  :-) 

Oh man, nothing like feeling old!  Though I must admit, the double-take that I see kids make when they see RULES' cover gives me a warm feeling inside. "I read that book!" I hear many times.  My state booksellers, teachers, and librarians have been very supportive of my books, and I am so grateful for that. 



I also saw some author friends and met some authors I hadn't met before, including New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Lincoln Peirce who is the creator of the wildly popular "Big Nate" series.

I signed a copy of Touch Blue for his daughter--so I met his family first!  Then during a lull, I went over and sat next to him to say hello.  Lincoln is such a nice person. He'd just come off a three-week tour, which sounded grueling to me (and I do a lot of travel!).  We had a great chat, and I bought two of his books for a contest on here.



Big Nate will certainly appeal to the legions of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" fans out there.  It has the same great mix of funny text and comic-inspired art. Nate is flawed and lovable and strikes a chord with anyone who remembers the frustrations and joys of being a kid.  

And not only did Lincoln sign them--look what he drew in each book. WOW!

 

To enter, all you have to do is tell me something funny one of your teachers used to say or do.  I remember Mr. Willard used to throw chalkboard erasers at us when someone said something dumb. 
I will randomly draw a name from the entries on Monday at noon (EST), and the winner will receive both books!  

Best in (our) Show

We had a lovely Thanksgiving. The food was yummy and then we watched the dog show with this little goofball. Milo might not be any "breed standard," but he's our winner.


Photo taken yesterday by my daughter, Julia.

Today Julia and I are off to downtown Portland. The city is always so pretty at Christmastime. And today, there are lots of sales and family things going on: free horse and wagon rides, Portland Library's open house (3-6), the city tree lighting ceremony (5:30 with Rick Charette), etc. 



I'm signing from 1 to 4 pm. 

Mainers, if you're out and about in Portland today, come say hi! Other children's authors signing are Charlotte Agell (India McAllister), Sandra Dutton (Mary Mae and the Gospel Truth), Phil Hoose (Claudette Colvin) and Lincoln Peirce (Big Nate).