Cynthia Lord's Blog, page 57

Off to Winterport!

Today, I have school visits in Winterport, Maine. I'm visiting the elementary school and the middle school.

The middle school has done an all-school read of Touch Blue. The PTA bought every student a copy of the book and Michelle, the librarian, had the great idea of sending me these bookplates to sign. They're stickers, so each student can stick his/her bookplate in the front of the book.

From My Mail

Schools in the south finish up their year in May, so I've been trying to catch up with my mail. Here are some lines from the children's letters that I answered yesteday that touched me or made me smile.



I learned from Rules that when things start to go haywire, you need to stop, think, and fix it. --Madalyn

Is the friendship that Catherine wants with Kristi something you wanted as a child?  --Amber

I was really upset because I was sick when you came to my school an I didn't get to meet you. --Sarah

I feel like I have known your characters all my life.  --Lizzie

Salutations! I don't know if you enjoyed your visit to our school or if you'd like to put it as far out of your mind as possible, but I'd like to thank you for coming! You see, I want to be a writer, too. --Emma

I have a brother with Aspergers and I can really connect to how Catherine feels sometimes and how David reacts and how difficult it can be to live with someone who has autism.  --Asia



Though Rules was not my usual cup of tea, I found it to be beautifully and sensibly written. Also I had not heard of a book akin to it before. --Jack

When we read Touch Blue, I kept thinking, "How does she know all these facts?" --Brianna

Thanks for coming to my school and inspiring not only me, but about 300 other kids, too. --Gavin

Did you like how the book came out? --Tyler

I liked how this book was about autism but it was happy, not sad. My cousin has autism, and I like happy books about it. --Caitlin

I loved that when my teacher read Hot Rod Hamster, she made funny noises. --Alexandria

I wished we could have read Touch Blue, but we didn't. But I will try to pick this book up because it is downstairs in our school library. --Taylor



It really surprises me that an award-winning author can be so normal and from a small place like Maine. --Nathaniel (also from Maine)

Hopefully you can come back to our school someday for the younger generations. --Lucas

My favorite part was when Libby yelled Aaron's mom's name and everyone freaked out! It gave it a lot of conflict. --Declan

One thing I learned was friends are friends. True friends don't care what your siblings are like. True friends think of them as family. --Kerrie

I have a few questions for you. Well, the first is how do you wake up at 3:30 in the morning??????? I think I would pass out! --Brooks

I liked how Catherine made new friends, but lost one, too. --Mackenzie

I've always wanted to be a somebody and your book shows me that everyone's a someone. --Courtney

Wordless Wednesday

Southport Island, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

Vroom-Vroom! ZOOM!

Meg, an adorable Girl Scout from Washington, created this fabulous, fiery Hot Rod Hamster for the Pinewood Derby!  I gasped when I saw it.  Ready, Set, GO, Hamster!!!

May Events

Portland Head Light, Photo by my husband, John


Friday, May 4, School visit, Leroy Smith Elementary and Samuel Wagner Middle School, Winterport, Maine

Wednesday, May 9--Thursday, May 10, Massachusetts Library Association Conference, Worcester, Massachusetts

Monday, May 14, School visit, Hollis Elementary School, Hollis, Maine

Wednesday, May 16, Mayor Buddy's Book Club Event, Orlando, Florida

Friday, May 18, School visit, Bay Trail Middle School, Penfield, New York

Monday, May 21, School visit, H.B. Emery School, Limington, Maine

Thursday, May 24, School visit, York Middle School, York, Maine

The Foundation for Children's Books

Pine Manor College, Newton, Massachusetts

I had a lovely time today with the folks at the Foundation for Children's Books. My talk went very well and I ended by reading a fan letter from a child that had many of the audience in tears.

"This is what it's all about," I said, and they nodded.



I had one audience member who raised a bit of a ruckus, though! This cardinal kept flying at the window. Apparently he was peeved not to be invited. :-)

Five Things On A Friday

Spruce Head, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

1.  One of my husband's photos of Florida is this week's Photo of the Week in Gulf Shores Life Magazine.

2.  I'm speaking at the Foundation for Children's Books conference in Newton, MA this weekend.  I'm putting on my brave face, not for the public speaking, but for the DRIVE down and back. I'm not a city driver and my hotel is on Commonweath Ave.

3.  When faced with something I find hard, this quote from Winnie the Pooh comes to mind:

Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.  ~ Christopher Robin to Pooh Bear

4.  Milo is curled up next to me  on the couch this morning, snoring.  It's such a funny little sound. 

5.  I love this photo that was taken by Londa Brown at my school visit in Washburn. When I read Hot Rod Hamster at a school visit or event, I have the kids do actions with me for each of the "Which would you choose?" pages. It lets every child show me his/her choice without breaking any momentum in the story. 

For the page where Hamster chooses flames to paint on his hot rod, I have the kids hold their hands up and wiggle their fingers, like flames flickering, when I touch the flames choice they would pick.  I call it their "flicker-flame fingers."

  So sweet :-)  I'm guessing this is the flames choice that has pink and yellow, because all the girls are choosing it and none of the boys behind them are!

Thank you, Washburn Elementary School and High School

I had a wonderful visit in Aroostook County.  I had some time on my travel day, so I took a walk in Aroostook State Park.  I was hoping to see a moose, but it was the wrong time of day for them. I did see beavers, turkeys, woodpeckers, and a  bald eagle.



I stayed in a little motel near the school and there was a marsh nearby. At night, I stepped out onto the porch and listened to the frogs singing.  It was so peaceful and beautiful.

Northern Maine has a long farming heritage.  There were huge potato fields, white farmhouses, and big red barns.  Lumber is another big industry here. 



Wow.



My school visit at Washburn Elementary School was delightful and very special. :-) 



I presented my Hamster books to K-3 students, Touch Blue with 4-5th grades, Rules with 6-8th grades, and I had lunch with some students who love to write and the newspaper crew from the high school.  It was the first time I've stretched from K-12 all in one day!  But writing is writing, and it was great fun to talk to all those different ages.

The 4-5th graders had created these awesome buoys for Touch Blue.



And the 6-8th graders made me teary when they told me they had a surprise for me and then presented me with a quilt they had made for Rules.



Thank you to Londa Brown and to all the amazing students at Washburn Elementary School and High School for a day I won't ever forget. 

And the local TV station came and interviewed me and my high school lunch group and sat in on the beginning of my presentation to the 2-3rd graders.  :-)  http://wagmtv.com/news/maine-childrens-author-visits-washburn-school-district

Wordless Wednesday

Washburn, Maine

Heading up to "The County"

Today, I'm driving due north to this county at the top of Maine. I hope I see a moose, but from a safe distance. :-)