Cynthia Lord's Blog, page 87

Deer Isle-Stonington, Maine

    I'm on Deer Isle, Maine for a school visit with Island Readers and Writers.  All the 5th, 6th, and 7th graders on the island read Touch Blue. And I'll read Hot Rod Hamster to the K-2nd graders. 

What a lovely place this is.  I came up yesterday afternoon so I could spend some time exploring and enjoying the area.



Fishing is a major occupation here. You can tell from the boats and stacks of lobster traps, but also by the fact that the general store opens at 4 am, and there are fishing gloves sold in the "impulse buy" area, next to the cash register. 

   
 
So I could walk down and buy coffee at 4 am.  This is my kind of town!!!

 

  

Miss Rumphius' Library

 
  Yesterday, I visited the Skidompha Memorial Library in Damariscotta, Maine for their open house.  Barbara Cooney was a resident of this area, and she was a big supporter of this library.  Everywhere I looked, I saw her gifts and influence and the love this community still holds for her.

  Photos.

  Original artwork.

   A quilt showing her reading to the children.

It was a beautiful day in Damariscotta, and I came an hour early so I could walk around and enjoy downtown before the event.   

  

I bought myself a chai and sat on a bench and watched the water.  That saltwater smell filled me right up.

 

  

This is the library and the three of us signing in the children's department: author/illustrator Melissa Sweet, author Tammy Meserve, and me.

About 20 years ago, I worked in a bookstore, and I met Barbara Cooney. She was such a sweet, soft-spoken, genuine person, and I have warm memories of that day.  I still have the copy of Miss Rumphius that she signed for me. 

It was special to spend the afternoon surrounded by her artwork, in the community and library that she loved.

  In the story, Miss Rumphius' grandfather tells her that she must do three things in life:   live by the sea, go to faraway places, and make the world a more beautiful place.

Barbara Cooney did all three.

Go, Diya!

I was moved by this article about Diya, a third grader from Pennsylvania and a finalist in Google's "Doodle 4 Google" art contest. Her entry was inspired by Rules.

   Paul Wilcox of Google with Diya Cherian Credit: Christopher Hockensmith

From the article:

Manor Elementary third grade student Diya Cherian was inspired to draw her image after reading a book written by Cynthia Lord, Rules For David. It is about a young girl and her younger brother who is autistic. Diya said when she grows up would like to help children with special needs reach their dreams.

I voted for Diya yesterday!  If you'd like to see all the finalists and vote for your favorite, the link is at the end of the article. 

Fingers crossed for you, Diya!

Five Things on a Friday

South Berwick, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

1.  I had such a nice visit to the New Hampshire Library Association conference yesterday!  I enjoyed David Macauley's presentation and my own went well.  That was my last conference until ALA at the end of June--now it's just 11 school visits and 2 library visits through the end of the school year.  I'm rounding third, heading for home!

2.   I enjoyed meeting the New England team from Recorded Books yesterday.  It was nice to be able to say how much I appreciate them and that I love the audio books they've made of Rules, Touch Blue, and Hot Rod Hamster.

3.  Jo Knowles, I also saw your mom yesterday!  Congrats on being the speaker at an upcoming event at the Lane Library in Hampton! 

4.  The forsythia in Maine are just stunning this year--blazing yellow.

5.  Tomorrow I'm one of the authors visiting the Skidompha Public Library in Damariscotta, Maine for their library's anniversary celebration.  The celebration is free, runs from 2 to 4, is open to the public, and the other authors who are coming are Richard Russo, Doug Preston, Lea Wait, Jay Tunney, and Melissa Sweet.
 
Maine Coast Book Shop is bringing our books to sell and for us to sign, but it's also just a happy party for the library with music and refreshments. So come say hi, if you're in that beautiful part of Maine. 

Off to the Granite State

 
“(There is no) right type of Asperger’s. People with Asperger’s are as varied as Norwegians and trombone players.” —Mark Haddon, author of A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

    Today, I'm off to speak at the New Hampshire Library Association conference. My session is on serving and enjoying patrons with autism and their families at the library. This talk gives a lot of information, but I also put a very personal face on that disability. Underneath the behaviors and the challenges, are just children and families. And the library is an important place for many families who have children with autism. So though this is an emotional talk for me, once or twice a year, I say yes.

David Macauley is the keynote speaker.  I'm excited to meet him! 

Wordless Wednesday

Topsham, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

Place

Portland Breakwater Light ("Bug Light"), Portland, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

Today at noon, I'm doing a video interview for the Educational/Library division at Scholastic. They publish a curriculum for students that includes book excerpts and author interviews.  From the questions, I would guess I'm in the "Setting" chapter with Touch Blue.

Which is appropriate, because in both Touch Blue and the novel I've been working on next, setting came first.  Before character, before plot, before anything else was place. 
 
Thank you to everyone who voted in the Children's Choice Book Awards!  The winners were announced last night, and though Hot Rod Hamster didn't win, I feel very pleased this morning, just to have had a book that was a finalist. 

Congratulations to all the winners, but especially to Johanna Kerby who won in the K-2 category for her adorable, heart-affirming picture book,  Little Pink Pup . My daughter would have *adored* that book as a child.

I'm happy to have had HRH in such great company!

May Events

The living moment is everything.  ~D.H. Lawrence

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Harpswell, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

May is often my busiest speaking month all year, and this year is no exception. Here's where I'll be in May:


Thursday, May 5, New Hampshire Library Association Conference, Manchester, New Hampshire.

Saturday, May 7, Library Open House, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, Maine. 2:00-4:00 pm. Open to the public.

Monday, May 9, School visit. Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School, Deer Isle, Maine.

Wednesday, May 11, Library visit. Belfast Library, Belfast, Maine. 4:00 pm. Open to the public.

Thursday, May 12, School visit. Woodside Elementary School, Topsham, Maine.

Monday, May 16, School visit. Fairfield Woods Middle School, Fairfield, Connecticut.

Tuesday, May 17, School visit. Saugatuck Elementary School, Westport, Connecticut.

Wednesday, May 18, School visit. Whisconier Middle School, Brookfield, Connecticut.

Wednesday, May 25, School visit. Marston Elementary School, Hampton, New Hampshire.

Friday, May 27, School visit. Milton Elementary School, Milton, New Hampshire

McArthur Library

McArthur Public Library, Biddeford, Maine

Today I did the last event for my "One Book/One School/One Library" in Biddeford, Maine.  As you can see from the photo of the McArthur Public Library, it was gorgeous day outside.  Which is often not good weather for a library event. 

When it's this beautiful outside (especially on a weekend after a long winter), families want to be outdoors. 

   So I came, ready for a small group. But about 40 adults and children joined me. Thank you to everyone who came!  

After spending three days last week at the middle and intermediate schools, I missed the kids!  So it was fun to look up and see some familar faces. Some of the middle/intermediate students brought their younger brothers and sisters to my storytime.

After I talked about Hot Rod Hamster and read the book, Deanna, the children's librarian, had set up lots of fun activities:  build a little paper hot rod, draw a hot rod, and even RACE little hot rods. 



All the activities were a big hit, but the racing was extra fun!



It was a "great day, grin day" and a wonderful ending to my time in Biddeford.  Thank you to everyone in Biddeford, but especially to Susan Dee and Deanna Gouzie, who not only made my visit amazing, but they were the winners of the Maureen Hayes Author/Illustrator Grant Award from the American Library Association.

From ALA's website:

The Association for Library Service to Children has awarded the 2011 Maureen Hayes Author/Illustrator Visit Award to the McArthur Public Library and Biddeford (Maine) Intermediate School Literacy Team. The award, sponsored by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, is designed to provide up to $4,000 to an ALSC member library to fund a visit from an author/illustrator who will speak to children that might otherwise not have had the opportunity to hear from a nationally-known author/illustrator.

Susan and Deanna submitted the winning grant entry and I was their author. 


Susan Dee of Biddeford Intermediate School, me and Deanna Gouzie of the McArthur Library

So thank you to ALA, as well. 

Five Things on a Friday

Pownal, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

1.  Best wishes to William and Kate!  Yes, I watched the royal wedding this morning!  After all the hoopla, I thought the actual ceremony was elegant and beautiful.



Buoys!  From the students at Biddeford Intermediate School

2.  Voting ends today in the Children's Choice Book Awards!  The awards are announced on Monday night. 

 


3.  I loved how this 4th or 5th grade reader in Biddeford looked deeply at Touch Blue. 




4.  I have a little friend. This chipmunk lives in our wood pile.  He sits on one of the fence posts outside my window when I'm working sometimes.


I SEEEE YOOOOU!


5.  Tomorrow I'm reading Hot Rod Hamster at the McArthur Public Library in downtown Biddeford, Maine at 11 o'clock. Everyone is welcome!  I'm bringing the latest set of pages I have for Happy Birthday, Hamster, too!  So you can have a sneak peek, if you'd like!