Cynthia Lord's Blog, page 97

Turning the Corner

Bailey Island, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

I have a sick husband and a sick son this morning. As I'm taking care of them, I'm also hoping I'm not next! 

I'm working on my novel, adding pages slowly but steadily.  When I finish a novel, I always hope that the next book will have a more streamlined process than the last one. But things take the time they take.  So I'm trying not to put that kind of pressure on myself this time.  


Some general book news:

Touch Blue is in the Scholastic Arrow Book Club this month as a $3 paperback. I was delighted to see it on Page 2 of the flyer, right across from Kate Messner's Sugar and Ice!   

Touch Blue is also on the discussion list for ALA Notables this weekend. Even if it doesn't make the final cut, it's really nice to know it was nominated.

Hot Rod Hamster is a lead title in the Scholastic Book Fairs this spring in paperback. Illustrator Derek Anderson is on the fair video, which will be so fun to see!  :-) 

I got a surprise royalty check from Germany a week ago.  The German translation of Rules, which is called "An Apple is a Strange Peach," earned out!  Go, Apple-Peach!

And assuming I'm healthy on Friday, I'm going away on a self-guided writing retreat for the weekend.  I miss the writers' group I used to retreat with every winter, so  this year, I decided to go just myself.  So I'm heading off to a room at the top of an old inn with a slanted ceiling and a view of the mountains.

And no Internet. 

That will help me get some work done!

A Week of Normal (pretty please?!)

Harpswell, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

As much as I love the holidays, it's nice to have a normal week ahead. I've been doing family things and working on my next book and organizing my spring events.

Before the end of the school year, I have trips to Colorado, California, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and I'll see lots of Maine--including a long drive north to Presque Isle, which is a part of Maine I haven't seen since I was a teenager. It'll be a nice mix of events and trips and audiences, and I'll get to meet some online friends for the first time! So I have a lot to look forward to!

But for the next few weeks, it's all about writing. I have one more novel under contract, and I'm working on that. I'm trying to practice what I preach at my school visits about first drafts.

As I tell the kids, "First drafts are the worst part of writing for me. That's because the story in my head is always so much better than what shows up on those first draft pages." I know that those thrilling and unsatisfying first drafts are part of the process, though--at least for me.

Last night, I put a box on the "My Books" page of my website for my 2011 book, Happy Birthday, Hamster. That book comes out in August, which has felt very far away. But when I made this little ticker for it a couple days ago, I was stunned, because suddenly "next year" became:


 


which doesn't feel so long away!

Congratulations to the Cybils Finalists!

  Over the past few weeks, I've had a wonderful time being a panelist judge in the Cybil Awards and reading our nominated Easy Readers and Early Chapter Books. I'm especially proud of the ten books we chose.

Congratulations to all the finalists!

And here are the ten we chose:

Easy Readers

Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Spring Babies
by Erica Silverman
Harcourt
Nominated by: Madigan McGillicuddy

In this endearing sixth episode of the series, Cowgirl Kate and her horse, Cocoa, meet and discover baby animals on their farm. Told in four short chapters, the stories are empowering and gently dramatic. The two friends go on a night watch to see a calf born. Cocoa tries being "springy and zingy" with the new calf. A puppy arrives at the farm--to Kate's delight and Cocoa's concern. And in the final chapter, we come full circle with another night watch and a visit from a "ghost" in the barn. Full of warm humor, friendship, and action, this book will be a sure hit with early readers who have some established skills and are making the turn toward chapter books. Good use of repetition, short sentences, and picture cues will help early readers to be successful. Likable characters, sweetly satisfying stories, and fun cowgirl language (gully, loft, bale, nickered) will make readers want to saddle up and come along! --Cynthia Lord 

Fly Guy Meets Fly Girl
by Tedd Arnold
Cartwheel Books
Nominated by: Mary McKenna Siddals

Fly Guy, the big eyed fly pet of a boy named Buzz, meets the perfect girl ... Fly Girl. Fly Girl’s girl, Lizz, brags that Fly Girl can do tricks and talk better than Fly Guy. So Fly Girl and Fly Guy compete to see who can fly the fanciest, who can talk the best, and who is grossest. Before they know it, they fall in love and see their entire future together – kissing, marriage, and a dog-food can home. But the couple soon realizes that they can’t leave their boy and girl. So, to the relief of kissing-is-gross fans all over the world, Fly Girl and Fly Guy decide to just be friends. Colorful cartoon images stand out from the surrounding white space paired with simple text to make this easy reader a visual delight. Tedd Arnold, the author and illustrator, originally created the Fly Guy series with the first book, Hi! Fly Guy. --Melissa Taylor

 

National Geographic Readers: Ants
by Melissa Stewart
National Geographic Children's Books
Nominated by: Jeff Barger

From habitat to habits, body parts and numbers, National Geographic: Ants covers it all. Part of what makes this book fun is that the ants are, literally, larger than life ... these are not the “tiny” things crawling around our yard or kitchen counter. The closeup shots that fill this easy reader let kids see a lot more than that! If you have an animal (and insect) loving reader, they will pore over this one. This is a nonfiction book you'll enjoy sharing with your kids as they read to you, because you are guaranteed to learn something new. --Terry Doherty

The Babysitters (Cork and Fuzz)
by Dori Chaconas
Viking
Nominated by: Stacy DeKeyser

Cork, a muskrat, and Fuzz, a possum, are the Odd Couple of the early reader world. Cork is the helpful, understanding animal who patiently cares for a baby porcupine throughout the story while Fuzz takes care of only himself. While Fuzz goes about his own things, he inadvertently entertains the young animal. By the end of the story, Cork and Fuzz come to realize that in their own ways, they have done a great job of sharing the caretaking responsibilities. Cork and Fuzz is made up of four short chapters that will give young readers a sense of accomplishment as they finish each one. Detailed illustrations break up the story in meaningful and not distracting ways. Early readers will enjoy this story while also strengthening their ‘reading muscle’ as they practice the strategies young readers need to grow. --Stacey Loscalzo

We Are in a Book! (An Elephant and Piggie Book)
by Mo Willems
Hyperion
Nominated by: Eric Carpenter

The Elephant and Piggie books had already made their mark in the world of early readers before the arrival of this year’s new favorite, We Are in a Book! Now if there is any parent, teacher or child who has yet to fall in love with these books, this is their chance. Willem’s expressively drawn duo is back with all their humor and wit as they realize that they, in fact, are in a book. They jump about joyfully as they come to understand that the person staring at them is a reader. It is Piggie who first grasps the power they have been given. The two realize that if they say a word, the reader will read the word. While children will enjoy this book for the animal’s comical expressions and for the ease with which a new reader can read a meaningful and funny book, most adults won’t be able to miss the not-so-subtle message that Willems shares: With writing comes power. Some of Willem’s young readers may grow to express this same power in their own writing. --Stacey Loscalzo

Early Chapter Books

Anna Hibiscus
by Atinuke
Kane/Miller Book Pub
Nominated by: Anamaria Anderson

Anna Hibiscus, her African father, Canadian mother, and her mischevious twin brothers live in Africa. These are Anna's stories about her family life: wanting to have personal space, dealing with younger brothers, respect for elders, traditional African ways v. modern conveniences, hard work, and compassion. Although set in Africa, it has universal appeal and will resonate with young readers. Atinuke contrasts and compares customs and life in Africa with other parts of the world, artfully explaining how modern life and traditional ways can co-exist. The chapters can be read in sequence or as individual short stories, and the illustrations effectively distribute text and make this attractive to dormant and reluctant readers. This is a book you can read aloud with your kids early in elementary school and they can later read for themselves. It is an excellent choice for mixed audiences. --Terry Doherty

Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000
by Eric Wight
Simon & Schuster
Nominated by: Liz Jones

Frankie isn’t doing so well in Possum Scouts. He’s failed the knot-tying badge and can’t move from Pygmy to Shrew with everyone else. His only hope is to win the model car race, the Pine Run 3000. Except Frankie declines his father’s help and builds a creation that only somewhat resembles a functional car.

Frankie constantly gets distracted by his vivid imagination which is hilariously depicted in cartoons and when he becomes the awesome Frankie Pickle. “Wonder Pickle, we pronounce you a member of the League of Awesome. Go forth with your awesomeness,” says his imagination’s superhero mom in one graphic. Author and illustrator Eric Wight creates a thoroughly believable and lovable character – in fact, I’m pretty sure I know this kid. The book is half-and-half graphic and narrative novel, with cartoon black-and-white illustrations.  There's plenty of picture context clues as they read.  --Melissa Taylor

Home on the Range (Down Girl and Sit)
by Lucy Nolan
Marshall Cavendish Childrens Books
Nominated by: Jennifer Wharton

Home on the Range is a delightful story about two city dogs and their masters on vacation at a dude ranch. Narrated by Down Girl, one of the dogs, each chapter provides another hilarious mix-up as she and her canine friend, Sit, meet barking squirrels (prairie dogs), gasoline-powered bulls (trucks), and fierce ugly dogs (coyotes). Along the dusty trail, they meet a sensible ranch dog named Git Along and discover that life on the other side of their neighborhood fence is full of wide open spaces and new surprises: pointy lizards, angry nostrils, chuck wagons, and cows without leashes. It’s challenging to write a short chapter book where the child reader knows more than the main character, but Lucy Nolan provides just the right touch and Mike Reed’s wonderful black-and-white illustrations carry the story along and guide understanding. Brimming with kid appeal, these witty, exciting, tail-wagging adventures with Down Girl and Sit will bring young readers stampeding to the fence. --Cynthia Lord

Princess Posey and the First Grade Parade: Book 1
by Stephanie Greene
Putnam
Nominated by: Dianne White

Posey is an upcoming first grader who has some concerns about the new school year. As a first grader, she will have to go to her class by herself instead of her mom walking beside her. Fortunately for Posey, she meets her new teacher at the ice cream store and soon learns that Miss Lee will help her make the beginning of first grade quite memorable.

Author Stephanie Greene has spent a lot of time working with kindergarten and first grade students. Posey is a delightful character who reminds me of students that I work with each day. Like Posey, they're sweet kids who have some fears and need help in navigating this thing we call school. Greene's connection to real students shows in Princess Posey and The First Grade Parade and makes it an engaging early chapter book. -- Jeff Barger

Zapato Power: Freddie Ramos Takes Off
by Jacqueline Jules
Albert Whitman & Company
Nominated by: Eric Carpenter

Author Jules and illustrator Benitez have given us a completely fresh character in Freddie Ramos, a Latino grade-schooler whose father was killed in the line of duty and whose mother only recently graduated from community college, allowing her to get a better job and move her son out of their old, “bad” neighborhood and into a better one. One day Freddie receives a mysterious package containing a pair of purple sneakers with silver wings that give him super speed, and he immediately begins dreaming of using his “zapato power” to make his world an even better place. Even without his amazing shoes, Freddie’s kind heart and willingness to help would make him a hero, and I think that many readers--myself included--will be rooting for him for many years to come. --Julie Jurgen

Welcome, 2011

The great thing in this world is not so much where you stand, as in what direction you are moving. --Oliver Wendell Holmes


Harpswell, Maine. Photo by my husband, John


Happy New Year, Everyone!

My 2010

For the last day of 2010, I decided to choose one blog entry from each month that felt defining. It's been a year of big transitions: two new books, my daughter changed colleges, my son turned eighteen and had his first seizure, and I have a book being challenged.

It was a year with loss: an uncle died, one of my writer friends died, other friends have faced hard things. And yet, it was also a year of new experiences and new people and new places. It's been a good year, an affirming year, a hard year, a changing year.

I'm looking forward tomorrow to a new year, new books, and new experiences. But for today, a respectful nod back to 2010.

January:  Reaching The End
 

Scarborough, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

I've read through TOUCH BLUE's typeset pages three times now and found a handful of little things to change--like the fact I overuse italics for emphasis sometimes. There's something about seeing it in a new font that allows me to notice those things. I'm pleased with it, though. It's the best book I can write right now. I felt that way about RULES when it came out, and I feel that way about this one.

This week, the proofreader's tweaks will come. My editor will give me her suggested changes and I will give her mine.

And then I will let it go.


February: My First Book Signing for Hot Rod Hamster



I had my first booksigning for Hot Rod Hamster at Barnes and Noble in Newington, New Hampshire.  With a book signing, you never know how many people to expect, but I had more than 50 people come: high school friends, my husband's brother and sisters, author friends, librarians I've done events with, Natalee from LJ, and lots of people I don't know!

My cousin brought my aunt. My aunt has Alzheimers and she greeted me with, "Hello! Who are you?" I explained gently who I was and she was so pleased to meet me and hear that I'd written a book. Then she sat down, delighted to be surrounded by little children. 

As I finished setting up, Sue from Barnes and Noble said to me, "I have to warn you that today is character day, so Little Critter will be making a quick appearance at the beginning of your signing."

I have to admit my heart sank a bit. Not all little children like seeing people dressed as characters (and who knows how my aunt with Alzheimers would react to him?!). Some small children actually are frightened by people dressed in costumes. 

Sue introduced me and then she told everyone that Little Critter was there as a surprise. 

I held my breath. It was going well, but then a toddler took one of the Brio Trains off the train table and put it down Little Critter's overalls. :-)  And I noticed one of the little girls was tearing up, so I figured it had been long enough.

I raised my hand, "Goodbye, Little Critter! Goodbye!"

Everyone waved and off he went--with the train still in his pants! 


March: A New Day and A New Normal
I was packing for my trip to New York yesterday when I heard a furious banging sound. I went to investigate and found it was coming from our bathroom. My son was seizing on the floor, and his head was hitting the back of the door. So I called 9-1-1 for the first time in my life.  

Seizures are fairly common in children with autism, often coming on in adolescence. So it's something I always knew was possible and maybe, even likely. But knowing it intellectually and seeing it happen to your child on the bathroom floor in front of you are two really different things.    Everything is quiet and normal here this morning.   Except it isn't. 

April: It's Official!
  
 
This is my cover for Touch Blue. 


May: NESCBWI
 
I had a lovely time at the New England Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustators conference.  I had the chance to chat with many writer, illustrator, and editor friends. I keynoted this conference last year, and it was sweet how many people came up to talk to me about that speech, even this year. 


Jo Knowles, me, Kate Messner at the  booksigning. 

I wanted Matt Phelan to sign a copy of THE STORM IN THE BARN, but we were all seated so tight against the wall. . . so I actually crawled out under the table so I could go have him sign it!!!  Matt also illustrated THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY, so we had met at the Newbery/Caldecott banquet. 

When I got back to the table with my signed book, I saw people with their cameras out and ready to capture me crawling under the table, so I didn't do it twice!  No need for THAT to be in NESCBWI photo archives! :-)


June ALA--Day Two

Every year at the American Library Association Conference, Scholastic hosts a brunch and author reading for 300+ librarians and book lovers.  I tried to take a few photos of my fellow authors reading, but for some reason, those photos all came out too dark. So all I can show you are the cupcakes!

  Cupcakes for brunch. That works for me!

Quite a few members of my 2007 Newbery Committee came to that brunch--which was an extra big treat.  I hadn't seen most of them since the Newbery/Caldecott banquet in 2007. "You changed my life," I said to one of them, and the tears welled right up.  Thank goodness that was after my reading!
Each author read for 2-3 minutes. We went in this order:

Lucy Christopher, Stolen
Cynthia Lord, Touch Blue
Erin Bow, Plain Kate
Blue Balliett, The Danger Box
Matthew Kirby, The Clockwork Three
Deborah Wiles, Countdown

Second is a good spot, because it's not first (!), and yet, you get it over with quickly! 

There was a laptop on the podium that was being used to show the book covers on a big screen.  Which was fine, except that laptop took up the entire podium, and I had nowhere to set my book down.  I coudn't lay it down on the keyboard for fear the book would push a button and I'd crash the whole slide show!  But my hands were a little shaky, and I didn't want to hold the book up and let everyone see that.  So in the end, I tilted the book against the bottom of the laptop. It worked, but I did panic for a couple beats. 

The reading went great, though. People laughed in all the right places and quite a few librarians came up to talk to me about Touch Blue when it was done. "This is the one I'm starting on the plane home," one librarian told me--which was so nice to hear.

July: Foster CareHarpswell, Maine. I'm finishing up my di...

July: Foster Care



Harpswell, Maine.

I'm finishing up my discussion guide for Touch Blue. It's already ten pages. I have discussion questions, links to hear or play Peace Like A River and the other songs in the book, my mom's whoopie pie recipe, links to fun facts about Monopoly, superstitions, lobstering, lobsters, the true story that inspired Touch Blue, and a page of links to information about foster care.

Did you know that in some states, children in foster care are not allowed to sleep over at a friend's house without that whole family agreeing to a background check?  Can you imagine being ten years old and having to ask a friend's mom to do that? Just so you can attend a sleepover birthday party?

Did you know that many teens in foster care can't get a driver's license?  And at the age of 18, it's not uncommon for them to become homeless? 

August: Off to College
 


Don't worry.  She'll come back, Milo. 


September: In the land of lizards


My son has been interested in lizards lately, so I was excited to see David Wiesner's new book, Art and Max.

My son is 18, but one of the nice things about his autism is that he is never afraid to like what he likes. He would not be embarrassed to love this book.  But he's also not afraid to love action movies. He's undefinable: only himself.  

People always ask, "How's he doing?" And I have to admit that I hate that question, because I don't know how to answer it.  If it's another parent of a child with autism, I'll say, "Compared to WHOM?"  And they'll laugh, because they understand.  There is no well-worn path, no shorthand, no easy answers to those general questions. 

It doesn't feel random to me that my son loves lizards, an animal we don't have in Maine.  He is exotic, too: a beautiful, strange, funny child who has grown into a man. 

And yet a man--compared to whom?

When a child with sizable special needs turns 18, there's a lot to do.  Lots of new people, new organizations, new concerns, and some legal matters.  My son needs someone to handle his finances and to make basic arrangements for him.  That means my husband and I had to go to court yesterday and establish a guardianship, so we can do that. 

It's not a big deal on the one hand--it was over within minutes. But it's a huge deal on the other hand.  I'd never been to court before, and to sit in front of a judge and know that we are agreeing to be in a position of responsibility for someone else for the rest of our lives--it's momentous.

Thankfully, that responsibility only comes one decision and one a day at a time. Including a bright fall day of walking through a city park and marveling at the elegant iron fences. A day of marble floors and signs saying "Quiet. Court in Session."  

A day of whispering to him, "I am yours, and you are mine."

Every day and for as long.

As you need me.
 

October: Arriving at Frenchboro
 
I had a magical day with the kids on Frenchboro, Long Island, Maine. 



As the boat pulled into the harbor, I couldn't believe I was actually there.  I had a moment of quiet, wondering what those long-ago foster children must've thought when they first saw this island. 

Were they excited?
Or terrified?
Or like Aaron, seeing it as just a bed, just another stopping place for awhile.

We headed up the road to the school. I'd seen photos of the school, but I still had a heart-filling moment to see it in person. It's still busy with students, a dynamic place.

Jan told me there's a tradition at the school that the kids greet visitors by lining up from oldest (two eighth graders) to youngest (one kindergartner), shaking our hands and introducing themselves as we walk down the line. 

I shifted my laptop case to my left hand to be ready to shake hands and followed Jan up the stairs and through the door, right into one of the coolest school visits I've ever done. 

November: Happy to be Stranded



Here's today's weather on Nantucket:

Rain and Wind from NNE at 33mph gusting to 43mph.

When I heard that this morning, I looked at Maggie, the children's librarian. "Yeah," she said slowly. "We're going to have to talk about that. . . they're already starting to cancel ferries."

Believe me, if you have to be stranded, you couldn't pick a prettier place or nicer people.  I couldn't even use an umbrella today because the wind was so strong that it would've turned it inside out. When I mentioned that to Laura, the elementary school librarian, she laughed. "Oh when we see people with umbrellas, we know they're not from here!"

Sure enough, my boat was cancelled. So after visiting my three schools, I went shopping today instead of catching the boat! 


December: Taking a Deep Breath

 
Swift River, New Hampshire. Photo by my husband, John

I've done my last school visit of 2010!  It was at Rye Middle School in Rye, New York. 

Getting there proved harder than I expected, because my flight got canceled. So I drove 6 hours from Maine to New York!  It was a lovely visit and a great end to this year's events for me.  I spoke to all the sixth graders and had a delightful lunch with a few kids from each class.  In that lunch group were two girls who have brothers with autism--and we found we had a lot in common!

Jo Alyce, the librarian, wondered if those two girls might become friends.  "Even if that doesn't happen," I said, "every time they see each other in the hallway, they'll know they aren't alone."  There is great power in that simple understanding of "You, too."

But even with all those good things, I don't feel very celebratory today.

RULES is going through a book challenge.  A mother of a child with autism wants it removed from the Battle of the Books program at her child's school. As a mom myself, I have a lot of compassion for every family who has been through the challenges that I have.  And I feel sorry that a wonderful school librarian has been placed in this position of having to defend my book. 

But knowing the heartfelt mail I receive every month about RULES, the one thing I don't feel badly about is the book.

Love this!

Five of the smallest Maine island schools have been reading Touch Blue together. The kids have done projects and had an across-the-seas, inter-island Touch Blue trivia contest using their video system to connect all the schools at once. Here are three of the kids from Cliff Island showing their projects. Cliff Island School is truly a one-room schoolhouse.

Wordless Wednesday

East Boothbay, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

From my Mail

    Today, I made a dent in the pile of kids' mail I have to answer. This was a thoughtful group of letters, and here are some lines that made me smile or touched me. 


I'm sorry if this letter is really short (well, maybe it's good for you! I think you have to read a lot of letters). --Maddie

Very few people wanted to be friends with the new student who had autism, because we didn't understand why he acted a certain way and did things for no reason. But the farther I read into Rules, I became less nervous around him and started to hang out with him more. I was one of the people that became his friend. --J.P.

I'm not a big reader, but I loved your book. --Anthony

I thought almost immediately (now regretting it) how could this student get into my advanced language arts class if he had autism?  I know it's wrong, but I thought he wasn't very smart.  I feel bad just to think about that. Because now I know that isn't true. --Annie

Did it take awhile to write this? It sure didn't take me long to finish it, because I loved it so much. --Taylor

When I was reading your book I came across a sentence that didn't make sense to me. It's on page 46 near the bottom. Shouldn't there be a comma? --Alyssa

My mom almost cried because of the part at the end where Jason asks Catherine to dance. --Camille

My brothers also like taking my things and giving them to the pet!  David gives Catherine's doll to the fish, and my brothers give my stuffed animals to our dog. --Erica

After reading your book I realized that no matter what, my brother is just trying to be a little brother. --Ariana

My cousin has Downs Syndrome and that isn't the same as autism, but I care for him very much. Catherine and I just want to protect our families. --Melissa

I know at one point in my life I thought my family wasn't normal because my parents were divorced. It was a hard transition for me, just like having a brother with autism was hard for Catherine. --Grace

When I see someone with a disability, I promise I will think of you and your book.  --Jalen 

Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun!

Given this will be the view from our front porch today:



I'm going to pour myself another cup of coffee, enjoy some leftover Christmas cookies, hope we keep our electricity, and spend the day answering these:



Thank you to Maddie for my new duckies and a beautiful pop-up book! I LOVE them!!!