Justin Matott's Blog, page 3
May 19, 2012
Now that is an awesome dude announcing my visit!
...
Now that is an awesome dude announcing my visit!
Reading specialist Reva Lobatos and son, Reva responsible for EVERYTHING you see on this blog, see below for a link to the last school I went to that Reva organized. CLONE HER!
I wanted to say THANK YOU to ALL of the wonderful hosts this VERY busy Spring 2012 School Visit season. I have been welcomed graciously and the excitement for reading, writing and anti-bullying was increased this year due to you wonderful educators who provide your students with an extra boost!
My last school visit of the spring was a spectacular
display of preparation, anticipation and excitement for students, staff
and yours truly.
I have always loved calling attention to excellence and so this blog is my hat off to one very special educator who simply goes WAY beyond the call of duty! First of all, in these tight economic times a grant had to be written to provide this author visit. The grant was turned down, but that didn't stop this 'steamroller of excellence'. She went back to the grant committee and asked what needed to be done to modify her proposal to get approval. They told her. SHE DID IT, THAT DAY. It was approved! AWESOME STICK-TO-IT-NESS!
The walls were lined with covers, announcements.
Fun assemblies and a very well attended family night at Henderson Elementary in Cheyenne, WY was a great way to close out the spring of 2012!
Example of what it takes to get the kids pumped for an author visit!
So, here is my HUGE shout out to Reva Lobatos! This is the second school and second school visit Reva has put together with me and this wonderful lady should be put in charge of the NATIONAL HOW TO DO IT RIGHT FOR KIDS committee!
Representative Ken A. Esquibel, myself, Senator Floyd A. Esquibel, now that is some representation
of Gov't in a school!
In attendance during the day was the Superintendent of schools, the school's district representative at the Capitol and a State Senator! The most amazing thing to me is that this is just seems to be "standard procedure" for this excellent educator.
I watched this cool dad reading with his son and talked to him about his involvement in his son's lives as it relates to reading. He reads with his boys every night and it shows. Talking to those young men was a true pleasure and hearing them talk about reading was music to my ears, WAY TO GO MR. LOBATOS!.
No wonder those boys love a good story AND love to read!
CHECK OUT this link to an earlier blog entry I did to showcase what Reva did to prepare for my last visit. http://justinmatott-snickers.blogspot.com/2008/12/books-are-door-to-head-and-heart.html (By the way, not only did she provide her school with something different, fun and educational, she went home between the school day and the evening event and brought her own boys back to experience a night of storytelling, so not only an awesome educator, but an awesome mom.)
There was no way ANYONE didn't know we had something special coming!
Talk about making a guy feel welcome! Reva asked what my favorite
things are and then filled a basket with them! That is really going
beyond the call, but SO appreciated!
I can't wait to see what she does next time! Oh, there will be an next time!
May 17, 2012
http://www.readtomelv.com/current-boo......
http://www.readtomelv.com/current-books/when-i-was-a-girl-i-dreamed/
This is very cool. Rising pop star; Jordan Pruitt reads When I Was A Girl... I Dreamed!
This is very cool. Rising pop star; Jordan Pruitt reads When I Was A Girl... I Dreamed!
May 16, 2012
THERE ARE SOME THINGS WHICH REQUIRE NO ADDITIONAL WORDS.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS WHICH REQUIRE NO ADDITIONAL WORDS.
May 15, 2012
Sometimes you just have to find the right place to writ...
Sometimes you just have to find the right place to write. On a sunny beach. In a remote Colorado lake.
Anywhere that inspires and doesn't get cell service! Where's YOUR place?
May 14, 2012
Sometimes we just need a little HELP!
This
picture reminds me of what kind of a kid I was. It seems apt because
my post is relating to some of the building blocks of my personality
that were brought back to me because of a great book and movie called THE HELP
which brought out many feelings and sorrows and joys for me. My hope is this
is a reflection of something important and a reminder to go back to
those touch points in our life that made you who you are today!
Having grown up in the sixties/seventies with an uncle who was African
American myself, it was a real treat to observe inbred prejudice in my
own neighborhood (sarcasm intended). Most kids were just extremely
curious (some in the white bread neighborhood I grew up in) had simply
never been up close with a person with dark skin and someone so
"different". But I got into my first real fist fight when one of the
boys called my uncle the N word and related a comment his parents had
passed on about us "letting him stay in our house", WHAT IGNORANCE!
When I won that fight I felt in some ways as though I had lost. My
uncle pulled me aside and told me he was both very proud and very
ashamed of me. He was raised in Alabama and saw
too much fighting over racial issues, thus moved to Europe to a more
tolerant atmosphere. I never raised a fist against racial prejudice
afterwards, but I NEVER remained silent when someone was subject to
racial bullying and never will.
The next summer however I got
into another fist fight when one of the kids made fun of my VERY
overweight auntie who was visiting. She was JUST PROUD of me.
Having been raised with "dark features" myself and having been an
adopted child with little heritage to draw from, I was called names
because of my very easily tanned skin.
I was very, very
fortunate to be raised by parents who "loved all" regardless of color,
political bent or even sexual orientation. I say even because in those
days there was VERY little tolerance for this, but it was my mother who
invited those college students into my childhood home and I am richer
for having known so many different people.
I LOVE SKEETER and
pray that I am just a tad bit like her. The Hilly's of the world are
always going to be there, but if we each raise our children to simply
"LOVE ALL GOD'S PEOPLE" the world will be better for it AND THAT
INCLUDES the accepted prejudice against Muslims that so many are now
embracing.
COME ON FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS, let's just get rid of
the scapegoats and start to find our own security so we don't have to
subject others to the PUSH DOWN that makes some feel bigger...
temporarily.
picture reminds me of what kind of a kid I was. It seems apt because
my post is relating to some of the building blocks of my personality
that were brought back to me because of a great book and movie called THE HELP
which brought out many feelings and sorrows and joys for me. My hope is this
is a reflection of something important and a reminder to go back to
those touch points in our life that made you who you are today!
Having grown up in the sixties/seventies with an uncle who was African
American myself, it was a real treat to observe inbred prejudice in my
own neighborhood (sarcasm intended). Most kids were just extremely
curious (some in the white bread neighborhood I grew up in) had simply
never been up close with a person with dark skin and someone so
"different". But I got into my first real fist fight when one of the
boys called my uncle the N word and related a comment his parents had
passed on about us "letting him stay in our house", WHAT IGNORANCE!
When I won that fight I felt in some ways as though I had lost. My
uncle pulled me aside and told me he was both very proud and very
ashamed of me. He was raised in Alabama and saw
too much fighting over racial issues, thus moved to Europe to a more
tolerant atmosphere. I never raised a fist against racial prejudice
afterwards, but I NEVER remained silent when someone was subject to
racial bullying and never will.
The next summer however I got
into another fist fight when one of the kids made fun of my VERY
overweight auntie who was visiting. She was JUST PROUD of me.
Having been raised with "dark features" myself and having been an
adopted child with little heritage to draw from, I was called names
because of my very easily tanned skin.
I was very, very
fortunate to be raised by parents who "loved all" regardless of color,
political bent or even sexual orientation. I say even because in those
days there was VERY little tolerance for this, but it was my mother who
invited those college students into my childhood home and I am richer
for having known so many different people.
I LOVE SKEETER and
pray that I am just a tad bit like her. The Hilly's of the world are
always going to be there, but if we each raise our children to simply
"LOVE ALL GOD'S PEOPLE" the world will be better for it AND THAT
INCLUDES the accepted prejudice against Muslims that so many are now
embracing.
COME ON FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS, let's just get rid of
the scapegoats and start to find our own security so we don't have to
subject others to the PUSH DOWN that makes some feel bigger...
temporarily.
April 15, 2012
How do reading and writing correlate?
So, where do you get the ideas for your books? An oft asked question always seems to turn the conversation to reading and writing and how they work together...
"A good writer is a great reader and a great writer is a VORACIOUS reader!" and you can quote me on that!
April 14, 2012
Gabe is at it again...
Good day/night Blog Reader, I really appreciate the fact that you are here. Book 5 (in my six book GB series) is well underway and for those of you familiar with Gabe you will know he and most of his crew are heading into Middle School! (queue the eerie music... BOM BOM BOM...) Having spent time working with middle schoolers lately, I have been mulling over some of the issues they deal with and Gabe is going to "represent". I am interested to hear from anyone in middle school, teaching middle school or having vivid memories of middle school to hear what you think Gabe and his crew should encounter. 
I have the book outlined and about ten chapters written. Much of their time is going to be spent at camp during the summer, but when back in school is what I am particularly interested in hearing about.
The awesomely talented David Schiedt is designing and illustrating the series and I would love for him to have some great challenges to bring Gabe and his adventures to life! That's him -------> 
Don't BUG me... I'm riding!
Please provide YOUR caption!
April 11, 2012
THIS IS BETTER THAN A GROUPON!
Please pass this article on to your teacher friends, your eager readers and mostly your reluctant readers. I have tried to pack my poetry books full of subject matter which will get the most reluctant reader chuckling, engaged and on the road to enjoying more and more reading and poetry!
http://highlandsranch.macaronikid.com/article/273139/book-review-theres-a-fly-on-my-toast
It is officially National Poetry Month and there is a new review and a great book deal associated with it. Three books and a performed CD of poetry to enjoy in the car for the low price of two books, a whopping discount and a money back guarantee that your reader/listener will enjoy what he or she hears. ALSO, if you indicate on your order to whom they should be signed, I will gladly do that.
http://justinmatott.com/JUSTIN_MATOTT_AUTHOR/MACARONI_KID.html
April 10, 2012
Why pay five to six times the price, when...
You can get this book signed on my website for list price or you can get it on ebay for this price... You decide. This is a current ebay listing, just not right!
