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, I don't feel badly about the book at all.