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In all the excitement of Greetings from Nowhere coming out this spring, I'm afraid I've sadly neglected my little Bird.

She's the main character in Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia - which will be released in paperback this spring. Sorry, Bird!

She's had a good long run in hardcover - four years and going strong (19 state award lists) - so it's fun to finally see her in paperback.

See how big she is!

Major high five to the third graders at Wadsworth Elementary School in Palm Coast, Florida!!

They recently took part in a school spelling bee, inspired by reading Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia.

AND - the prize was a trip to Disney World, just like in the book!

I mean, how cool is that!?

Here's what the media specialist, Marilee Palot, said about the event:

Finally, I asked the winning team what Bird’s two goals were in life. One boy responded she wanted to be famous and go to Disney World. I told him they were famous because they won and they were going to Disney World. You should have heard the shout of excitement. It was so cool. Our PTO funded one adult and one child ticket for each of the 1st place winners. All the participants received a gift certificate to the book fair coming up in March.

Mrs. Palot and Ms. Crawford with the winning team.

The winning team with their teacher, Mrs. Thompson

The winners receiving their prize: a trip to Disney World!

The second place winners

The third place winners

I just had a great conversation with Ms. Townsend's 4th grade class way down in Valrico, Florida at Alafia Elementary School.

It was like doing a school visit without having to get out of my jammies. (But, of course, I did, as you can see...)

The students had so many interesting and insightful comments and questions about Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia.

So a big shout-out to Ms. Townsend and her students (and the media specialist and her daughter):

Great job, y'all!!

Thanks!

A letter I just received from a school librarian:

I just thought I would pass along to you what we are doing for a culminating activity. We are going to have a spelling bee in the same fashion described in the book. I am culling all the words from the book. Since we are only about an hour away from Disney World, the prize was going to be an adult and child’s ticket to the park. However, it proved to be too expensive, so the prize will be a bundle of books, including your How to Steal a Dog, and Me and Rupert.

One of the 3rd grade teachers has been stressing all year because her students are not progressing very quickly. Today she said she has four teams who are so excited about the spelling bee they are taking the dictionary to lunch with them to study words. I think this is very exciting and tangible way in which your book has inspired our students.

I was at a school in Tampa last week where the kids had made a banner showing writing elements from Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia.

Personification: I saw doubt dance all over his face.
Strong verbs: ambled, marched perched, hunched, chuckled, flicked, whooshing, admire

Repetition: Then I lay there and thought some more. I thought and thought and thought.

Hyphens: "But Miss-Nag-Me-to-Death-and-Spend-All-My-Money-in-One-Day would have been more like it."

Onomatopoeia: Clang, clang, clang went the bags as he headed our way.

Metaphor: A little tornado of excitement was whirling around in my stomach.

Metaphor: He looked like a big gust of wind had come along and blown away that big black cloud that had been hovering there over his head.

This was the coolest thing ever ! At this school, they are creating a Reading Garden: a garden with plants and trees and benches where the children can go to read.

Each author who visits the school gets something planted in their honor.

This is me with the most amazing librarian on the planet, Dee Dee Schatzberg, planting the three bushes that are MY bushes in their garden. (A Barbara Bush?)

Other authors represented in the garden include Jim Aylsworth, Tom Birdseye, Herb Packer, and Laurie Byars.





Me with a banner made by students.











Me (left) and teacher, Ms. Torres (right). All the kids think she looks just like Miss Delphine in Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia - and she does!! Exactly!

She has great red hair and dangley earrings and even sparkly high-heeled shoes that go clickity clack.

And she is uber nice, like Miss Delphine.

The kids adore her.







The amazing Dee Dee getting roses for her birthday. Everybody in the entire city of Tampa adores Dee Dee.

(Thank you, Dee Dee, for being my chauffeur and BFF.)










Kids showing me their spelling bee!

Just got the cover copy for the paperback edition of Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia (due in Spring 2008).

Not much change from the hardcover except the back text - BUT, I love the addition of "Bird is ready to fly" to the front!