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Five things I did this week...

1. Wrote another 6150 words on my new MG novel - I broke the 27,000 mark tonight, and I love where the story is going. 
2. Met the illustrator of Spitfire for the first time.  Her name is Martha Gulley, and she's not only talented but so, so nice.  She's doing chapter illustrations for my new book, Champlain & the Silent One, right now. Waiting to see what she does with it is like waiting for Christmas.
3. Talked with librarians and teachers about some school visits I have coming up this spring and cooked up a brand new historical writing workshop to fit one of the school's requests.  I'm pulling together diaries, artifacts, images, period food and games, and it's going to be so much fun!
4. Read Love and Other Uses for Duct Tape by carriejones and felt like I was in high school again.  It was funny and sad and wonderful.  And I was reminded that the tiniest sensory details can make a book shine.  The rip in the vinyl seat of a pickup truck.  A crack in the sidewalk that looks like New Hampshire.  I loved this book.  It's the kind of YA novel that most of my middle school readers aren't ready for just yet -- more of a high school title -- but it will be well worth the wait.  Thanks, Carrie!!
5. Picked up tickets for the family to see The King and I at Chazy Music Theater.  My friend Andrew is directing this play, and you should go, too.  Unless you live in California or Iceland or something. Then I understand.  But you'll still miss an amazing show.  

Have a great weekend, everyone!

I just finished this book by Madeleine L'Engle. I can't believe I've never read it. I saw a made for TV movie, and wondered then why I'd never read it. I had occasional problems imagining scenes because I already had the pictures from the movie in my mind, which didn't match my mind's eye. But the story was amazing. Even after all of these years. And I'm really surprised this was a Newbery winner, only because it's sci-fi. Or at least, that's what I would call it. I don't see many sci-fi's in the recent Newbery winners. And I'll even admit, I was a tad leery of reading it since it's a Newbery from way back in 1963. I thought it might be wordy and slow. I was pleasantly surprised.




The only other book of hers that I've read is Troubling a Star. I remember thinking how "hard" it was. The vocabulary was full and rich, and required thought. What a brilliant writer. I see she was born November 29, 1918. Anyone know if she's still alive? Perhaps she has tessered and is, in fact, timeless.