PhyllistheAuthor

My newest book is called Lili's Gift, and it's about two kids that become orphans during the Civil War. And I've felt a bit like the book is an orphan, too since I haven't heard from many readers about it. As a result, I was delighted to get this email today:

Hello, My name is Anna Lee and I am now in 7th grade. I just read one of your books: Lily's gift. It was excellent!This book was one of the best books I have ever read. You really combined fiction and history together and created an adventurous story. I am so glad I read your book. Thank you so much, Anna Lee

What a nice note!

I was invited to a party to honor the participants in the Mother Goose Program. Seven young readers won second place in the Williamsburg competition. Congratulations readers!

Here are the kids and Media Specialist, Viky Pedigo.




Each student got a signed copy of Lili's Gift, my latest book.


It's always fun to go to Rawls Byrd!!!!

The Dodger game was great fun, especially since the Dodgers came from behind to win.

A reader sent me the letter below and make me a flashing gold star. I couldn't copy the star onto my website, but I was thrilled to get it. Thanks Jimmy!

AWESOME!!!
I love your book. It kept me pulled in almost 24/7. This email took a while because I lost the book while I was in the middle of reading it. But I love the book.
The book was so life-like. When Eddie put the leech on Luca after they tied him up, I was holding my breath in suspense. As well once Madre was showing Luca around the hospital, I almost felt as if Madre was showing me around with Luca.
Thanks for giving a really good book to read. Hope you can respond soon. Keep making books!!!

-- --James

I snapped a photograph on Saturday of this huge snapping turtle. He had just crossed the road and his tail was still on the highway. Thursday while hiking at Green Springs I walked within a yard or so of a copperhead snake. I didn't have my camera, but I did stop to examine that fearsome fellow. And I'm glad that he wasn't on the path. Never a dull moment!

It was delightful to get together yesterday with one of my readers. Hunter was up to my shoulders the last time I saw him. He is now almost six feet tall and sixteen years old. Hunter asked to be a character in one of my books and in order to write about him I had to get to know him well. The name Hunter was not popular in the 1930s, the time the character lived. So Hunter chose the name "Ben." Ever since, he has been Hunter/Ben. The book starring Ben is still unpublished, but I remain hopeful.

Thank you Hunter/Ben for keeping in touch. It was great to see you!

Needless to say I was thrilled! Tristen copied photos from my website to make me the photo album. How thoughtful of her. I'll treasure it always.

One of the nicest things about being a children's author is getting hugs from readers!

If you look very closely, you will see Flat Stanley just above the "a" in Williamsburg. Kids, if you are unfamiliar with Flat Stanley and the Flat Stanley project, check it out:
:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Stanley

Danny from Orlando got a book for himself and also for his teacher Will Ogle.

After my visit to Langley Elementary, Tristen, one of the students made me a movie.

I made you the coolest movie using Marty's Movie Maker at http://www.beaconstreetgirls.com. You're really going to love it!
Your friend, Tristen Nguyen

Just copy and paste or type the following web address into your website browser line:http://www.beaconstreetgirls.com/games/martys-games/moviemaker-saved?id=d3a1ac97f6cde9f8e3404e514dd9d5dc

Thanks to Kari Stohler, Fifth Grade Teacher par excellence, who hosted my visit to Langley.

They get bolder and bolder as their habitat continues to shrink. Here are two deer in our back yard one afternoon this week. They have eaten all but the very tops of my azaleas and my mock orange bush. I have given up on trying to grow day lilies and impatiens.

On December 9, I met with a group of donors to Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania who were visiting the Historic Triangle. Some of the members of the group are on the board of White Mane Publishing Company, the publisher of my historical novels. The board members from White Mane generously arranged that everyone on the trip would receive a copy of Lottie's Courage, my award-winning novel. I was invited to speak at the luncheon and sign books.

I enjoyed meeting with members of the group and learning about the valuable support they give to education.

We discussed the necessity for stories to have action. I recommended that they put their characters in a dangerous situation and then get them out of it.

Today I visited Crittenden Middle School in Newport News. I hope students learned something from my presentation on writing skills. It was a big group, more than 120 kids. And it is hard to have an interact presentation with so many students. However, I found the students to be welcoming, interested, and responsive. Well done Crittenden students!

Students, when you write, I hope you remember to be specific, use strong topic sentences, and don't forget the 5 W's.

The presentation took place in the Crittenden Library. I couldn't get every one's picture, but I captured a few group photos.

We are having a light rain here in Williamsburg this election day. Even in the rain our street is so colorful, I want to share autumn's splendor with those of you who do not have a fall display.

Kids, do you think you could write a novel in the month of November? If the idea is intriguing, there is a program for you. Check it out.

http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/whatisnanowrimo

I wanted my readers to know that I am still learning. This picture of Professor Jack Willis I took during a class I am taking on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. I've taken a number of excellent classes before with Professor Willis who combines his great learning with a wonderful sense of humor.

In addition to my class with Professor Willis, I'm studying French conversation two hours each week. When I was in France, I so enjoyed being able to communicate a little with the people I met that I am determined to improve my French language skills.

I've been corresponding with Mary, one of my readers. She has published an article about the Star Barn, an historic site in Pennsylania. To see Mary and read her wonderful history, check out this link.
http://www.thestarbarn.com/FeaturedStories.aspx

One of the wonderful things about being an author is that you never know who is reading what you have written. I'm always thrilled when Lottie travels to far off locations. I've copied an e-mail I received today:

Colorado teacher and writer, Mark Wilensky, has written The Elementary Common Sense of Thomas Paine. His book makes accessible one of the most important documents of the Revolutionary War period. Check out this interactive work at : www.newcommonsensebook.com

We have returned from our wonderful 30-day pilgrimage in France on the Chemin de Saint Jacques. And we are recovering from our more than 30 hour flight from Toulouse to Richmond.
Last year we trekked in Spain from Leon to Santiago de Compostela, the end of the 1200 mile pilgrim route. This year we began at Le Puy-en-Velay, France, one of the medieval starting points for the Chemin.

We enjoyed meeting pilgrims from all over, the delicious cheese and pastries, the bible stories in stone on the medieval cathedrals, tiny, quaint villages, Roman ruins, painted churches, fields of flowers, cute little cars, and much much more. A very special memory is the kindness shown to us on a number of occasions by the French people.

We took over 1000 photos. I have created a slide show with sixty of them for those of you that are interested. The pictures give a sample of the riches we experienced on the Chemin.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27952030@N07/show/

My husband and I are spending a month in France walking with backpacks along a 1200 year old pilgrim route.

Last year we did the end of the route in Spain, walking to Compostela. This year we have started at Le Puy, France, an historic starting place for pilgrims.

France is very beautiful, but we are having much rain which makes walking difficult.

Today we are visiting the historic city of Cahors.

I arrived home yesterday afternoon from my yoga class to find that UPS had delivered Lili's Gift. Needless to say, it is a thrill to hold a book you have written in your hands. The book looks great! The cover artist, Wes Lowe, did an excellent job capturing Lili.

The publication of Lili's Gift has taken almost three years . The average children's book takes two to four years to appear. So kids, don't be discouraged in this age of instant messaging and the Internet if you don't immediately see the results of your writing.

Today I was one of five poets reading their poetry at the James City Library. Every year I hopefully enter the Poetry Society of Virginia's Annual Poetry Contest and in the last couple of years I've gleaned a Second Honorable Mention, a Third Honorable Mention, and once a citation. (Whatever that means!) This year I won a third prize. There were over 1800 submissions in 30 categories.

I received two e-mails today from Ms. Starr's Fabulous 5th Graders at Meldrige Elementary in Concord Township, Ohio. They are reading Divided Loyalties, and they sent me a few questions about the book. They have learned about "necessaries" and I have learned about a great site that publishes kids' writing. This link will take you to stories written by Ms. Starr's kids.

http://www.kidpub.com/node/57726

Today I was coming out of Farm Fresh, a local supermarket, pushing my grocery cart when I was thrilled to meet Anna. She is a first grader who had read Lottie's Courage EIGHT times. It is her favorite book. Anna's mom recognized me from years ago when I taught with her in the history department at the College of William and Mary.

Thank you Anna for making my day!

Until I met Anna, Aaron held the record. He read Lottie's Courage FIVE times.

I have been working very hard during the last months on my writing. It is time-consuming, lonely work. Sometimes I wonder if I am wasting my time. Today, thanks to Anna, I was reminded again how great it is to write something that kids enjoy.

One of my readers in Western Virginia who is very involved in theater asked for permission to write a musical based on my first book, Lottie's Courage. Of course, I agreed. What a great idea!

The first scene is completed! I am looking forward to seeing it.

One of my readers who is a fifth-grade student in Northern Virginia writes to me and she always includes wonderful drawings like this one. It was so neat I wanted to share it with my other readers.

My son, Alex, was home for Easter and he was able to "fix" my website. I haven't been able to load pictures for more than a month.

How great to have in-house tech support!

My niece Pam is halfway through with radiation for breast cancer today. Congratulations and best wishes.

The Poetry Society of Virginia again is offering kids cash prizes for winning poems. The deadline for the annual contest is January 19, 2008 (Edgar Allen Poe's birthday).

It costs nothing to enter a poem. Check out the categories and guidelines at:

http://www.poetrysocietyofvirginia.org/sys-tmpl/2008studentcontest/

I have managed to write 50,047 words in the last month. The challenge was to write 50,000 in the month of November. And I have finished two days before the deadline on Friday. I found the challenge exhausting, particularly toward the end when I seemed to run out of story.

Getting a first draft on paper is the merest beginning to producing a novel. I am always amazed when people assume that the first draft is the novel. Much, much more work will be needed before the draft becomes the novel. But the first draft is a start.

I am glad that I took part in the challenge. We can all do more than we think we can.

A recent study by the National Endowment for the Arts has concluded that most Americans are reading less.

The study mentions that "literary" readers are more likely to exercise, visit museums, keep up with current events, vote in presidential elections, and perform volunteer work.

Hurrah for readers! Readers are leaders!

The Legacy Project's annual Listen to a Life Essay Contest is a team effort – a young person 8-18 years interviews a grandparent or grandfriend 50 years or older about their life and writes a 300-word essay. This is one of our most popular contests! Prizes include a Lenovo ThinkCentre computer and $25,000 of Orchard Software.

http://www.legacyproject.org/contests/index.html

Have you ever written to a favorite author? Here is a chance to turn a letter into a cash award.

The Virginia Foundation Center for the Book has announced the 2007-08 "Letters About Literature" reading and writing competition. Students in grades 4 through 12 are invited to write a personal letter to the author of a favorite book. The Center will select the top letter writers in the state at each of the three competition levels: Level I for children in grades 4,5, and 6; Level II for grades 7 and 8, and Level III, grades 9, 10, 11, and12. The three state winners will receive $100 cash, a $50 Target giftcard, and will be invited to appear at the Opening Ceremony of the March 26, 2008 Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville.

Six national winners will each receive a $500 Target giftcard for themselves and $10,000 grant for their school or community library for reading promotion for children and young adults. Additionally, 12 honorable mention winners will receive a $100 Target giftcard and will win for their community or school library a $1,000 grant. Guidelines and the required entry form are available at www.virginiafoundation.org/bookcenter. The entry deadline is December 14, 2007.

Can you write a novel in the month of November?

The National November Novel Writing challenge will be getting underway November 1. Kids are invited to participate in the challenge in the Young Writers' Program.

http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/modules/cjaycontent/index.php?id=2

There is a special discussion forum for young novelists.

http://2005.nanowrimo.org/modules/newbb/viewforum.php?forum=204

Feel like taking on the challenge, check it out.

The world is an amazing place. Recently, in Bend, Oregon, a boy befriended a deer only to have the deer follow him during a cross country race. Apparently, the deer was using the boy as a salt lick.

Check out the story and a slide show at his site:
http://www.ktvb.com/sharedcontent/breakingnews/slideshow/102006_kgwdeerrunner/1.html

Ever wonder what ancient Rome looked like in the year 320? Now you can see a digital model on line that has taken an international team of scholars ten years to build. The technology even allows you to go inside of the Colosseum. http://www.romereborn.virginia.edu/

I couldn't resist snuggling up to one of the big guns that once defended the city. Quebec City was filled with tourists, artists, and street musicians.

This fellow was playing French Canadian tunes. From Quebec City we travelled to Ste. Anne de Beaupre and visited the famous site for pilgrimages in North America.

This was the nave of the lovely church there. From Ste. Anne's we headed South with a visit to The Clark Art Institute in Massachusetts.

It was a great trip! Thursdays I'm off to California to see my son,

In preparation for the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown in 1607, long-term archaeological digs have been underway for the last decade or more. A new museum containing the results of the excavations opened in May.

http://www.historicjamestowne.org/news/archaearium_opening.php.

I finally battled the crowds to see the new museum on Sunday. It is well worth a visit to Jamestown.

http://www.historicjamestowne.org/index.php

I often meet readers who are also writers. There is a magazine that publishes writing by kids. It is called Creative Kids, The Magazine By Kids, For Kids 8-14. You can find how to get a subscription to the magazine at:

http://www.prufrock.com/client/client_pages/prufrock_jm_createkids.cfm

However, most children's sections in your local library will have copies of the magazine. Take a look at an issue and see if this might be a place to publish your writing.

Sam in California forwarded this neat game to me. Try it!



http://members.iinet.net.au/~pontipak/redsquare.html

I am writing this from an Internet cafe in Sarria, Spain. My husband and I have been walking a medieval pilgrimage route, the Camino, across the top of Spain to Santiago de Compostela. We have only about 80 miles left to go, having already gone 135 miles. We have crossed two mountain ranges, carrying all our possessions in backpacks. It has been a great challenge and I am happy to report that we are holding up as well as the other pilgrims, many of them years younger than we are.

Spain is lovely at this time of year with fields full of flowers and everything lush and green. We have seen lots of different birds and big, ugly black slugs. I think I even spotted a wolf in a deserted area.

I was surprised to see that kids here stay up late at night and don´t go to school until almost nine. Also, they seem to have more freedom than kids in the States do, running about without adult supervision. But it may be because this area is rural and safe.

The Internet I am using is coin operated. So this is all for now.

Rawls Byrd Elementary School student, Barrett Terrell presented the award. He is shown here with the author and Rawls Byrd Media Specialist Viky Pedigo.

The author received a warm welcome from local readers. These kids from Walsingham Academy even made a sign.

Congralutations Gail!

To learn more about the winning book: http://www.darbycreekpublishing.com/cat_pages/miracle.htm

A recent book published in Britain, The Dangerous Book for Boys by Con and Hal Igguiden became available in the United States on May 1. This book gives instructions for building such things as water bombs, simple batteries, go-carts, tree forts, rafts, and pinhole projectors. The authors attempt to revive lost childhood delights such as writing with invisible ink and skipping stones.

This how-to book is designed for boys. Yet I recall fondly the go-cart I once drove in a go-cart derby, the raft we built one summer on the Oswegatchie River, and the many tree fort hideaways in the woods. I played marbles, skipped stones, and attempted to write in invisible ink. I think this would be a great book for any kid.

I stood about five deep in a 10 to 12 deep mass of people for an hour and a half and didn't even get a glimpse of Her Highness. I saw her limousine, but when she got out, everyone stood on tiptoes and I couldn't see a thing.

I wasn't the only disappointed person. This school group from Western Virginia missed seeing Queen Elizabeth too.

Later this afternoon, the Queen will be at the College of William and Mary. Shown here are the royal guards at the College president's house.

My outing was not a waste of time. I enjoyed seeing these beautiful azaleas.

In the 22 years we have lived in Williamsburg, we have driven the three miles from our house to the historic area probably on average once a day. When I taught at William and Mary and when our son was in the Colonial Williamsburg fife and drum corps, we traveled the route so often that we joked that our car automatically went that way.


Yesterday as part of our training for our pilgrimage in Spain, we walked to the historic area along the route we had so often driven. My husband spotted prehistoric scallop shells in a deep ravine. Traveling the route by car, we had never seen them.





The sea once covered Williamsburg, and the shells are about five million years old, give or take a few million years. We were especially delighted to collect a few shells since the scallop shell is the symbol of pilgrims who travel the Camino to Santiago de Compostela. Pilgrims today, as they have for 12 centuries, wear a scallop shell.




Every year we enjoy seeing the azaleas that festoon the homes in Williamsburg. This year we didn't zip by them as we usually do. Rather we were able to experience their lushness as we walked.

Great to hear from you! I'll be delighted for you to interview me. Please send a message to:
phyllis.haislip@gmail.com I have tried to answer your query, but it has returned to me.

Alex photographed this butterfly so we could identify it. I have searched through our Audubon guide to butterflies and I haven't found it. Does anyone know what it is?

I snapped a picture of a wild iris. Can you find it in the picture above? It is near the center of the picture.

From time to time my riches truly amaze me. As you can see I am ready for Easter. I have just received this lovely bouquet of flowers from my cousin, Charlene.

I have never been a "collector." But I've never been able to resist colorful, decorated Easter eggs. For me, they symbolize the joy and hope of the Easter season.

Here I am in my Easter outfit at Waller Mill Park in Williamsburg. This year instead of an Easter bonnet, I have a sun hat, instead of a new purse, I have a backpack, and instead of patent leather shoes, I have hiking shoes. My Easter finery includes special moisture wicking clothes. All this is in preparation for our upcoming trek in Spain.


Shown here is my super backpack. During our pilgrimage to Santiago, I'll be carrying about 15 pounds. Yesterday, I walked 4 miles carrying 14 pounds. We are hoping to walk about 12 miles a day. So I have a way to go yet in my training.

Congratulations to Nelson Elementary School in Newport News, their Battle of the Books team recently won the regional championship for grades four and five.

Congratulations also to Poquoson Middle School, their Battle of the Books team won the regional championship for grades six through eight.

Congratulations to all the participants in the Battle of the Books program. You read 20 great books, learned a lot, and had fun. I'm proud of you all. Readers are leaders!

Readers of Divided Loyalties in Missouri, brought the Revolutionary War period to life with a recent all-day event attended by over 600 people. What a great way to learn about our past. Fifth grade teacher Lois Marian sent me the following to post on my website:

With a horse pawing the ground outside the front door, a rooster crowing nearby and "citizens" in long dresses or tri-cornered hats milling around, Pond Elementary School was transported March 14 from the 21st to the 18th century. Students in teacher Lois Mariam's fifth-grade class - with help from parents and staff at the school - presented a simulation of the era of the American Revolution during a "Colonial Period Comes Alive" event. For more of this story, click on or type the URL below:
http://westcountyjournal.stltoday.com/articles/2007/03/20/news/education/sj2tn20070320-0321prj_pioneer1.ii1.txt

Since I know that some of my readers do not live in Virginia and they live in places where spring comes more slowly, I wanted to share a little of our spring.

I jogged three miles yesterday and walked eight. I am in training for our trip to Spain where we will walk from Leon to Sanatiago de Compostela. This was the farthest I've trekked in one day.

Training at this time of year is special. The trees are in bud, daffodils are blooming, and every day spring seems to leap a little forward.

I have ordered a backpack and hiking boots called Waffle Stompers. What a wonderful name! Our plane tickets are on their way to our house. So our plans are moving forward with each step we take.

In talking to several of my readers, it became obvious to me that they had never heard of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the New World.

This year is the 4ooth anniversary of the settlement at Jamestown. Kids, if you know about this, you can wow everyone.

The English established a colony in Jamestown and it survived to be the cornerstone of our American nation. If you have heard of Captain John Smith and Pocahontas, they are part of our founding story. There is a direct link between Jamestown and today.

Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain and President Bush will attend the celebration. Since we live just off Jamestown Road, it may be less fun for us as we try to navigate the crowded highways.

From time to time, readers will ask how they, too, can become published writers. A good place to begin is a book called The Young Writer's Guide to Getting Published by Kathy Henderson. I found a copy in my local library. It is also available from Amazon. com. The book contains information on how to prepare manuscripts for submission and over 100 markets that accept kids' writing.

Another good resource is your local library. Ask the children's librarian where you can get your writing published. Look over publications by kids to see which ones best fit your writing.

Don't overlook web sources. A good place to begin is: http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kvander/childpublishing.html
This site lists markets for kids' writing. Also check out: http://www.stonesoup.com/

Good luck, writers!

My friend, Eleanor West Hertz, recently signed copies of her new book at Barnes and Noble in Williamsburg. Virginia Indian Women in the Twentieth Century: Three Generations of a Chickahominey Family is Eleanor's second book.
At age 89, Eleanor illustrates how writing is something you can do for your whole life. Writing is not one of those activities like mountain climbing that you need to give up at a certain age.

Why is it that gifts people are not required to give (for a birthday or Christmas) are the most special?

My son sent me this marvelous photograph from California. Can you find the hummingbird? Note how he blends with the greenery in the background. We have hummingbirds in Virginia, but only in the spring and summer.

Each spring, hummingbirds arrive in Williamsburg after flying all the way from Costa Rica. We start watching for them in the middle of April, and see them by the 18th, if not before.

We put our feeder out in April and enjoy the hummingbirds until early in September. Obviously, if we lived in California, we could enjoy them all year long.

Two volumes of the Harry Potter series have been translated into Latin. For those kids stuying Latin, reading Harry Potter in Latin would be a real challenge. Just think of all the Latin vocabulary you would learn.

For those who are not studying Latin, perhaps you can figure out the titles of the books:
The translator of the books into Latin, Peter Needham, has also translated another book into Latin. Can you figure out the name of the book?

Every year the Poetry Society of Virginia conducts a free poetry contest for students. The deadline for submitting poems is January 19, 2007, Edgar Allen Poe's birthday. If you are interested in submitting a poem, check out the detail on line at:

This young adult novel by Eleanor Updale is an intriguing tale set in Victorian London. Readers feel like they are transported back in time to 1875. Careful research, skillful writing, and good storytelling made this book a pleasure to read.

Fifth graders at Pond Elementary School in Wildwood, Missouri recently finished reading Divided Loyalties in Mrs. Mariam's class. They asked such excellent questions, I thought other kids might be interested in their questions and my answers.



Dear Brendon,
Great to hear from you! I'm glad you "got" the title. We don't often think of the Revolutionary War as a civil war, but it must have been difficult for people who lived in that time to cast off their loyalty to Britain and form new loyalties.

I tried to show that Josh and Teddy went back to being friends at the end. I suggest in the Epilogue that they had gone back to their old relationship. Perhaps I should have made it stronger.

Do you have a best friend? Everyone wants a good friend, but it isn't always easy to find one and then keep one.

Hi Michael,
I'm glad you enjoyed the "necessary" incident. I enjoyed it too. Practical jokes like Teddy's seldom work the way they are intended. I hope Teddy learned to stay away from that kind of thing.

Why did I make Grum a traitor and a mean teacher? I made him a mean teacher because unlike today when most teachers are nice, in days gone by, teachers had no formal training and were often ill suited to the job.

I made Grum a traitor because I wanted to give validity to Teddy's bad feelings about the man. From the very first, Teddy can't stand Grum. Sometimes that happens to both children and adults and I think we should always trust our feelings. When a person or place doesn't feel right to us, we should avoid them. The problem Teddy faced was that he saw Grum every day.

What do you think Teddy should have done instead of trying to lock Grum in the necessary?

Good afternoon, Caitie,
I have written another book about the same period, but it is not published yet. I haven't included Teddy because the new book occurs at the same time as Divided Loyalties. If he does make an appearance, he'll have to be the same age.

How would you react if your dad wanted you to be a lawyer and you didn't want to be one? Could you talk to him?

Hi Garrett,
I'm glad you learned a lot from Divided Loyalties. Since I used to be a history teacher, I love it when people learn about history. You ask if someone in the story represents me. I tell readers that I am none of the characters and all the characters (yes, even Grum!). I relate most to Mother, however, because I am a mom.

Hi Kaylee,
You ask about mother. I based her character on the mother of President Andrew Jackson. She went to rescue her son when he was captured by the British and she was so upset by the conditions of the other prisoners, she returned to nurse them. And she got cholera and died. So that is very accurate. However, there is more to the story. I wrote the first draft of Divided Loyalties and then I became very ill myself. So I rewrote it so that Mother lived. Then when I got better, I rewrote it again, believing that it was more accurate for her to die. In the days before modern medicine people died from even minor problems such as an infected tooth.

Hi Madison,
Please see what I wrote to Kaylee about Mother dying. Once when I was in Charleston, SC in an historic cemetery I saw one grave that contain not two, but three children who all died at about the same time. I don't remember the cause, but in the eighteenth century, many children died from childhood diseases and other infections such as smallpox, cholera, and typhoid fever.

Is it always bad to feel sad? I don't think so. Often in movies and on TV people die like flies and yet there is seemingly little grief and sadness.

Hello Brandon,
I have never locked anyone in a necessary! But personal experience does figure mightily in the book. My son, Alex, was in the fife and drum corps. His best friend was an African-American fifer. I went to many marches and learned about the special bond that develops when people play music together over a long period of time. Living as I do in Williamsburg, I have visited the places in the book many times.

Greetings Kayla,
I'm glad you felt like you are in the story. Often when I am writing, I am not here in my study in Williamsburg, but back in the past. My body is here, but my mind and heart are with my characters. I'm sorry if you found it disappointing that Josh and Teddy didn't become friends again. I tried to suggest that they did by including Josh with Teddy in the Epilogue.

Good Afternoon, Andrew,
I'm glad you loved the book. You and many others have been disappointed that Teddy and Josh didn't become friends again. I tried to suggest they did in the Epilogue, but I obviously flunked. In my imagination they went back to being ALMOST like they were before. The difference is that they have both grown from coming to terms with their circumstances.

Hi Paul,
It is tough to be responsible for your actions, but we are known by what we do. If you didn't have any friends like Teddy and then found one in Josh, how would you respond to the very good possibility that he wasn't your friend after all? Teddy's reactions to Josh are partly explained by his grief over losing his mom. Today we would say he was depressed. In that situation, it didn't seem very real to me that he could come to terms easily with Josh's supposed deception.

Dear Pete,
Names are very interesting. I chose the name Teddy because if I had a second son which I don't, I would have called him Teddy. I like the name. It is an old-fashioned name now but it suggests Teddy Bears and Teddy Roosevelt and a boy of long ago. I chose Parker because it is an Anglo-Saxon name and in Virginia in the eighteenth century, that name would have fit.

Greetings James,
I'm glad you found the book exciting. All the main characters are imaginary, but bits and pieces of people I have known get worked into the characters and a lot of myself. I chose Williamsburg because I live here. I got the idea for the book when my son was a boy fifer in the Colonial Williamsburg fife and drum corps. I wrote a non-fiction book about the fife and drum corps and while researching it, I learned about the terrible trek to the battle of Camden by a group from Williamsburg.

Hi Taylor,
The battle scenes in the book are based on historical documents. The problem I had was that not all the historical sources agree. The battle looked different to participants depending on where they were and what happened to them. I chose the details that would be most likely for State Garrison Regiment. Teddy should have let Josh visit when he was sick. It is always better to face things that are bothering you. But we don't always do that, do we?

Dear Tyler,
Lots of things came together for this book. I wanted to write a book about the fifers and drummers since my son was a fifer for seven years and it was very special. I had already written Marching in Time, a nonfiction book about the fife and drum corps at Colonial Williamsburg. In that, I learned about the march to South Carolina. I live in Williamsburg, Virginia about three miles from the downtown historic area. So, colonial history is a part of my life.

I have a distant relative in Canada who sent me papers several years ago that qualified me to be a Loyalist, since some distant ancestor of mine fought in the Revolutionary War on the British side. Being an official Loyalist in Canada is a bit like being a member of the Sons or Daughters of the American Revolution in the US. I think other ancestors fought with the Patriots, but I don't have official papers.

Hi Robert,
I am working editing kids' book #4 which should appear this spring. I have written #5, #6, and #7 but so far haven't found publishers for them. I am writing books faster than they are being published. It is great fun. Especially when I hear from kids!

Dear Kristen,
I am wowed to hear my book is the best book you have ever read. I will be curious to hear what you think of Lottie's Courage. Keep reading. Readers are leaders.

Hi Hannah,
I have more ideas for books than I have time and energy. I get most of my ideas from history. If you look at the word history, you will see the word story inside it. History is full of stories. And they are special because they reflect what our ancestors went through to give us the world we have today.

Greetings Andria,
Where did I get the idea of Teddy trapping his dad in the necessary? I'm not sure. When I write, stuff just percolates up from my subconscious mind. I like to jog and I often get ideas when I am out pounding the pavement. I never recall reading anything similar. However, in olden times when people had outhouses, it was a favorite Halloween trick for older boys to push over the outhouses. So there are stories around about those incidents.

I felt bad because in many ways, Divided Loyalties is a sad book. But I wanted to accurately portray the price the Patriots paid for our freedom, and the price was heavy at Camden, on the ships, Valley Forge, and many other places. In some ways, the necessary incident is a bit of fun in a sad book.

Hi Hannah,
I am glad that you found the book to be both happy and sad. I was worried when I wrote it that the book was too sad. I spoke with the librarian, Viky Pedigo, at my son's elementary school, and she assured me that kids can handle the sad things if they are for a good purpose. And of course, at the end, all of Teddy's suffering and sacrifice allow him to choose his own career and result in American freedom.

My favorite name in the book is "Grum." It implies "grumble, grovel, and grub." When I see a good name in the newspaper or hear one, I write it in my writer's notebook. Then when I need a name for a certain type of character, I can look in my notebook. Sometimes names come easily out of no where and seem to fit and at other times, I'm not happy with the names. Then I change them. That is easily done on the computer.

Hello to Vanessa,
I am glad you learned about Williamsburg. I hope you will be able to visit here some day. If you want to make an author happy, tell her you loved her book!

Hi to Hope,
Nice to hear you found Divided Loyalties exciting! I am flattered that you want to reread the book. In this busy world, if you can find the time to read a book more than once, that is a really something.

Greetings Morgan,
Thank you for reading my book. A writer is nothing without READERS. I will be interested to see if you like Lottie as well as Teddy.

Answers to more questions:

Dear Fifth Graders who ask wonderful questions,

My son was ten when he joined the fife and drum corps. It isn't connected to school. The program is run by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The corps is run like a military unit and the older kids teach the younger ones. They have to stand at attention and follow orders like Teddy did. Since you are interested after Christmas, I will send you a gift copy of my book Marching in Time about the Colonial Williamsburg Fife and Drum Corps.

I included dogs, because I like dogs. In fact, I have a book that is unpublished called The Dogs of DOG Street. DOG Street is the name locals call Duke of Gloucester Street, the main street in Colonial Williamsburg. In that book, I interviewed dogs on DOG Street and took their pictures. It was a "howl," but I haven't found a publisher.

During the Revolutionary War traitors were commonly hung. So when the British found out that McAllister was a turncoat, the sentence was hanging.

Porterfield had to pay for food with his own money because the Continental Congress was unable to provide the necessary food. Not only was the Congress a new government inexperienced in such things, it also didn't have the power to tax, one way governments have money for wars.

Vain probably wouldn't have shot Teddy, but when he went to the door, she didn't know if he were friend or foe. These were dangerous times with armies roaming around and loyalties often unclear.

I probably could write a sequel to Divided Loyalties, but it would be for Young Adults if I did since Teddy would be older. I have no plans now to write a sequel. One of the problems I have as a writer for kids your age is that you grow up. Once I have written a book and it is accepted for publication, it takes on average about two years for a book to come out. So, if I started a sequel today, you would probably be in high school before it was available.

Josh and Vain didn't meet again because the army was on the move. Even Teddy who was quite taken with Vain didn't have the chance to see her again. Keep in mind the limited modes of travel in the eighteenth century. Today we could drive from Virginia to South Carolina in a day, but it took the army weeks to march that far.

I have put out all my snow people for Christmas. They continue to smile even though we've not seen a single flake of snow here is Virginia. They can't be very happy since temperatures have been in the 70s. Not good temperatures for snow people!!!

Do you recognize the artist who painted the picture in the background? He is very famous. The originial of this portrait is in the National Gallery in Washington, DC. There has recently been a popular book and a movie with the artist's name in the title.

I recommend the following books that I liked.

A girl and her mom teamed up under the name of Zizou Corder to write The Lion Boy. It is a fun book, especially if you like cats: big cats, house cats, and alley cats. The only negative thing about this book was that I was unaware that it was planned to be a trilogy. As a result, when I got to the end of the book, I was disappointed that the plot wasn't resolved.

Sing Down the Moon by Scott O'Dell is the story of a Navajo girl named Bright Morning. Slave traders capture her when she is tending her sheep and she must find a way to escape harsh treatment as a slave. Later, she takes part in the Trail of Tears in 1862-1863 when soldiers drove her people from Arizona to New Mexico.

I believe that everyone is creative, and it is not surprising that a record number of participants [79,000 people]took part in National Novel Writing Month. The challenge is to write a 50,000 word novel in one month.

The days of our lives speed by. We are caught up in things we must do and things we want to do. We never seem to have the time to make something new. The novel challenge spurs us to reorder our lives for one month to exercise our creativity.

Completing the challenge was not easy, it meant going to the computer and writing every day whether I felt like it or not. I tried to do 2000 words a day. And many days, I didn't make my goal. I found it exhausting, like running the half marathon, and at times I doubted the value of what I was writing.

Yet, the process was worthwhile. I have written a book in one month. You can do it too! Considering taking part in the challenge next November.

It has been so warm here in Virginia that this tree has obviously gotten confused and it is blooming, a rare sight of spring amid the last lingering fall foliage.

Going to the beach at Nags Head, North Carolina after a nor'easter proved to be very interesting. The surf was wild and the tides high. Our ocean view room was unavailable because head-on, 70+MPH winds had entered every crack and crevice of the rooms on the oceanfront. The rugs were wet. The rug on our side room was even wet around the door.

The storm had also removed shingles and destroyed steps to the beach. A piece of the wreck of the ship Irma washed up at Kitty Hawk, several miles from the site of the wreck in the 1920s.

Here I am standing on part of the wreckage from the Irma.

The storm washed away many of the stairs leading down to the ocean.

As you can see this stairs end nowhere.

And these stairs begin no where. The bank is totally washed away.

Sea Foam littered the beach. It was sometimes two feet or more deep.

All this didn't prevent sandcastle building.

We usually got to the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge to see winter waterfowl, but this year getting there was difficult due to high water and sand on the road.

We needed water wings!

Plows created giant dunes by plowing sand off the road.

Instead of seeing the waterfowl we went to see the First Colony Historic Site and then to the Elizabethan garden. The garden was a treat since many things were still in bloom.

Posing with a bird bath.

We even got to see the queen!

On a recent visit to Poquoson Elementary School, I met the Battle of the Books team. You will be reading twenty great books. Good Luck, kids!

In celebration of Children's Book Week, I will be visiting three schools this week: Poquoson Elementary, Gildersleeves Middle, and Chesapeake Bay Academy. I am looking forward to meeting a lot of readers!

At least ten years ago, perhaps longer, I planted this maple tree from the Arbor Day Foundation. This fall, it has been gorgeous. I have a very special affinity to it since we have nurtured it along through droughts, hurricanes, and ice storms.

If you would like to follow my progress on the National Novel Writing Month challenge, you can do so at http://www.nanowrimo.org/userinfo.php?uid=133089

If any kids have undertaken the challenge, please let me know, so I can cheer you on.

November is National Novel Writing Month. I have signed up for the challenge. For adults it is to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. There is a special program for young writers :http://ywp.nanowrimo.org/

A reader, Jack Wooldridge, sent me this website: http://www.storiesfromtheweb.org/sfwolderarea/index.asp If you want to publish your stories on line, look into this great resource for kids from Birmingham, UK. It's called Stories from the Web.

An e-mail I received today:

Hi! My name is Jack. Perhaps you remember me from Williamsburg, where I bought Divided Loyalties, or maybe you don't. I bet you meet a lot of people, being an author and all. I just wanted to say, I LOVED Divided Loyalties. In fact, I loved it so much that I reviewed it!

Here is my reveiw: *Divided Loyalties **By Phyllis Hall Haislip**

Review by Jack D. Wooldridge

**** When Teddy tries to play a trick on his private tutor, Grum, and accidentally locks his father in the shed, his father is so angry that he fires Grum and sends Teddy off to fight against the British in the Revolutionary War. With his mother a loyalist and his father a revolutionist, Teddy must decide: whose side is he on? And with the threat of the British troops moving ever closer, he must decide... fast!
**** I found this book so exciting that I couldn't put it down, and I was very sad when it ended. I totally recommend it!*

Mom and Dad have put it on the website along with a link to your website!http://home.comcast.net/~freeunionhomeschoolers/

Thank you, Jack! It is great to hear from readers.

If you are looking for a really fun book to read, consider Kathleen Karr's The Great Turkey Walk. Set in 1860, this book is part historical novel and part tall tale. Simon, a fifteen-year-old boy, sets out from Missouri to herd 1000 turkeys to market in Denver. I read somewhere that the book is recommended for third to sixth grades. However, it will appeal to any age reader. A good book is a good book is a good book.

Red peppers, tiny tomatoes, squash, green beans, and flowers. My garden is still producing. Our first frost date in Williamsburg is usually November 15. So we should be enjoying the garden for another month.

Readers often inquire if I do the research first or begin writing first. Once I get an idea for a book, I do preliminary research. When I have a general command of the time and the events in the story, then I begin to write.

While writing, I do a bit of a dance between writing and research. I write until I need to know a detail, then I return to the sources. I find out what I need to know and then go back to the writing. So it is back and forth between the research and the writing.

In my forthcoming book, Lili's War, I had to find out when the residents of Philadelphia read about the battle of the Wilderness in the newspapers and if a train went from Philadelphia to York, Pennsylvania. In both cases the writing could not continue until I found out these details.

After I am done, I check to make sure I have all the details correct. For example, in colonial times men wore "cocked hats." Today we call them "tricorn hats." If I find that the word "tricorn" has slipped in anywhere, I have to replace with "cocked."

Sometimes in the morning there is a brief period when the moonflowers that bloom only at night and the morning glories that bloom only in the mornings are both blooming at the same time.

It made me think of a common bit of doggerel:

Although Lottie's Courage was published in 2003, I still hear from readers. Most recently, I got a letter from Ashanti Sutherlin. She commented on the "intense moments" in the book and liked how "Lottie had a good friend" who helped her when she needed it. She "especially loved" the ending.

Thanks for your feedback, Ashanti! I always enjoy hearing from readers.

Ann Rinaldi, author of historical fiction for young adults, visited Williamsburg last week. She signed books at the Colonial Williamsburg Booksellers and I was invited to sign books at the same time.

It was nice to be able to chat with another author who likes history. I bought three of her books including her newest, The Color of Fire and had them autographed.

When you have outgrown my books, look into Rinaldi's. You won't be disappointed.

Until I read Good Brother, Bad Brother, The Story of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth by James Cross Giblin, Clarion Books, 2005, I had not realized just how famous and wealthy actors were at the time of the Civil War.

Edwin Booth was arguably the most famous actor of his day. His brother, John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln was also a superstar. At a time when a Civil War Union soldier's wages were $13 per month, John Wilkes Booth earned $150 for a single reading. For four performances in Cleveland, he earned $1000.

I had also not realized that much of John Wilkes Booth's money went to support the Confederacy.

Kids who like the Civil War, theater, and stories about families will enjoy this book.

Kids often ask where I get ideas for my books. It's probably the most common question asked when I visit schools.

I get my ideas mainly from history. History has the word "story" in it, and I see the past as a great respository of stories, stories about people, our stories. They are our stories since we would not be alive today if our ancestors hadn't survived and thrived during times past.

History is so rich, I have more ideas than time. I do not see history as facts and dates and more facts. Instead I see history as people, not so unlike you and I, facing problems and overcoming difficulties.

Next time you have a history assignment at school ask yourself: Where were my ancestors at the time I'm studying? Did they take part in the events, and if not, why not?

Think about what you are learning in history in terms of stories. Imagine yourself taking part in the conflicts and events of the past. For example, would you have stayed with George Washington to brave the cold and despair at Valley Forge? Or would you have headed home to a warm fireplace, homecooking, and the company of family?

Moonflowers only bloom at night and have a heavy, sweet smell as if the moonflowers were a field of blossoms instead of only one or two. If the smell is intoxicating to humans, what must it be like for bees?

This Internet site is full of great stuff for kids. There are whole books on it for kids of all ages and a lot of resources, like historical documents, that could be used for school.

http://www.ipl.org/kidspace/browse/rzn0000

This is a great website to help you find out the names of the birds you see in your yard or neighborhood.

http://whatbird.wildbird.com/mwg/_/0/attrs.aspx

Last year I tried to photograph my morning glories and each time I did, they didn't come out blue. So today, I ran out in the rain to try and capture their wonderful color.

A six-grade student in California has offered to read a draft of kids' book #6. I have completed the first draft of the book, but before printing it out to send to Sam, I'm doing another draft.

Thank you, Sam for inspiring me to take the book to the next level. I'm looking forward to getting input from a kid.

The digital world keeps expanding and there is so much in cyperspace it is hard to keep up with it all. Kids who like history might explore the Virignia Center for Digital History. The site contains lots of information on Jamestown and several other excellent databases, such as The Geography of Slavery and Encountering the West: The Changing Visions of Lewis, Clark,and Jefferson. http://www.vcdh.virginia.edu/

Kids also should check out Colonial Williamsburg for podcasts and information on all kinds of things relating to eighteenth-century America: www.history.org

Nasturtiums come in red, yellow, and orange and both the flowers and the leaves are edible. Here they adorn a coucous, summer salad.

While visiting friends in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, I met Sister Judy, a media expert who coordinates IT for a Catholic school in Massena, New York. Hearing that I wrote for kids, Sister Judy told me about a website that reviews tv programs, music, books, video games, and movies for kids: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/

Check it out when you wonder whether you really want to see a movie, read a book, watch a tv program, or buy a video game.

Hunter who lives in Western Virginia asked to be a character in one of my books. I explained that in order to write about him, I had to know more about him. I sent him questions and he carefully answered them.

Hunter likes to sing, dance, and act. He has a dog named Cocoa and I was especially interested to hear about two of his grandparents. Hunter is thirteen and loves to READ.

Since Hunter is a popular name today, I asked him to choose a more historic name. He chose Ben. Hunter/Ben especially likes Civil War and Revolutionary War history. He wanted to be a character in one of my books set during those times. However, shortly after Hunter/Ben sent me his profile, I began a new book, set in the twentieth century (kids' book six). Since I knew all about Hunter/Ben, a character named Ben, based on Hunter, emerged and plays an important role in my newest book.

Where would I be without my readers?

WORDS OF SUCCESS

Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts.
Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts.
Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me...
Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.

- Shel Silverstein,American poet, cartoonist, and composer best known in children's literature for his poetry, 1930-1999

I've just read a great book for kids and anyone interested in naval history. It's Secrets of a Civil War Submarine, Solving the mysteries of the H.L. Hunley by Sally M. Walker (Minneapolis, 2005).

The H. L. Hunley was the first submarine to sink an enemy ship and it has been buried beneath the ocean's floor for more than one hundred years. The book tells how the submarine ended up in Charleston Harbor and how archaeologists painstakingly recovered it.

I've added a box that allows you to instant message with me from a company called Meebo We're still testing it out, so please be patient if it doesn't work right away. Try it out. Be sure to put your name in at the bottom of the chat box so I can see who I'm talking to.

Thanks to my son for the technical support. He assures me that this new feature is hot out of Silicon Valley, released today.

Here's a news article about it from SiliconBeat, a popular weblog written by one of my son's friends.

How could I fail as a writer when I have readers like Agnes King? Agnes has supported me throughout the writing process and she has done her best to publicize my books. Thanks Agnes!

Readers have asked that I say something about my writing.

Kids' book four, Lili's Gift, is at the publisher. I haven't received the galleys yet on it. Each of my books has taken about 18 months to appear after they have been accepted for publication. Usually, each book goes through two galleys before it is ready to be published. During this cooperative process between copy editors and the author, any and all errors in the text are eliminated. At the same time selected readers will be asked for endorsements and I'll work with the illustrator on the cover.

Kids' book five, Between the Lines, is in the umpteenth draft. It still hasn't reached its final form, but it is getting close.

Kids' book six, untitled, is in its first draft.

Finding time for writing is never easy. I enjoy meeting the public at books signings and corresponding with readers and other writers.

This spring I planted impatiens in front of our house and they looked great until deer found them and had a feast. The above photograph is a volunteer impatiens that somehow managed to take root in the crack between the sidewalk and the foundation of our house.

Nature in the form of deer destroyed my plants. The abundance of nature was not to be denied, however, and a tiny seed from last year's impatiens found an unlikely home and flourished to cheer me for the loss of the others.

In the Writer Magazine, August, 2006, Dallas Nicole Woodburn tells how she sold 900 copies of a book she wrote at age ten. She had gotten a $50 grant from her school to publish her stories and poems. Her book was titled, There's Huge Pimple on my Nose. Dallas' initial goal was to sell 25 staple-bound copies of her book to pay back the grant. She began marketing the book and she was so successful that she ordered 750 more copies from a local printer.

There are lots of opportunities for kids to publish their writings. Ask your local children's librarian for help in finding appropriate places to send your poems and stories.

Highlights, that venerable magazine for kids, has two pages each issue devoted to drawings and poems by kids. Art must be on unlined paper and poems are to be 100 words or less. Send your work to Highlights, Your Own Pages, 803 Church St., Honesdale, PA 18431

I attended the annual May Hill Arbuthnot lecture in Williamsburg on April 28. The speaker was Russell Freedman, the award-winning children's author. He happened to mention that his favorite author when growing up was Howard Pease. My husband chimed in to stay that he had loved books by Howard Pease too.

Fascinated, I tried to get a Howard Pease book from the Williamsburg Regional Library. However, I had to order one through inter-library loan since Pease's books were published mostly in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Many were availalbe through inter-library loan. I picked The Ship without a Crew for no special reason other than I liked the title.

If you are looking for tales of adventures on the high seas, check out Howard Pease. A little effort on your part could pay big dividends in enjoyment.

For more information:

http://www.aandc.org/research/biblio_pease_h.htm

Every year Williamsburg is occupied by British troops as it was in June of 1781. It is great fun to meet British soliders and camp followers and learn about military life in the eighteenth century.

Soldiers drilling near camp as women sew.

I planted petunias and marigolds around St. Francis and I didn't plant zinnias. The ones you see in the picture (the bright green plants) were all "volunteers." The volunteers are just about crowding out the other flowers. Yet, I couldn't pull them up.

Students can submit poems to the West Virginia Poetry Society annual contest for free. One award is the Elementary Student Award for K through 5th grade, category 35 and another is the Student Award for 6th through 12th grade, category 36.

Submit two copies of your poem: one with your name, address, age, grade in school, and name of school on the upper right hand corner, the other without your name, address, etc. to:

Linda Poe
WVPE Contest Chair
Rt.1, Box 25
Gay, WV 25244

Show category number and either Elementary Student Award or Student Award on the upper left hand side of your poem.

Deadline: The submissions must be postmarked by July 10, 2006.

Good luck, Poets!!!!

This year we have had a bumper crop of snowpeas in our garden. They have grown taller than I am.

Jay Holman, Media Specialist at Barron Elementary School in Hampton, invited me to meet with her parent/child book discussion group. Her group had read two of my books. Lottie's Courage and Divided Loyalties.

Lottie's Courage takes place in Hampton, Virginia and Ms. Holman arranged for us to meet at the site where Lottie, Weza, and other contraband slaves during the Civil War had gone to watch the Battle of the Ironclads. What a great way to make history come to life.

This was the first time I had met with a parent/child book group. What a special group of parents and kids! It is something the kids will always remember. Thank you Ms. Holman for making the book group possible and for inviting me to meet with you.







Erica and Alexia, Friends Forever!























Just imagine the battle taking place behind us!

For those of you who enjoyed Hatchet by Gary Paulson read Theodore Taylor's The Cay. The book takes places during World War II. A German submarine torpedoes eleven-year-old Philip's ship. The injured Philip must survive the sea, the stubborn old man Timothy, and being marooned. It is an outrageously good tale.

Colonial Williamsburg honored Armed Forces Day with a three day celebration of fifing and drumming. Hosted by the Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums, corps visited from the U.S. and Canada for three days of marching and performing.

At the Colonial Williamsburg Booksellers I met Julia, aged nine, from the Middlesex County 4-H Fifes and Drums from Boston. In addition to fifing, Julia is also learning to play the base drum.

Fifers and drummers preserve the stirring music of the era of the American Revolution and they get to wear wonderful hats!

My son Alex, among other thoughtful gifts, made me an entry on Wikipedia for Mother's Day. Check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllis_Haislip

Children's author, R.L. Stine, has put on his website 16 pages of free writing instructions for teachers and kids. Go to his website at http://www.rlstine.com and the find the material under the teacher's category.

I think you'll find his writing instructions very helpful.

This is the sound we hear whenever we go outside our house. We have two house finch bird nests this year.

I have just finished a book called Lyddie by Katherine Patterson. Thirteen-year-old Lyddie became a mill girl in Lowell, MA during the great days of cloth manufacturing in that city. The book for young adults offers an insight into the attractions and drawbacks of factory work in the early days of the eighteenth century. I liked the book. However, I felt the ending suggested more modern sensibilties than those of Lyddie's time. Inspite of that, it is still worth reading.

Here I am, girl gardener, in front of one of our two garden plots. As you can see the garden is fenced because of deer. This year we are trying something new. Note the white buckets behind me. They are pails that I bought at the Dollar Store. Every year our tomatoes have viruses. Apparently, the viruses live in the soil. Since our garden area is so small, we can't rotate our crops. So I had the idea to plant tomatoes this year in buckets, each filled with manure and enriched soil. We'll see what happens. Wish us luck!

Congratulations to Brian in North Carolina who recently scored 100% on the National Latin Exam. He is offering free latin lessons on a blog: http://learnlatin.blogspot.com

Happy Easter from me and my rabbit family.

The little girl rabbit has dropped her doll, but don't worry, I was there to make sure she was safely returned to her owner.

Viky Pedigo at Rawls Byrd Elementary gave me this ladybug for my Easter basket. She is very special because she is a book and at the same time can walk or rather skitter if you pull a ribbon on her back. What shall I name her????

My long-time friend Bobbi Schilling arranged for me to visit Nelson Elementary where she is a first grade teacher.

On Tuesday evening I gave a talk to the Nelson PTA titled, "Finding the Story in History."



After the PTA meeting, I signed books in the library. The following day I visited classes. I found the students well behaved and attentive. What a nice school! What responsive kids! It was most enjoyable for me and I hope the kids had a good time too.

It is always fun to meet readers. The pictures were taken at a recent book signing at Colonial Williamsburg. Kids, if you don't find your pictures here, they didn't come out. Sorry. Next time you visit Williamsburg, stop by and we'll try again.

This girl's folks brought three copies of my books for her teacher. Lurking in the background is my buddy, Ed Cline, author of the excellent Sparrowhawk series, who was signing books at the next table.

It's always a pleasure to visit Rawls Byrd Media Center. What a very special place! Librarian Viky Pedigo invited me to sign books as part of the annual bookfair.

My book, Divided Loyalties is about a fifer and here I'm shown with a member of Colonial Williamsburg's Fife and Drum Corps. I was pleased to learn he read and liked the book.

A book for each member of the Selje Family. How nice to meet them!

Mrs. Pedigo's assistant, Mrs. Norma Spokowski, helps make the Media Center a happy place to visit.

The Governor's Garden

Dogwood Tree with Gate: Life imitates Art

Many music historians believe that Bach's Saint Matthew Passion is the greatest piece of music ever written. My husband and I agree so much so that we drove to Durham, North Carolina to see it performed at Duke University Chapel.

We were wowed with the North Carolina Symphoney, the 150-person chorus, and the wonderful soloists. The moving choral work recreates the passion of Christ.

We have tickets to see it performed in Washington, D.C. at the Kennedy Center on Good Friday afternoon. Helmut Rilling is conducting and we are looking forward to another outstanding performance.

What could be better than spending the day, as I did today, with over 600 fifth and sixth graders in Powhatan, Virginia? Media Specialist Regina Hart arranged my day-long visit. I talked about becoming an author, historical fiction, my books, and the importance of research. I had a great day. Thanks for inviting me!

Students were attentive.

What great-looking kids!

Students were polite.

I got good questions.

It is always fun to meet readers.

WHAT A SPECIAL DAY!

I gave a talk yesterday at the Virginia Educational Media Association Regional Meeting in Weyer's Cave, Virginia. While there, I had the opportunity to look over lots of new books for kids. I was intrigued by a series from Compass Point Books called Write Your Own.

These books by Tish Farrell are "how to" books for young writers. There are six titles on how to write a fantasy story, historical fiction story, mystery story, adventure story, realistic fiction story, and science fiction story.

Writers, ask your school or public librarians about these books. They looked great!

Can you find me in this picture?

Today I visited Langley Elementary School in Hampton and I had a great time meeting Kari Stohler's fifth graders. They all read Lottie's Courage and had many questions for me.

Best if all, I got lots of hugs.

I had wonderful attention and great response from the students. Thank you, Readers. I'm so glad you liked Lottie's Courage.

The Beacon of Freedom Award is a reader-chosen award. A committee from Colonial Williamsburg and the Williamsburg Regional Library select six books on American history from the period 1607 to 1865. Kids in local schools read the books and choose their favorite. The program is supported by a generous contribution from the Disabled American Veterans.

A bagpiper begins this year's ceremony.

As last year's receipient of the Beacon of Freedom Award for Lottie's Courage, I was asked to say a few words at this year's award ceremony.




It was great seeing old friends and making new friends.

Congratulations to Doreen Rappaport and Joan Verniero and Illustrator Greg Call for this year's winner, Victory or Death! Stories from the American Revolution.

In today's Newport News Daily Press, Beth Kephart, a columnist for The Chicago Tribune wrote about the trend of adult writers writing for kids:

"While some might claim that the wild success of the Harry Potter series has raised the stakes of -- and the interest in -- writing for the younger reader, I like to suggest that something else might also be at work, something about the very hospitability of the young readers' mind. For aren't young reader's typically blessed with capacious hearts and souls? Don't they tend to welcome the slightly askew into their midst? Don't they walk straight into topsey-turvy worlds, hail the wraith, admire the ghost, listen with care to the talking tree? Young readers, by and large, care more for stories than for labels. They censor less. They want the writer to get it right, or so it seems to me.

Writers work with the imagination; they see a warm reception for their dreams."

Beth Kephart wrote what I have long known: young readers are special.

If you are doing lots of writing and want to get it published, look into Internet publishing. These are just a few of the many resources on line that are especially for kids.

http://www.kidsonlinemagazine.com/

http://www.liswa.wa.gov.au/funhouse/kidswrit.htm

http://kidsown.ie/index.php

http://www.kidpub.org/kidpub/

Check this out if you would like to have a writer as a mentor.

FundsforWriters has teamed with Absynthe Muse to provide mentoring for young writers trying to figure this stuff out. Available for ages 13-22. Visit www.mentoring.absynthemuse.com to join up.

Saturday I went on a Nude Tree Walk. The trees are nude at this time of year, not the walkers. A biology professor at the College of William and Mary, Stewart Ware, taught about 35 tree enthusiasts how to indentify trees in winter. We learned how by looking at things like terminal buds, bundle scars, and bud scale scars we can identify different kinds of trees.

One of my life goals is to learn more about trees. Since I grew up in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, one might think that I would be an expert on trees. Not so, and I'm not quite sure why.

I keep an eye out for classes on trees, but they are few and far between. As a result, I was delighted to spend two hours on Saturday learning about trees.

This book by Gennifer Gholdenko is well worth reading. Moose Flanagan lives on Alcartraz Island in 1935. His father is a guard and an electrian at the high-security prison for some of the worst criminals of the day. Moose has the usual problems that kids have, except that his older sister Natalie has a mysterious mental condition, today known as autism.

Read the book to see how Moose deals with living on Alcatraz and how he manages to help his sister.

The book has won a several awards. My only criticism is several mentions of pizza, not a common food in 1935.

One of my readers, Chelsea in Michigan, had back surgery over Christmas break and last week attended school half days. This week she will begin full time again. Way to go, Chelsea!

Kids, this is a reminder. Check out the Poetry Society of Virginia on the Internet. The society runs a huge FREE poetry contest for students with many different age catagories. Do it today. The deadline for submissions is January 19, Edgar Allen Poe's birthday. There are cash prizes for the winning poems.

Every year I submit poems to the adult contest. Remember, if you don't submit an entry, there is no way you can win. As an added bonus, the contest forces me to try to bring poems to a final form. Or at least a semi-final form. I am reminded of Williams Butler Yeats, famous Irish poet. He changed poems even after they were published.

A new year is a good time to learn new things. I am taking a course in Intermediate Microsoft Word. Although I have been using Word, I don't know all the bells and whistles or should I say toggles and clipboards!

Happy New Year to everyone!

I am very busy today. My fourth kids' book is due at the publisher January 1. That is tomorrow. So you can imagine there are lots of last minute things to do. For example, I will need to print out the whole manuscript. I've been working on a list of illustrations and captions. In addition, I have filled out the publisher's acquisition questionnaire, written acknowledgments and a dedication. Of course, yesterday was a last minute read through of the text. It is always hard to let the "child" go off by herself.

Happy Christmas!

I have my eyes shut, my husband is out cold with Christmas prepartions, and Alex, our son, with his big feet is wired and ready for Santa

Christmas snowpeople and Ragedity Ann and Andy

One of my readers in Michigan, Chelsea, is having back surgery over Christmas vacation so that she won't miss a lot of school. She is in the Children's hospital in Ann Arbor.

Sending our very best to Chelsea for a speedy recovery!

December

I like dayswith a snow-white collar,
and nights when the moonis a silver dollar,
and hills are filledwith eiderdown stuffing
and your breath makes smokelike an engine puffing.

I like dayswhen feathers are snowing,
and all the eaveshave petticoats showing,
and the air is cold,
and the wires are humming,
but you feel all warm ...with Christmas coming.

~ Aileen Fisher ~

The Bells

Hear the sledges with the bells--- Silver Bells!
What a world of merriment their melody foretells!
How they tinkle,tinkle,tinkle,
In the icy air of night!
While the stars that oversprinkle
All the heavens seem to twinkle
With a crystalline delight;
Keeping time, time, time,
In a sort of Runic rhyme,
To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells
From the bells, bells, bells, bells,Bells, bells, bells,
--- From the jingling and tinkling of the bells.

- Edgar Allan Poe -

I didn't want to read historical fiction about Camden in the Revolutionary War until my book, Divided Loyalties was in print. I have just finished Cast Two Shadows by Ann Rinaldi. I liked the book in that it captured the tensions between Loyalists and Patriots in the South. The book is about more than the Revolutionary War, and I didn't find Ms. Rinaldi's handling of the racial issues always convincing.

Generally, Ms. Rinaldi's books reflect careful research and this book was no exception. However, there were errors. For example, she calls the hats worn in the Revolution tricorn hats. They were called cocked hats during the times. I only learned this when I was researching my book. Our modern designation is tricorn. I struggle hard to get all the details correct, and I know it isn't easy.

Kids, you always need to do your research CAREFULLY since there is always someone out there who knows lots and lots about whatever subject you are writing about.

If you write poetry or think you might want to give it a try, here's a great opportunity for you.

Kids in grades 1-12 can enter the Poetry Society of Virginia's annual poetry contest for free.

Catagories are grades 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12. With three cash awards in each catagory, this is a great chance for kids to compete for prizes and recognition.

The deadline for entries is January 19, Edgar Allen Poe's birthday. For rules and more information, visit www.poetrysocietyofvirginia.org

PARADE Magazine is holding its Sixth Annual Teen Poetry Contest. The deadline for submissions is 11:59, December 31, 2005. You have to between the ages of 12 and 18 and the poem must be originial and no longer than 20 lines. The prize is $300. For more details vist: www.paradeclassroom.com/poetry.

I always say if you don't enter, you can't win.

The object of National Novel Writing Month is to write a novel of 50,000 words in November. I took on the challenge because I started a new book many month ago, and I hadn't worked on it for months. I had already written 13000 plus words. So my aim was to try and finish the book. I am happy to report that I finished the first draft of the book tonight, writing more than 22,000 words this month.

It has been a busy month and I am pleased I was able to get the first draft written. I learned also more about how I write. Since I write historical novels, I research as I go along. Sometimes I came to an impasse in the story when I was unsure of the historical facts. That meant, I had to stop writing until I figured out the context or found the necessary date, event, or detail. I must have been doing this all along, but only when I was under the pressure of a deadline did I realize that my writing is a dance between the historical research and the writing.

We have gone to the beach for Thanksgiving for the last ten years or more.

This year Thanksgiving Day was sunny and warm. We especially enjoyed seeing families having fun flying kites. This family from Raleigh agreed to let me photograph them.

We visited the Bodie Island Lighthouse. We never tire of seeing it. If you like lighthouses be sure to check out books by my friend Mary "Penny" Clifford. I especially enjoyed Women Who Kept the Lights. Penny's website is listed on my blog.

We opted to celebrate Turkey Day with seafood. How could we resist a restaurant that promised "Killer Food?"

A Mako is a kind of shark. We didn't have shark, but we had an excellent meal and photogenic company.

The temperature dropped following Thanksgiving Day. But the scenery was still spectacular. Nags Head, North Carolina is a great place to spend a holiday.

Life is good!

Poet Stu Nottingham reads a poem he wrote during the workshop.

Kids, next time you are in the library give yourself a treat and indulge in reading a poetry book. I find it hard to imagine a kid that wouldn't like Ronald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes.

Poet Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda reads her poem. Shirley Sellers stands in the background.

I have been trying to read the various Battle of the Books selections for our local contest. I have recently read two historical novels. I liked The River Between Us and disliked Adaline Falling Star.

The River Between Us by Richard Peck is the story of two mysterious girls on their way to St. Louis who arrive in the small river town of Grand Tower. Although the story is set in 1861, it begins and ends in 1916. The book won a number of awards and it is well worth reading. The book could have been improved with the addition of a map.

Adaline Falling Star by Mary Pope Osborne is supposedly the story of Kit Carson's Native-American daughter. The author provides no historical note. So the reader doesn't know if Kit Carson actually had a daughter and if this tale represents her story. I disliked this book because most of the people in the book are bad. Adaline, the heroine, lies, steals, and tries to commit suicide. At one point in the story, she steals and then wears boys clothes. One might argue that she had to do this and other morally reprehensible things in order to find her father. However, I am tired of girls dressing like boys in novels. What does this tendency say about being a girl?

Today I attended a meeting of the Virginia Educational Media Association (school librarians) where I gave a talk and signed books.

I also got a chance to snuggle with a pig!

Daisy is part of a program run by Farmer Minor called "Pig Out on Reading." Daisy and Farmer Minor visit schools "to encourage youngsters to develop a love for reading."

Daisy is famous. She visited the U.S. Capitol by invitation and got her own letter from Laura Bush. She has been in newspapers around the world and has been snuggled and kissed by kids of all ages. She even has her own website: www.daisyminor.com

Farmer Minor with Daisy

My visit to Mebane, North Carolina was very special. Everyone was so nice, I felt like royality. I was taken out for a delicious dinner the night before my day at Woodlawn Middle School by the family of a loyal reader, Bailey Pennington. Bailey likes designing clothes and I was delighted to see her many creative costumes.








The next morning I was amazed to see my name out in front of the school and on a big poster at the library. My visit was even mentioned in the morning announcements.

Librarian Kim Scarlett, her able assistant Barbara Hestetune, and parent Marie Pennington did everything possible to make my visit a success. Not only was I treated to a tasty lunch, but I also had plenty of water and snacks to see me through the day.

I spoke two sixth grade groups, a seventh grade group, and an eighth grade group. I told them how I became a writer, talked about my books, and discussed tips for students to improve their writing. The students provided great input. I especially liked their innovative ideas for getting their characters out of a dangerous situations. I hope they enjoyed meeting me as much as I enjoyed visiting Woodlawn Middle School.

Special thanks to Pennington Plumbing for supporting my visit to the school.

My Halloween treat was having three trick or treaters say they liked my books. That made my Halloween very special. Thank you, readers!

I am off to North Carolina tomorrow. On Friday, I am spending the day at Woodlawn Middle School in Mebane. I'll talk to four groups of students. I am looking forward to it.

Could you write a novel in a month? Every November for the last several years, writers around the world have taken up the challenge, registering on line, and reporting their daily progress.

Since this is a very busy month for me with mulitiple programs and presentations that I am responsible for, I really doubted that I could take up the challenge. However, that is just the point of the challenge. There is never enough time.

I began my latest novel for kids many months ago, and it has been sadly neglected. So I have decided to take the plunge, sign up for the challenge, and see how I do.

I recently had a monarch butterfly visit my flowers. He or she must have been very hungry since I could come very close without the monarch flying away. Monarchs pass through Williamsburg every fall on their seasonal migration.

What happens to monarchs in a hurricane? Do they get carried along by the wind like a run-away kite? Or are they able to hide somewhere to weather the storm? I had visions of this poor hungry butterfly flying all the way to Virginia and then being blown back to Pennsylvania.

Yesterday we went to see the new exhibit at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk. The curators discovered many overlooked paintings in the museum's warehouses. One of the pictures may even be a Rembrant.

The new exhibit focuses on treasures that the museum has owned for years and that have not been displayed or have been forgotten. It was well worth the drive to Norfolk.

I haven't put a poem on line for a while and I am wondering if kids today know this poem. It has always been a favorite of mine.


The Duel (The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat) by Eugene Field

The gingham dog and the calico cat
Side by side on the table sat;
'Twas half-past twelve, and (what do you think!)
Nor one nor t'other had slept a wink!
The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate
Appeared to know as sure as fate
There was going to be a terrible spat.
(I wasn't there; I simply state
What was told to me by the Chinese plate!)

The gingham dog went " Bow-wow-wow!"
And the calico cat replied "Me-ow!"
The air was littered,an hour or so,
With bits of gingham and calico,
While the old Dutch clock in the chimney place
Up with it hands before its face,
For it always dreaded a family row!
(Now mind: I'm only telling you
What the old Dutch clock declares is true!)

The Chinese plate looked very blue,
And wailed,"Oh dear! What shall we do!"
But the gingham dog and the calico cat
Wallowed this way and tumbled that,
Employing every tooth and claw
In the awfullest way you ever saw-
And oh! how the gingham and calico flew!
(Don't fancy I exaggerate! I got my news from the Chinese plate!)

Next morning where the two had sat
They found no trace of dog or cat;
And some folks think unto this day
That burglars stole the pair away!
But the truth about the cat and pup
Is this: they ate each other up!
Now what do you really think of that!
(The old Dutch clock, it told me so,
And that is how I came to know.)

I have been asked to be on a panel for the Virginia Library Association Conference this week concerning ethics in children's literature. The dictionary says that ethics is the study of the rules or standards governing conduct.

Since I write for middle grade readers, I've been reading books for kids eight to twelve with ethics in mind. What I have found is a lot of lying, cheating, and stealings in kids' literature. Sometimes such moral failings are justified. Let's say, for example, that it is okay to lie if the Nazis are looking for your mom. But what I am finding is that in a number of books, there is no real necsessity for kids to lie, cheat, or steal. But they do so without consequence. That is very upsetting because my gray hairs have taught me that actions have CONSEQUENCES.

I've been working pretty intently the last couple of weeks on obtaining historical illustrations for my fourth book. A lot of material is available from the Civil War period, but not all of it is in the public domain. Material that is copyrighted or privately owned can't be used in a book without obtaining special permission and many times a cost to the writer.

How do I find material? I research photographs and prints on the Internet and in libraries. It is frustrating to find a great illustration and yet not be able to get permission to use it. Sometimes I just can't find a picture I'm looking for. For example, I've looked and looked for a photograph or lithograph of the Baltimore and Ohio train depot in Washington during the Civil War. Although I've seen a couple of pictures of the depot, I haven't been able to find a good one I can use.

Why do I bother? Some people say the past is unknowable, a foreign country. I believe, and my readers agree, that period pictures help to bring the past alive.

I am reading a book called Huck's Raft by Steven Mintz (Harvard University Press, 2004). It's a fascinating history of American childhood. The author gives many examples of how kids actually participated in our history. I haven't finished the book, but I am learning that it has never been easy being a kid or being a parent.

Within a matter of weeks, two different people recommended From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg to me. I always try to read books folks recommend although sometimes it takes me a while to read them. With two recommendations in a row, I moved this book to the top of the list. It is a Newbery Award Winner and a children's classic. Usually, kids recommend books to me. However, two adults recommended this book. So the book's appeal is enduring. It is a charming tale of two kids who run away to the Metropolitan Museum in New York City and try to solve a mystery surrounding a scupture attributed to Michelangelo.

The second book I am recommending is The River Between Us by Richard Peck. I had a little trouble following the story when the narrative went from 1916 back to 1861 and the Civil War. But that may have been since I was listening to the book on tape in my car. The story turns around several generations of the Pruitt family and the author gives good insights into the Civil War period and tells a good tale at the same time.

A reader in Oklahoma writes:

"I think it is excellent, so full of adventure! Your story is a great asset to Colonial Williamsburg because it makes me feel like I've gone back in time to when American wasn't yet a free country. I like the way you explain the characters; it makes me feel like I really get to know them. . . .I think you are a great writer and someday I hope to be as good as you."

A reader in North Carolina writes:

"I loved it! But I had to wait to read it. One: I had to finish reading the latest Charlie Bone book. And two: Dad had to read it first. He loves your books too!"

My fourth kids' book about a girl who is a healer has been accepted for publication. Twelve-year-old Lili has the power to heal. She doesn't understand her gift and it keeps getting her into trouble. Her classmates shun her and adults look on her with suspicion. She hates being different. A crisis comes when Lili’s father is lost in the Civil War Battle of the Wilderness. Lili’s mother can no longer support the family on her meager wages as a seamstress. She entrusts Lili and her brother to a Philadelphia orphanage. To find out what happens to Lili and how she deals with her gift, you'll have to wait until the book come out.

Ah, California. Sunshine and crystal clear air, flowers everywhere, Napa Valley wines, and the pleasure of seeing family and friends made leaving Calfiornia difficult.

The Miata did great. It was exhilerating to drive at 80 MPH with the top down, playing tag with mammoth trucks. And everywhere we enjoyed the big sky over places like the rich, sunflower-filled fields of Kansas and rolling green hills of Oklahoma.

Trip highlights include sampling different varieties of olives with our son Alex, touring my friend Carol's house and garden, lunch in Santa Rosa with Anja, a former student and friend, and getting an oil change in the Miata.

An oil change? Let me explain. Because the Miata is brand new we needed to have an oil change in California. My husband asked Shaun Del Grande, owner of Oak Tree Madza to work us in to the busy schedule for the oil change. Mr. Del Grande turned us over to Robert White



and the skillful care of Tim Trompeter.

When the car was ready, not only did we get a discount on the oil change, but the little car had been cleaned inside and out without charge. So the sparkling little car that we left Williamsburg with was returned to its pristine condition thanks to the kindness of strangers.

The most interesting restaurant we visited was one in West Virginia with a mural containing a BMW with working headlights.



The second most interesting restaurant was one with elk, antelope, and steer heads on the the wall in Wyoming.




We saw herds of antelope in the fields of Wyomng, but no buffalo, except the outline of one on a mountain.




We saw herds of windtowers crowning hill tops in several states.



With skyrocketing gasoline prices, it was encouraging to see the use of wind power with these powerful windmills.



A highlight of the journey home was our visit to the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert in Arizona.












I was especially taken with the prehistoric petrogyphs. As a writer I felt great affinity for these ancient artists whose drawings proclaim: "I was here and this is how I see my world."








Most of our accommodations were predictable. However, one in Nevada offered on-site slot machines.



Another sported a bed of roses.



On our last night, we got a souvenir of the trip.



Colby, Kansas calls itself an oasis on the prarie. This oasis has a grove of plastic palm trees.




IT'S A WONDERFUL WORLD!

We arrived yesterday in Mountain View, California to see our son. Our little car did famously in the rain and on all the curves and mountains. We had the top down much of the way and enjoyed the open road and all the wonderful and curious sights.

Today I got feedback from two readers of my new book, Divided Loyalties. I've been wondering if girls would like the book since it is about a boy. Carson liked it better than my other books and said it was "an amazing read." Chelsea really enjoyed it, but thought it was "more emotional" than my other books. She liked the girl in the book because "I usually tend to like the girl characters more than the boys." She also enjoyed it because she likes to read about the Revolutionary War.

On Monday I traveled to Petersburg, Virginia where I gave a talk to nearly 60 girls aged eight to twelve. This was the final session of a Girls' Summer Book Group. I talked about being a writer, about the Civil War, and about my books. The girls were attentive and responsive. I hope that they enjoyed my presentation as much as I enjoyed meeting them.

Carson, a reader from North Carolina, recommended For Freedom, the Story of a French Spy by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Set in Cherbourg, France during World War II, fifteen-year-old Suzanne became a spy for the French Resistence. This exciting historical novel is based on the experiences of Suzanne David Hall. My only criticism of the book is that I would have liked an author's note highlighting the accurate parts of the story. Also a glossary would help readers unfamiliar with World War II.

Not long ago at a book signing, a young reader recommended Shelley Pearsall's book, Trouble Don't Last. I always try to read what kids suggest. Sometimes it takes we a while, since I get so many book recommendations.

I was initially not very enthused about the book when I found the subject was the Underground Railroad. The topic has been written about so much that I feared I would be bored. However, I was pleasantly surprised with Ms. Pearsall's book. It is a compelling story, carefully research with a wonderful command of significant historical details.