Class Visits!

Yes, I know I've been MIA in the blogosphere lately. But I've been wonderfully busy preparing for classroom visits and then visiting those classes! It's really been a fun week.

Thursday, I had a skype visit with the sixth graders at Wentzville Middle School in Missouri. The english teacher has been reading A Dog's Way Home to her classes over the last several weeks, so the students had a good grasp of the book--essential for a skype visit. I talked with the kids about how I became a writer, what inspired me to write this book, and then some different elements of the book, such as why I chose the setting (North Carolina) I did, and who or what the antagonists are in the book. The kids very astutely fingered nature as Tam's antagonist. I wish I had allowed more time for the Q&A session. The kids really had great questions! Of course, the highlight of the whole presentation for the kids was when they got to meet my two shelties, Teddy and Sherlock (Boo hates to be held). The minute they saw Teddy's face with that white star on his head, they said, "It's Tam!" I know some authors are not comfortable with skype visits. But even being the technophobe that I am, I think it's such a great way to connect "live" with readers you normally wouldn't be able to.

Today I had a "real" school visit at one of our local elementary schools. The kids--3rd through 5th graders--were terrific. I'd made myself learn power point (can you believe it?) for this, and it worked (mostly) like a charm. Given the fact that A) there were probably 80-100 kids and B) many of them probably hadn't read the book, they were very attentive and engaged. And again, they had some great questions at the end! They were all pretty united in the opinion that since A Dog's Way Home was inspired by and written for Teddy and Boo, it's now Sherlock's turn for a book! And I think they're right!

What do you hear?

That's something I've always wondered about my dogs. I know their hearing is a zillion times keener than mine. Boo can hear the breathing and scratching of mice beneath the deep snow. Sherlock can here the soft rustle of a plastic bag from a dead sleep in another part of the house. Teddy, well in truth, Teddy doesn't hear much of anything anymore, bless his heart. What must it be like to live with those ears, that hearing? I pondered this daily as I wrote Tam's chapters in my book, A Dog's Way Home. What did he hear in the forest as he made his way home to his Girl?

What does Boo hear?

In this lovely poem by Lisel Mueller, she ponders the same question:

What the Dog Perhaps Hears


If an audible whistle blown between our lips
can send him home to us,
then silence is perhaps
the sound of spiders breathing
and roots mining the earth;
it may be asparagus heaving,
headfirst, into the light
and the long brown sound of cracked cups
when it happens.
We would like to ask the dog
if there is a continuous whir
because the child in the house keeps growing,
if the snake really stretches full length without a click
and the sun breaks through the clouds
without a decibel of effort;
whether autumn, when the trees
dry up their wells, there isn't a shutter
too high for us to hear.
What is it like up there
above the shut-off level
of our simple ears?
For us there was no birth-cry,
the newborn bird is suddenly here,
the egg broken, the nest alive,
and we heard nothing when the world changed.


Lisa Mueller

Fido and Friend in Five: Hilary Hyland, Teddy, and Ethie!

Hilary and Teddy

I just have to say, I LOVE Newfoundlands. Sure they're huge and drool a lot, but you will rarely meet a sweeter, gentler breed. At the library where I work in Salt Lake City, we have a Newfie who comes to the library once a month for the kids to read to. The kids line up for a chance to read to Bucky! So I was very happy to find this wonderful book, The Wreck of the Ethie, about a brave Newfoundland. I was thrilled when the author, Hilary Hyland, agreed to stop by for a chat on Fido and Friend in Five! The multi-award winning The Wreck of the Ethie was inspired by the true story of the 1919 sinking of the ship, the Ethie. Because of one very determined and brave Newfie, ninety-two people were saved, including an 18 month baby who was saved in the ship's mail bag! Of course, this is what Newfie's were bred for: to rescue people at sea. They are terrific swimmers and have big, webbed feet!

So let's meet Hilary and Teddy and Ethie!

1. How did you and your dogs find each other?  I have two (150 pounds each) Newfoundland dogs. Ethie (named after the ship wreck) came from a Canadian Newfoundland breeder. Ethie flew into the U.S. on Air Canada and believes with all her heart that the entire world should revolve around her. Teddy Bear had been starved and abused. The Newfoundland Rescue League saved him and he came into our lives when he was two years old. Typical of the breed, both are sweet, gentle, and love children. Which comes in handy as they alternate going on author/school visits with me. They are a BIG hit with the kids and perfect ambassadors for the breed.

Teddy Bear and Ethie

2. What makes Ethie and Teddy's tails wag?  WATER! More water! Water for swimming. Lake, river, ocean, Barbie pool, sprinkler. After all, they must always be on alert to save some hapless soul from drowning. Newfs have a natural instinct for water rescue, and there are many true stories about their life saving abilities. They are the most powerful swimmers in the dog world and have huge, webbed paws.

3. What's your all time favorite dog story?  This is harder than a calculus question for me! There are SO many terrific  dog stories. I'm wringing my hands...only one? Okay, perhaps, Lad: A Dog by Albert Payson Terhune. Let me also sneak in my favorite picture book, Riptide, by Frances Ward Weller.

4.  If your dogs could change just one thing about you, what would it be?  They would change where I live. Although it's quite lovely here in Virginia, they'd prefer we move to the ocean or a lake.

5. In five words, tell us what Ethie and Teddy Bear mean to you:  Love, love, love, love, love!

Thanks to Hilary, Ethie, and Teddy for stopping by! To find out more about Hilary and her book, and to follow her on her blog, click here  www.hilaryhyland.com

To find out more about Newfoundland dogs, click here  www.ncanewfs.org

Interview by Cat!

Hello blog friends! I've been out of town for the last several days in The Den of Iniquity--otherwise known as Las Vegas! What, you may ask, was a nice, quiet librarian/children's author doing in Las Vegas? Actually, I found myself wondering the same thing! But I'd 1) never been there before and 2) was DESPERATE to get away from snow and cold and 3) was kidnapped by a friend. I will sum up by saying  one time in Vegas is enough for me. Still, it's an interesting place. I mean, where else but in Vegas will you see an Elvis impersonator taking a picture on a street corner of Micky and Minnie Mouse?!

Efie Loo and Tam

Efie is bowled over by my book!

But I was delighted to come home and find this great blog review and interview with me on T.K Millin's blog, The Unknown Author. She asked her cat, Efie Loo, to write the review and conduct the interview. Which I really appreciated as I DO share my life with two cats, and because Tam does have a certain fondness for cats in my book, A Dog's Way Home. Perhaps because the interview was done by a cat, there were some great questions! I mean, NO ONE (human) has asked me before where the name Tam comes from! It took the curiosity of a cat to get the answer. So you'll have to read the review and interview to find out the answer to that burning question AND to enter a chance to win a signed copy of my book! Just click on this link  www.tkmillin.blogspot.com

Thanks again, TK and Efie Loo!

Good News and Good Poem!

Well, today I can finally let the cat out of the bag: I have a new book coming out! The title is (at least for now) Mercy's Bone, and it will be published in Fall 2012 by Arthur A. Levine Books! I am very excited and honored to have the opportunity to work with Arthur Levine who is, well, legendary. Mercy's Bone is for (approximately) grades six and up--although I think it will have "cross-over appeal" to adults as well. It takes place in Russia in the mid-1990s, after the fall of the Soviet Union. It was inspired by a true story of a young homeless boy who survived the winters and streets of Moscow because of a pack of feral street dogs.

And speaking of dogs, today's poem is from one of my favorite books of children's poetry, Once I Ate a Pie, by Patricia MacLachlan. You may remember, Patty and her dogs were featured last month in my Fido and Friends in Five spotlight! This is a warm, funny, and amazingly insightful book of poetry about dogs. Here's my favorite:

Lucy

I was adopted from a shelter.

I love the couch. It is mine.

The chairs and beds are mine, too.

And the house.

At night I sleep between my owners.

They gave me a pillow of my own.

Mine.

Fido and Friend in Five: Allie Larkin, Argo, and Stella!

Argo and Allie

that's Argo on the cover

Many years ago, after a particularly onerous divorce, a friend of mine gave me a mug that said, "The more I know men, the more I love my dog." Too true! And that could certainly be the motto of the heroine in Allie Larkin's charming debut novel, Stay. After having her heart broken too many times in too many places, Savannah Leone has her heart mended by Joe, a 100 pound German Shepherd Dog. After I read Stay, I decided to contact Allie to see if she'd like to be spotlighted in Fido and Friend. I was delighted she was willing to take time out of her busy schedule! Allie is not only a writer, she is co-founder of TheGreenists.com  www.thegreenists.com a website dedicated to helping readers take simple steps toward going green.

And now I give you the story of Allie, Argo, and Stella:

1. How did you and your dogs find each other?  We got Argo through an acquaintance. Stella came to us because the kennel where we board Argo knew she needed a home, and asked us if we'd be interested in adding another German Shepherd to our family. She was a wild beast for the first month or so, but eventually calmed down and turned into our funny, sweet Stella. I couldn't imagine life without her! She and Argo are best buds. It makes me so happy to see them play together!

Stella

2. What makes Argo and Stella's tails wag?  Both Argo and Stella wag their tails when we talk to them. It's so cute! And nothing makes Argo happier than playing frisbee.

3.  What are some of your all-time favorite dog books?  I loved Call of the Wild when I was younger. When I was eight or nine, I was completely obsessed with a cartoon called Belle and Sebastian, about a boy and his dog in the Pyrenees mountains. It was based on a series of books by Cecile Aubrey.

Stella & Argo, best buds

4.  If your dogs could change just one thing about you, what would that be?  I think Argo would rather I didn't work. He'd be happier if my official job title was Retriever of Dog Toys from Under the Furniture.

5.  In five words, tell us what Stella and Argo mean to you:  unconditional love, loyal friendship, joy.

Thanks Allie! It's great to spotlight an author who writes for adults! To find out more about Allie and her funny and utterly delightful novel, Stay, visit her website  www.allielarkinwrites.com

Celebrating National Library Week!

Last night, I helped the Park City Library celebrate National Library Week with my sheltie, Sherlock. I not only talked about my book, A Dog's Way Home, but I talked about the importance of libraries in my life. Of course, since it's also National Poetry Month, I had to read Mary Oliver's poem, Percy and Books (which I posted last week on this blog). Anyway, since most of you couldn't be at the Park City Library last night, I thought I'd share with you my talk about libraries.

It's a particular pleasure for me to be here to kick off National Library Week. As some of you know, in my other life, I'm a librarian--I've been one for an embarrassing number of years. I'm also on the board of the Park City Library, so my commitment to libraries runs deep. And long.


When I was a kid, we moved a lot. My mother and my sister thought it was all a grand adventure to move on to the next place, where things would undoubtedly be better. But not me. I was a shy, sensitive child who craved permanence and stability. I did not make friends as easily as my sister did. My best friends were of the four-footed variety, and were also characters in books with names like Pippi Longstocking, Lassie, and others. As soon as we'd move to a new town, unpack the car and our few belongings, I'd head to the public library. There I knew just how the books would be arranged on the shelves and how the place would smell, no matter if we were in Destin, Florida or Dawson, Georgia. When I walked through that front door of whatever library it was and smelled that musty, sweet bookish smell, I knew I was home. As a child, libraries--both public and school--provided a secure place for me, no matter where I was. And books helped me make sense of the world and not feel so alone.


A lot like dogs, now that I think about it.


As a writer, libraries and books helped me tell my own stories. For both of my books, The Ring and A Dog's Way Home, I spent hours and hours of time in the library doing research to make my books (even though they were fiction) ring honest and true. I read books by authors who wrote on the same subjects I did--authors like Chris Crutcher, E.L. Going, Kate DiCamillo, and Cynthia Rylant--for inspiration and courage.


I could not imagine being a writer without being a reader. And I could not be a reader without libraries. I doubt many of us could. 


(As utterly amazing as this speech of mine was, my sweet little sheltie boy, Sherlock, was the star of the show)