Ready for the Easter Bunny

Michigan Day 3

Day 3 in Michigan started at Beechview Elementary.
The students had lots of good ideas and made me so feel welcome.

Then on to Kenbrook Elementary.
I was greeted at the door by this great Dive into a Good Book display:

The students really made me feel welcome and special.
They even presented me with my favorite coffee and some dog bones for Ruby and Matty!

The day ended at Eagle Elementary.
A fun time, smart kids, and lots of laughs.

Michigan Day 2

On my second day in Farmington, Michigan, I started the day at Highmeadow Common Campus.

First I was welcomed by some terrific posters:

And all the students were eager to participate:

Then it was over to Hillside Elementary, where I was welcomed with this great display and some avid readers:

Third school of the day was Gill Elementary. Those kids had really thought about How to Steal a Dog and we had a terrific discussion.

Michigan Day 1

My week in Farmington, Michigan, started with the fantastic Forest Elementary School.
So much enthusiasm and some great ideas!

Next came the gang from Wooddale and Flanders.
They had great questions and comments!

Then I was made to feel so welcome at Our Lady of Sorrows.
Such a beautiful school!

Sigh

If you're in the neighborhood...

....stop by and see me.

(That's at the library in Farmington Hills, Michigan, on March 24.)

By the way

The world's worst restaurant is NOT in Michigan.

(See how much fun I'm having with phone blogging?)

Still experimenting with phone blogging

This is an "omelette" at the world's worst restaurant. Seriously.

Testing

I'm trying to figure out how to blog from my phone (while eating sushi)

I'm off

Headed to Farmington, Michigan, for a week of school visits.

I'm not taking my computer with me - so blogging won't get done until I get home.

R.I.P. Sid Fleischman

So sad to hear of the passing of the great children's author, Sid Fleischman.

We had several conversations when I lived in L.A and he donated books to a nonprofit preschool I was connected with.

A lovely man and a gifted writer.

Don't insult me like that

Oh, how I love Karen Cushman!

Her writing is so much fun to read.

She's all about WORDS.

Glorious, creative words.

And talk about good insults!

I thought Elvis (The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis) was pretty good at insulting.

I mean, bug-brained booger breath is pretty good, right?

But Elvis can't hold a candle to Meggy Swann (The Alchemy and Meggy Swann).

Exhibit A:

wart-necked flap maggot

penny pinching nip cheese

milk-livered minnow

mewling flap-mouthed flax wench

Cease your bibble babble, you gleeking goat's bladder.

And when she isn't busy insulting, Karen Cushman is tossing out words like:

skimble skamble

marble-hearted

beslubbered

I love this book.

Thank you, Kirby.

So proud of these kids

I am so proud that How to Steal a Dog inspired these kids to participate in this great project.

I can't wait to visit Hampden Meadows School in April and tell them in person how proud I am of them.

Pigeon talk

So, you know that idea I've been noodling around for my next book?

The pigeon racing idea?

My son alerted me to this bizarre news.

Characters with disabilities

I'm proud to be included on this list of books for middle school students that show characters with disabilities in a positive light.

Me and Rupert Goody won the Dolly Gray Award in 2002.

MacKids Blog

My March entry for the MacKids (Macmillan) blog is up.

Score!

Driving past a grocery store yesterday, I had a sudden impulse to zip in and see if, by some miracle, they had my beloved old and unimproved Cafe Francais "coffee."

Score!

Here's my current stash:

Now, granted, a few of them have passed their expiration date, but, hey, who cares?

I love kids

Recently received:

Dear Mrs. O'Connor,

I really liked this book but I was wondering if you can write a book called How to Steal a Second Dog?

Ruby is such a lover

Matty is content to be beside me.

Not Ruby.

Matty is so busted

My world famous molasses cookies:

Spring in New England

It's been a long winter.

Finally, the snow is melting.

The sun is warmer.

And I can do my crossword puzzle in the Adirondack chair in the backyard.

Well, okay, it's still a little cold, but, hey, we're getting there....

Quote of the Day

Writing gives you the illusion of control, and then you realize it's just an illusion, that people are going to bring their own stuff into it.

--David Sedaris

Kids say the darnedest things

From a fourth grader (in a letter):

I'm not that fond of reading but as I started reading your book, I rethought that statement.

My face in lights!

This is the first time I've seen my mug up there in lights!
I love Texas.

I love kids

In a letter from a fifth grader:

My favorite story from you is How to Steal a Dog. How in the world can someone come up with those ideas? You obviously cheated from the internet, right?



Love those kids.

Rocky came to visit

While I was in Texas, my husband came home from work one day and a squirrel had gotten into the house!!



I have two dogs.

They look very innocent here:


But you can imagine the chaos that ensued in that house with those dogs and that squirrel!!!!

I'm just glad I didn't have to come home to the scene (which included two out-of-control dogs, one extremely unhappy squirrel, overturned chairs, my favorite antique birdhouse toppled onto the floor, and torn curtains.)

More Texas pics

First of all, a big, big Texas-size thank you to Northwest Independent School District


At Granger Elementary School in Keller, Texas:

At Hatfield Elementary in Justin, Texas:

At Justin Elementary in Justin, Texas:

At Haslet Elementary in Haslet, Texas:

A great poster from Prairie View School based on Georgina's journal in How to Steal a Dog:

Showing the fourth graders at Peterson School what an adorable fourth grader I was:

I tried my best to get pictures at each school but didn't always have a chance.

But here's a big shout-out to: Beck Elementary (you guys totally rock!), Hughes Elementary (thanks for everything!), Seven Hills School (what a warm welcome you gave me!).

Here I am saying:
OH, you wonderful, wonderful children!!!

I like this picture because this is my fifth day in Texas and I think I'm starting to look a little bit like a cowgirl (Oh, come on, I said a little bit):