I'm about to introduce you to a few good books that you'll want to win for your school, library, or your bookshelf at home..
For starters:
A book of poems about 3 famous mother daughter duos. (Starred reviews by School Library Journal and Booklist!)
Jeannine Atkins just published BORROWED NAMES. She sent me a copy but I don't get to keep it. I'm she's giving it away here. You or your school could be the winner. But you have to beg for it in order to get you name in the hat. Do so by sending me an email or commenting on any of my blogposts. Just tell me you want the book.
Jeannine also sent me Anne Hutchinson's Way which I blogged about here. I vaguely rememer learning about Anne Hutchinson back in elementary school during a unit on the Puritans but I had forgotten. So I loved this book. It's a picture book for elementary students. You have to beg for that too.
I will be interviewing Jeannine here soon - like next week. So come back and meet her!
And have you noticed the copy of Captain Mac in the sidebar? Top right hand corner.Yep, there it is. I interviewed Author, Mary Morton Cowan here. I'm Mary Morton Cowan is giving that away. This is non-fiction, about an Arctic explorer. A fabulous addition to any school, homeschool, or library!. Ask for it. I'll enter you in the contest. The deadline is April 1.
And one more thing - A DVD. This is a short reenactment of a historical event - think D-Day from the perspective of a French girl who suddenly finds her yard swarming with Allied soldiers. It's a short movie produced for a museum. I'm Professor Eric Groce is giving it away. (His research and writing led to this movie.)
Times are tight. Budgets are being cut. But you can get a book for free. Here's how I know. I entered a contest for Riding Invisible by Sandra Akonzo. I won. It arrived yesterday. And a little over a year ago, I won Tracking Daddy Down by Mary Beth Kelsey. That's two books in less than two years. Not bad for someone who doesn't actually enter that many contests!
Someone's got to win - it might as well be you. Leave a comment. (A separate one for each book.)
Deadlines are as follows - I'll announce the winners on these dates.
Captain Mac - April 1
Borrowed Names - April 14
Anne Hutchinson's Way - April 14
DVD - Papa said, "We should never forget." April 21
1. Time to announce the winner of the DVD giveaway!
Ruthie Voth of Clayhole, KY is the lucky ducky today. Congratulations, Ruthie! I hope your family enjoys and also that you can share it in your schools!
One copy of Papa said, "We should never forget." is coming your way. I'm thowing some popcorn in with that. But you'll have to buy the Ale 8.
Thanks to Dr. Eric Groce of Appalachian State University for providing the DVD and doing the meticulous research that led to its production!
CONSOLATION TO THOSE WHO DIDN'T WIN. I HAVE 2 MORE COPIES FOR GIVEAWAY. (NEAR FUTURE)
2. Remember yesterday's post in which I suggested that Mrs. Cunningham, my 7th grade teacher, might be scary?
I hope I didn't miscommunicate. The whole point of my entry was, that being critiqued is always a little scary but this is a lady I love and trust. My description of her as a teacher was an attempt to say what I think middle graders feel about their teachers. They have so much power and that alone makes students quake a little.
But Mrs. Cunningham was a teacher who used her power for good - speaking hope and promise into students' lives. I remember her classroom as a place of art projects, music, preparation for fun field trips, and always learning in unexpected ways.
I remember a Christmas caroling trip on the activity bus with my classmates after hours - topped off with hot chocolate and cookies at Mrs. Cunningham's house.
Yesterday, I sat in her livingroom and she oh-so-gently led me in an exploration of my work-in-progress. She had three pages of suggestions and questions but she didn't reveal them until I was ready to leave. By then, we'd discussed nearly everything on the list and I don't think she even referred to those pages while we talked. We simply conversed. She could have thrust her wisdom and insight on me but she allowed me to have lots of aha moments for myself. And we had a few revelations together as we realized missing elements to the story and ways my character could communicate more effectively.
The only scary part of the day was realizing I'm not as ready to submit as I thought I was.
Oh, well, what's new?
I can do this and I will. Thank you, Mrs. C.! And thanks to Mr. C. too! (for green tea and muffins, and recollections of the draft)
Last week, Eric Groce flew to France. (Some people get the best gigs!) Here he is with his "two French Grandmothers".Marthe and Odette are characters in Eric's work-in-progress - historical fiction about French villagers who assisted members of the 82nd Airborne after the D-Day invasion. Marthe (standing) the main character, was 12 years-old at the time.
This is Eric's 7th trip to France. This time he's working on a new WWII story about children of the resistance. I asked him to give us a brief update:
#1 unexpected challenge----I got to Memorial de Caen---a large museum and library to do research and make digital images from the archives and the librarian informed me the archives were closed until March! (sad face)…so I began to find historic spots around the city related to my person of interest and log them in my GPS and make notes about them. Not what I had planned, but the best I could do under the circumstances.
#2 new person ---The next day I interviewed a gentleman named Monsieur Andre Heintz. He was a teacher at the Ecole St. Joseph in Caen during the war years and was heavily involved in the Resistance. He is 90 years old and as fit as a fiddle! Truly a remarkable gentleman.
#3 Anything else? --- Even though the weather in this part of France is almost always cold, windy, and wet, the welcome I always receive from my friends in Normandy always warms my heart---not to mention the fantastic food.
Hmmm - French food? Eric seriously gets my Lil' Green Research Award. (It's all about professional jealousy!) Thank you Eric for sharing! I suppose the closed museum means you'll be going back in March?And to my dear readers, you can have a free 20 minute DVD reenactment of Marthe and Odette's heartwarming story - IF you enter and win the contest. See sidebar!
Please sign up today - and if you win - do share it with a classroom or library near you. A loan is fine. You don't have to give it away.
Dr. Eric Groce is flying off to France. It's a research trip. And guess who's jealous!
Oui! C'est moi
Eric teaches Social Studies to Elementary Education majors at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. A few years ago, he bumped into my editor at the National Council for the Social Studies Conference. I wasn't there but I think Carolyn handed him a copy of BLUE and since then, he's made it required reading in his classes.
As Dr. Groce tells his students, "Historical fiction is a great complement to the textbook and nonfiction sources because it brings out the humanity in history."
I'm not unhappy about this attitude. Besides the BLUE and COMFORT sales he's generated, I've learned some things from Eric. Such as how to do research in a foreign land through an interpreter. (Little dream of mine). Eric has made six previous trips to France because of a piece of history that captured his heart.
It's a D-Day story from the French perspective. The story of what happened when 200 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne dropped in on the small village of Graignes, way off their target drop zone. And how the villagers aided the Allied forces in their liberation. Eric began searching for eye witnesses and discovered Marthe who, at the time, was 12 years old. He asked to interview her and Marthe said, "Sure, come to Normandy." …or something along those lines.
He went five times; conducting interviews, visiting museums, digitizing primary source documents, and eating plenty of good Norman cooking! The sixth trip was to make a short movie of the story. The 24 minute movie debuted on Georgia PBS stations last year and is shown daily at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, GA.
Eric is now fine tuning his fictional account of this event and preparing it for submission to an editor. Oh, to have a movie made of my book before it is published! (Or anytime, for that matter.)
Anyway, you can own this DVD. While Eric is in France researching his next book, a nonfiction account of children who lived during the occupation years (1940-1944), I'll be running a contest to give away a copy of Papa said, "We should never forget." It's a great story - so well done. It even won a Southeast Regional Emmy for photography. So drop in here with a comment - include the word "parachute" in your comment and I'll enter you into a drawing. Winner will be chosen on February 20.
There's just one condition.
We want this to reach students. So, if you're not a teacher or librarian please share it with someone who is. You don't have to GIVE it. Just loan it to a class who is studying WWII. And later, you can loan it again to another group. Spread this heartwarming story around because it brings out the humanity in history.
And speaking of humanity, I'll post Eric's pic here in a few days. Along with updates of his "right there, right now" research experience in France.
