CHATTING WITH H.H. POOLE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Sudents at H.H. Poole Middle School have read BLUE. In preparation for my April visit, they sent me some questions. I am going to dribble the answers out here over the next several posts.

Feel free to lurk while we chat.

I'll begin with a few of the personal questions they sent me. (and if you click on the ABOUT ME link at the top of the page you'll see me as I really am -sort of)

1. What are your other favorite foods besides banana bread and dark chocolate? Do you like potatoes?

I love potatoes.  Anyway you slice them. Or season them. Or cook them. They're one of my favorite comfort foods. I also love raw veggies, exotic foods in general, fried okra and just about anything healthy! And a lot of things that aren't healthy. Can you tell I love to eat? (FWIW - I am not fond of horseradish!)

2. Do you have a bodyguard?

Yes, my 3 year old grandson is my “duper hero”. He is “drong and brave”. Don’t mess with him!

Actually I try not to make enemies. I don’t have any valuables. And I’m way too boring for the paparazzi to mess with. So my duper hero can handle anything that comes up.

3. When is your birthday?
July 18. Eight years after NC’s polio epidemic. You do the math!

Here I am as a baby with my older sister.

4. Did making forts help you create wisteria mansion?
Oh, I think so. I gew up on a homestead that had a barn with lots of empty sweet potato crates in them. My siblings and I used those crates to build houses and mazes. And I would go with my friends into the woods and create playhouses too.

My hubby and I are creating a wisteria mansion in the field behind our house. (He does most of the work because I burned up too many belts on his mower.) Unlike my real house it gets bigger and better every year.

I’ve always loved creating play and living spaces. When I feel discouraged with my house or maybe a little depressed I just rearrange my furniture and it makes me feel like I have a whole new house.

5. What’s your favorite book?

Okay, this is a very hard question. When I go to a restaurant with 10 items on the menu I cannot decide which I want. And you want me to choose one favorite book from the thousands of options? So let’s try to narrow this down.

I mostly read historical fiction. I like books from the early 20th century. I am drawn to holocaust stories. So I will give you several favorites.

A few incredible holocaust books 
The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank
Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli
Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy
Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Historical but not holocaust
The Night of the Burning by Linda Press Wulf
Sudie by Sara Flanigan
Billy Creekmore – by Tracey Porter
City of Cannibals – by Rikki Thompson
Jip: His Story by Katherine Paterson

Other
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Wintergirlz by Laurie Halse Anderson
When We Were Saints  - by Han Nolan

There are tons of amazing books out there and I'm sure I've forgotten something really important.  But I love anything by Katherine Paterson, Jerry Spinelli, and Gary Paulsen.

MONDAY MORNING BLUES

Although the word "blue" implies a sad mood, it has had mostly happy connotations for me the last few years. So, if I say I'm having a BLUE Monday, it's probably a good thing.

Now that my day job is writing from home, I adore Mondays. They represent a whole new week of possibilities. I often have author events coming up. I might get a book proposal sent off to my editor. It's entirely possible that I will get my latest home decor project done and I will get some time in with my grands!

I could use a little more order in my life so I'm working on scheduling. Blogging is one of the areas where I need order.

I'm going to try blogging about certain things on each day of the week. For example, on Monday's I'll anticipate the week ahead. And on another day I'll blog about research. And one day of the week I'll recommend books or interview another author. And it's always good, don't you think, to have a Thankful Thursday?

We'll see how it goes. But for now. Here's my BLUE Monday anticipation of the week ahead.

1. Tonight - 9:00 on PBS - The Polio Crusade. (Verify local times)

Getting the grands tonight too! Sticky kisses, poopy diapers, and bubble baths on the schedule. Chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast in the am.

2. Tuesday - Meals on Wheels delivery at noon and later, "date night" with hubby.
3. Thursday I finally get to meet the students at H.H. Poole Middle School in Stafford, VA
4. Friday, I spend the day at J. Frank Hillyard Middle in Broadway, VA.
5. Time with niece, nephew and sister on Friday and Saturday. Yay!
6. Research in an archive on Saturday - big thrill for me. I'll let you know if I find a treasure.

Oh, and over in Alamance County, NC the week is chocked full of BLUE related events. Here are a few of them.

Tonight - 7:00 - Dan Moury, a Miracle of Hickory polio patient speaks at May Memorial Library in Burlington. He's showing home movies with rare footage of the hospital and he's an engaging speaker. Go folks, go!

And on Tuesday - at Burlington's Paramount Theater there will be a panel discussion "Outbreak in Alamance County: Past and Future Responses to Epidemics Here at Home".

Also tomorrow night - there is a discussion of BLUE at Mebane Public Library.
On Friday, the "Alamance Reads" Writing Contest entries are due!