The Cute Photo Approach to Speaking

Is it wrong to pull out cute photos of your kids when you're speaking in public?

That's me, showing the adorable baby passport my daughter, Rebecca, was issued before she left Japan at four weeks old. In my defense, I was talking about military families and how much we move.  And how story can help. How "doing something" is better than pretending these families are invisible in our classrooms and in our literature.

I think it went well.  In fact, I think it all went well at the new Joy of Children's Literature Conference held in Williamsburg this past weekend. I especially enjoyed the other presenters' sessions which I was able to sneak into, including one by teacher Amy Moser, who recounted how her class embarked on a study of Ellen Potter's middle-grade novels, which culminated in a Skype visit with the author. Amy had the foresight to interview her students right after the visit, to document their reaction. I wish I could show you that video----talk about cute. And smart. And wonderful.

Handouts from the presenters (including mine) can be found here.  You can read about the conference here----and note that organizer Denise Johnson has already set the date for next year: Oct. 12, 2012, with headliner, Lester L. Laminack.  Denise is a firecracker of a person---determined to champion children's books in the classroom---and if you ever doubt that teachers and writers belong on the same team, read her blog.

Here's another shot of me at the conference---this time during my afternoon workshop, talking planning and improv.  That's an actual planning sheet used by my cousin, Chris, (also a military spouse) in preparing for her move to Egypt.  It's not as cute as a baby, but at least the picture isn't of me wearing a clown nose. (Yes, I put one on, briefly.)  Many thanks to all for a great day!

New Children's Lit Conference

In full, furious (but happy) prep mode here. I'm leading two workshops at the Joy of Children's Literature Conference in Williamsburg, Va this Saturday. (Check online; it might not be too late to register)

My two sessions:

Beyond Veterans Day: Connecting with Military Families in the Classroom

A student told me her favorite chapter in Operation Yes was the one called "Do Something."  I asked why.  "Because that's my motto, too," she said. Wow. I wanted to hear everything she had planned!  And it made me think, too, about what we, as teachers and writers, can do to understand and connect with the families of our military, through fiction and beyond.  Resource list and link to online teachers guide provided. 

Saying Yes: Improvisation on the Page (and on the Stage)

Does a good writer outline or fly by the seat of her pants?  Is improv the opposite of planning? What place does teamwork have in the creative process? I'll talk about how I brought my love of the theater into my writing.  Come prepared to let loose. Link to online teachers guide with more improv games provided.  

Resources for both talks can be found on my Teachers Page at the Operation Yes website. 

Can you help me spread the word?

At Cynsations, Rosanne Parry is talking about military family culture and how "It was both an honor and a terrific responsibility to try to depict the life of a reservist’s son"  


Which prompts me to remind you that Rosanne, Suzanne Morgan Williams and I will be part of this New York Public Library program:

Children's Literary Salon - Military Offspring: A Whole New Genre

Saturday, November 12, 2011, 2 - 3 p.m.

PROGRAM LOCATION:

Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, Margaret Liebman Berger Forum (Map and directions)

Fully accessible to wheelchairs

Yes, that's the main branch, the building with the two famous lions out front. Please come and share your thoughts with us. I'll remind you again closer to Veterans Day.

As an added incentive, if you tweet, blog, or share this link between now and November 11th, please put your link in the comments section, and I'll enter your name into a drawing for the Audie Award winning audio recording of Operation Yes.

What's it like to be part of a military family?

I didn't know there was video! And there's a nice write-up on the TATAL (Teens at the Arlington Library) blog.

By the way, did you know April is the Month of the Military Child? And that this week, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launched the Joining Forces initiative to support military families?



For a list of resources to help military students, please check out this post, Connecting with Students From Military Families.

Yes in every way

You know an author visit has gone well when a week later, you're still smiling.

Each year, the Arlington Library's TAB (Teen Advisory Board) invites an author to speak to the middle school kids who participate in the program. This year, I was lucky enough to be that speaker. What's more, the entire county, under the banner of All Arlington Reads, is highlighting military themed books for the month of April and the library is hosting book discussions and exhibits and speakers and film screenings. (I'll be blogging more about one of those exhibits, the Combat Paper Project, later this week.)

Here are some quick shots of my visit.



I began with a story---what happened when my daughter received a folded note from her school counselor on the morning of Sept 11.  I wondered if the students, so young when the attacks happened, would connect, but boy did they. You could've heard a pin drop.

Talking about military families

Quoting Miss Loupe's rule about not passing out before we start the improv. :)

The audience enthusiastically counted out my "ten"!

Awesome crowd.  They really had fun improvising jody calls, and SO many of them spoke up when I asked about the good and bad things about being part of a military family.

I displayed other books about military families.

The kids LOVED the LGM pictures
 (taken by my fabulous agent, Tina Wexler)

Talking about ways to say yes and how to give back
 to veterans and military families.

The kids were so polite when they came up to get their books signed. Some shook my hand. So many said thank you. Some shared that their parents were military. Plus, it was fun to hear the variety of beautiful names from all cultures.

Book signing and posing for pictures afterwards.  My hand was non-stop for a full hour. And the kids---as you can see---were totally terrific. 


Afterwards, the librarians took me out to lunch---yummy mushroom soup and a grilled veggie sandwich---and it was one more chance to talk about books and writing and kids with people who Truly Get It.  


Thank you, Friends of the Arlington Public Library, for making this day happen. It was what every author hopes for---to connect with readers in a powerful way. 


One last story---and one of the reasons I'm still smiling this week. A student, as she came forward to have her book signed, told me her favorite chapter in Operation Yes was the one called "Do Something." 


I asked why. 


"Because that's my motto, too," she said. 


Yes. Perfect. :)

Some Resources – Connecting with Students from Military Families

Rosanne Parry, Suzanne Morgan Williams and I all contributed to the list, but it was Suzanne who did the heavy lifting of putting all the links in one cohesive document.  Note: Revised by Sara Lewis Holmes and Valerie O. Patterson April 2013

Some Resources – Connecting with Students from Military Families

The Military Child – School Support:

http://www.militaryimpactedschoolsassociation.org/misa/documents/Educators_Guide.pdf A guide for educators on reactions of students to deployment with many suggestions and additional resources. From the Military Impacted Schools Association. General website is Military Impacted Schools Association www.militaryimpactedschoolsassociation.org 

https://www.militarykidsconnect.org/educators Part of the MilitaryKidsConnect website, this page has videos and info for educators who want to understand military culture and what it feels like for a military child when their parent deploys.  Lesson plans, guides to "tough topics," and more.

www.ourmilitarykids.org which provides funding for extra support during wartime, including tutoring and extracurricular activities for military kids whose parents are in the Guard or Reserves.

Student 2 Student and Junior Student 2 Student: a student-led program at the high school and middle school levels to support students who are transitioning to and from their school.  For more information regarding Student 2 Student, contact S2S@MilitaryChild.org. http://www.militarychild.org/child-student/student-2-student/

Operation Military Kids:  http://www.operationmilitarykids.org/public/home.aspx -- great booklet for helping military kids in school at this website.

 Building Resilient Kids: a free online course with continuing education credit from the Military Impacted Schools Association.  Two continuing education credits/all fourteen modules OR one continuing education credit/ seven modules. Info at: http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/military-child-initiative/training_course/

For the Military Family:

Military One Source: www.MilitaryOneSource.mil. Education, relocation, parenting, stress - Military OneSource helps with just about any need. Available by phone or online, this free service is provided by the Department of Defense for active-duty, Guard, and Reserve service members and their families.

National Guard Family Program http://www.jointservicessupport.org/FP/Default.aspx

Military Families Speak Out http://www.mfso.org/ -supporting families who openly oppose the war.

Operation Purple serves military families through Operation Purple Camp, Operation Purple Family Retreats or Operation Purple Healing adventures: http://www.militaryfamily.org/our-programs/operation-purple/

Operation We Are Here provides resources for the military community and military supporters, including resources specifically for military children and teens, humanitarian aid, and teachers/homeschoolers: http://www.operationwearehere.com/

Programs that use the Arts – art, literature, theater to support the military child:

The annual Military Child and the Arts Contest Each year children are asked to submit work that can be utilized in the MCEC's publications, conferences, and other activities. Included in the request for work from military-connected children, kindergarten through high school, are artwork, film, and writing (essays, poetry, and short stories). http://www.militarychild.org/parents-and-students/programs/the-call-for-the-arts

Art from the Heart: Expressions from America’s Military Children: http://issuu.com/militarychildeducationcoalitio/docs/art_show_two?mode=window&backgroundColor=%23222222

Tell Me a Story: an initiative that was created to empower our military children by    using literature and their own stories in a way that fosters skills for resilience, strong peer and parent connections, a sense of pride and accomplishment, and a caring community. http://www.militarychild.org/parents-and-students/programs/tell-me-a-story-tmas

A Story Before Bed: Parents who are members of one of the branches of the U.S. Armed Forces who are deploying or already deployed away from their children for any amount of time are eligible to sign up for free recordings from A Story Before Bed. http://www.astorybeforebed.com/military

United Through Reading: helps ease the stress of separation for military families by having deployed parents read children’s books aloud via DVD for their child to watch at home.  http://www.unitedthroughreading.org/military-program/military-book/

Operation Homecoming Writing Program: The NEA’s program "Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience," now an online project, encourages the soldiers to discuss their experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2004. http://www.nea.gov/national/homecoming/

Also, the NEA's "Great American Voices" and "Shakespeare in American Communities" visited military bases in 2005-2007. http://www.nea.gov/national/gav/index.html

The Philoctetes Project: Theater of War presents readings of Sophocles' Ajax and Philoctetes to military communities across the United States. These ancient plays timelessly and universally depict the psychological and physical wounds inflicted upon warriors by war. By presenting these plays to military audiences, the hope is to de-stigmatize psychological injury and open a safe space for dialogue about the challenges faced by service members, veterans, and their caregivers and families. http://www.outsidethewirellc.com/projects/theater-of-war/overview

Musiccorps: http://musicorps.net/About.html Aids injured vets by adapting musical instruments for prosthetics, and by using musical instruction to enhance recovery from brain injury.

Connecting with and Supporting Troops and Veterans – Possible Class Projects:

USO Go to http://www.uso.org/programs/  for a list of programs the USO provides that may be useful to your students or that your students may want to support.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) For America’s newest generation of veterans and the people who support them. This includes a Troops Charities page. Or visit http://iava.org/take-action  and http://iava.org/transition-home , http://iava.org/content/organize 

America Supports You  www.americasupportsyou.mil  A nationwide program launched by the Department of Defense recognizes citizens’ support of our of our military men and women and communicates that support to them. It includes an online e-mail form for messages.

Letters to Soldiers   www.Letterstosoldiers.org   provides an online e-mail form to send messages to soldiers.

Holiday Mail for Heroes http://www.redcross.org/ca/los-angeles/ways-to-donate/individual-gifts/holiday-mail-for-heroes sponsored by the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes. From here, you can learn how to send your holiday mail to our American service members. 

AnySoldier.com  www.AnySoldier.com for Community groups, churches, etc. that may want a more ongoing relationship with someone in our armed forces. You can choose a group of deployed military to receive care packages and/or letters.

Fisher Houses http://www.fisherhouse.org/ provide lodging for families of injured troops and veterans close to veteran and military hospitals.  Fisher House also sponsors scholarships for military children.

Information about Traumatic Brain Injury

Brainline.Org www.Brainline.org  a site devoted to preventing, treating and living with traumatic brain injury.

 Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center www.dvbic.org  Their mission is to serve active duty military, their beneficiaries, and veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) through state-of-the-art clinical care.

The Real Warriors www.realwarriors.net  This campaign promotes the processes of building resilience, facilitating recovery and supporting reintegration of returning service members, veterans and their families.) 

ReMIND.org - The Bob Woodruff Foundation www.ReMIND.org  educates the public about needs of injured service members, veterans and their families as they reintegrate into their communities. Empowers all people to take action.

Find authors Online

Sara Lewis Holmes (Operation Yes, Letters From Rapunzel)

Website: www.saralewisholmes.com 

Sara has a free downloadable teacher’s guide with military lingo and theater games http://members.authorsguild.net/saralholmes/work1.htm

 E- mail:  email@saralewisholmes.com

Blog: Read*Write*Believe http://www.saralewisholmes.blogspot.com/ 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/saralewisholmes  and  http://twitter.com/operationyes 

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/saralewisholmes

Rosanne Parry (Heart of a Shepherd)

 website:  http://www.rosanneparry.com/ 

E-mail: rosanneparry@comcast.net
 Goodreads page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1472137.Rosanne_Parry
Blog: From the Mixed Up Files of Middle Grade Authors http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/

Suzanne Morgan Williams (Bull Rider) 

 www.suzannemorganwilliams.com 

Suzanne also has a teacher’s guide of lesson suggestions for Bull Rider. Go to Fiction/Teachers.

Email: suzanne@suzannemorganwilliams.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SuzyMWilliams

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/suzannemorganwilliams

Blog: Too Much Information http://www.suzannemorganwilliams.blogspot.com

Valerie O. Patterson (Operation Oleander, Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013)

Website: www.valerieopatterson.com

E-mail: valopttrsn@verizon.net

NCTE Stands Behind Military Kids

Isn't this awesome? I asked teachers and authors attending the NCTE Conference if they would participate in the National Military Family Association's "Wall of Thanks" to show support for military families. And look how many said yes!

(If you want to join us, go to this site and download the PDF of the sign. Fill in your name, hold it up and snap a photo of yourself. Upload the photo, and you'll be part of the slideshow.)

David Macinnis Gill

Wendy Mass

Margaret Peterson Haddix

Elaine Magliaro

Kurtis Scaletta

Kirby Larson

Kate Messner

Jack Gantos

Anna J. Small Roseboro

Tricia Stohr-Hunt

Holly Black

Carrie Ryan

My NCTE panel on "Military Families in Fiction":
Rosanne Parry, Suzanne Morgan Williams, and me

Jessica Anderson, Jo Whittemore, P.J. Hoover

Gennifer Choldenko

Teachers and others who attended our panel on military families

Oh, and yes, I brought home a lot of books.

The haul

And my signing at the Scholastic booth was wonderful. They always make me feel like a rock star.

At the Scholastic booth
(note my Scholastic red dress)

To everyone who came by to say hi, to buy books, to hug me, to tell me your class is using Operation Yes in literature circles, to share that you are reading my book to your three boys, to say that you're buying my book for your grown brother :), or just to give a wave of encouragement: Thank you!

And to the young boy who walked by, snapped his head around and pointed at my cover, and said "I loved that book!", you are in charge of the world from now on, you hear?

Taking Action

My sister-in-law, Shannon Lewis, sent me this picture of her sixth-grade class. Guess what they're holding up?

Letters to a soldier in Iraq!

Yup. They're reading Operation Yes together and taking action. They plan to do more. I love it.

Also, Shannon must have a karmic connection to this book because

1) She's done improv with her students before (Natalie, they're digging the new suggestions from your wonderful teacher's guide.)

2) She says "I have always done push-ups in my class because we do this activity called roundtable and I am not supposed to talk. For each time I do, push ups." Go, Shannon!

3) She's had a beat-up old couch in her class for FIVE YEARS.

Finally, did you all see the editorial in USA TODAY from Michelle Obama and Jill Biden? It's called "The Troops Need Us."

As a country, we have come a long way in how we support our veterans and military families. In our travels to base communities from Fort Bragg to Camp Pendleton, we have seen employers creating innovative programs to support military families, classrooms adopting deployed units, faith communities providing prayers and support, and countless other acts of kindness.

Yet there is still more work to be done.

Our military families are strong, resilient and proud to serve their country.

Nonetheless, they don't always feel that the rest of the country is part of the war effort. We've met National Guard families who feel isolated because they are the only members of their communities experiencing the deployment of a loved one. We've heard from military kids who struggle in school while their parents are deployed.

Remarkably, these same families still find time to serve their communities every day. They are troops who come home from a long deployment and coach Little League or mentor a child. They are children who tutor their younger siblings, and spouses who balance their families with jobs, school, community service — or all of the above. They are wounded warriors, survivors and veterans who continue to give so much to our country.

[...] That's why we're challenging every sector of American society to support and engage our military families. You don't have to come from a military family, have a base in your community, or be an expert in military issues to make a difference. Every American can do something.

Clearly, Mrs. Lewis and her sixth-graders are doing something. Mrs. Obama, Mrs. Biden, I wish you'd send them a thumbs-up or something.

Read more of the editorial here.

ALA in Pictures

Signing Operation Yes at the Scholastic booth
Cheryl & Co. made me feel like a rock star

Don't you love Cheryl's military style green dress?

Meeting Joyce Sidman and Pamela Zagarenski
As delightful in person as their books are on the page

Liz Garton Scanlon
I was so proud to cheer for All the World

Having tapas with the Poetry Princesses

M.T. Anderson and Katherine Paterson
The brilliance was dazzling

At the Paterson Tea with Liz Garton Scanlon and Laura Purdie Salas

With Cheryl Klein and Francisco Stork
at the Scholastic reception

I love this picture! Yes, we were all that happy.
Tanita Davis and D, her husband; me, and Kelly Fineman

So glad to see Adrienne Furness
So sad not to have gotten to shop with her

At the Newbery/Caldecott banquet
Laura Purdie Salas, Kelly Fineman and Elaine Magliaro

Laura, Kelly, and me

I got home from the Newbery/Caldecott banquet after midnight on Sunday. I got up at 5:00 am the next morning to go to Shakespeare Camp. More on that anon!

The Audies

Operation Yes won an Audie last night! I had zip to do with the audio book production (other than, ahem, writing the "script") but I'm happy the terrific work by narrator Jessica Almasy (who handled the huge cast of Operation Yes beautifully) and the Audible.com team was recognized. Also, grateful to my agent, the always wonderful Tina Wexler, for negotiating the audio rights in the first place.

Here's the slate of Children's/YA awards:

CHILDREN’S TITLES FOR AGES UP TO 8 For excellence in narration, direction, engineering, mix, and abridgment (when applicable) of a children’s audiobook. Audiobooks accompanied by book product are accepted in this category: Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken by Kate DiCamillo, narrated by Barbara Rosenblat (Live Oak Media)

CHILDREN’S TITLES FOR AGES 8-12 For excellence in narration, direction, engineering, mix, and abridgment (when applicable) of a children’s audiobook for middle readers: Operation Yes by Sara Holmes, narrated by Jessica Almasy (Audible, Inc.)

TEEN For excellence in narration, direction, engineering, mix, and abridgment (when applicable) of a young adult audiobook: Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson, narrated by Dion Graham (Brilliance Audio)

Oh, and I'm excited to see that Connie Willis's intelligent and amusing story, Bellwether, won in the Science Fiction category.

The full list is here.

You can listen to a sample of the Operation Yes audio book at the Audible.com site.

Market My Words

On Saturday at the Gaithersburg Book Festival, I led the audience in a jody call:

I don't know but I've heard it said
A book's not finished 'til it's been read.

So how do you finish the job---and get your book into the hands of readers? I'm with Shelli at Market My Words today talking about just that.  Let me know what you think.

A Beautiful Day

It was a beautiful day at the first annual Gaithersburg Book Festival.

Me (Operation Yes), Erica Perl (Vintage Veronica) and Tom Angleberger (Origami Yoda)

Acting out a scene from Operation Yes

Born to Read

With Linda Acorn and Tom Angleberger
(plus a LGM and paper Yoda)

The OY books meet

Tom juggling

Erica Perl with Vintage Veronica

Thank you to the volunteers and organizers of the festival, who totally rocked their roles by being organized, helpful and kind. And thank you, brave audience, for making Operation Yes come to life on the stage. Send me photos of your LGM on the move!