Christine Henderson

Notes From the Rocking Chair

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:20:01 GMT

Okay, so I'm trying to forget that another birthday is looming (end of this week).   My sister says age is just a number.   Yes, younger sister.   But life has been finding ways to remind me that time is marching on.

1) Sunday,  a friend invited me to a baseball game.   Angels vs. Red Sox.   Although I've been a baseball fan most of my life, I've never really had a favorite team.   I did have a few favorite players, but once they were gone, so was my loyalty.   I discovered that it's the game itself I love, not so much the major league aspect.   I now prefer to watch minor league and even Little League games in small, fan-friendly parks where I can actually see the action.

My friend, however, has been Ms. Angel Fan since birth.   She's so loyal, she didn't mind sitting in the hot sun, way up in the right field pavilion.   She doesn't mind going to a huge, generic-looking stadium,  because *her* team plays there (they swept Boston on Sunday, which was impressive).

She asked me when I'd last gone to a game with her, and I realized that it was 1992!   She and her ex-husband were dating then.   Another friend who went with us Sunday, along with her 15-year-old son, was a newlywed (son arrived a year later).

2) "Mamma Mia" is now a hit at the theater, too late for me.   I went through my ABBA phase from 2000-2002, a bit self-consciously.   I almost wore out my greatest hits tape (yes, audio tape).   Still know all the words to the songs.   Can even sing "Chiquitita" and "Voulez-Vous" in Spanish, courtesy of Menudo (one of their producers must've had a thing for ABBA too).   So now that I'm over it, the show comes out and is a big hit.   And I wouldn't have to feel self-conscious anymore.   *Sigh.*   I always was ahead of my time.

3) The ARC-reading has confirmed what I suspected: my novel manuscript is actually MG, not YA as advertised.   *Oops.*   At least reading YA makes me feel young (or maybe immature), because I still don't like dark, edgy, sexually-explicit material.

4)  Just toured the house where my grandmother and aunt used to live, now newly renovated (my cousins spent almost $50,000 fixing it up to sell).   It was like an episode of "Extreme Makeover."   The living room carpet was replaced by wood flooring; new carpeting in the bedrooms;  new sinks, counters, appliances, garage door, landscaping, etc.   Grandma and Aunt Kay were major pack rats, so I'd never seen the house completely empty.   All that space, and now there's no reason to go over there again....

Time marches on.

Happy 4th!

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:37:08 GMT

Just a Few ARCs...

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 06:10:55 GMT

I made a list of my ALA loot.   Not to make anyone jealous, but so you can see what you have to look forward to (lots of sequels, for one thing):


YA:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Melting Stones by Tamora Pierce
The Diamond of Darkhold (4th Book of Ember) by Joanne DuPrau
The Good Neighbors (graphic novel) by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh
Genius Squad by Catherine Jinks
Mexican White Boy by Matt de la Pena
Zot! 1987-1991 (manga) by Scott McCloud
The Debs by Susan McBride
Everything is Fine by Ann Dee Ellis
The Good Girl by Kerry Cohen Hoffmann
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
Kendra by Coe Booth
1001 Cranes by Naomi Hirahara
Does This Book Make Me Look Fat? (collection of stories by various authors)
Alicia Afterimage by Lulu Delacre
All That Glitters (book 2 of the Likely Story series) by David Van Etten
Voss by David Ives
White Sands, Red Menace (sequel to The Green Glass Sea) by Ellen Klages
The Great Receiver by Elena Yates Eulo

Chapter Books/MG:

Merlin's Dragon by T.A. Barron
Cicada Summer by Andrea Beaty
Highway Cats by Janet Taylor
Boys Are Dogs by Leslie Margolis
Gully's Travels by Tor Seidler
Maybelle Goes to Tea by Katie Speck
Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass
The Dragon in the Sock Drawer by Kate Klimo
Much Ado About Anne (sequel to The Mother-Daughter Book Club) by Heather Vogel Frederick
Supernatural Rubber Chicken (2)--Fowl Language and Fine Feathered Four Eyes by D.L. Garfinkle
I So Don't Do Mysteries by Barrie Summy
Trophy Kid or How I Was Adopted By the Rich and Famous by Steve Atinsky
Violet Raines Almost Got Struck By Lightning by Danette Haworth
Tracking Daddy Down by Marybeth Kelsey
Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head by Nancy Viau
The Great Race: The Amazing Round-the-World Auto Race of 1908 (nonfiction) by Gary Blackwood
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-it-Yourself Book (journal) by Jeff Kinney
Flight by Elizabeth Stow Ellison
Piper Reed the Great Gypsy by Kimberly Willis Holt
Night of the Spadefoot Toads by Bill Harley
Who Stole Uncle Sam? by Martha Freeman
The Worry Tree by Marianne Musgrove
Judy Moody Goes to College by Megan McDonald
The Sisters 8, books 1 & 2 (flip book)--Annie's Adventures and Durinda's Dangers by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
The Adventures of Sir Givret the Short by Gerald Morris

Adult:

Schooled (fiction) by Anisha Lakhani
How to Read Novels Like a Professor by Thomas G. Foster
In the Country of Brooklyn (704 pages!) by Peter Golenbock

The Book Glutton Is Now Sated

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 06:05:28 GMT

Thanks to ALA, I'll be busy reading for a while.   The final count (two-day total): 48 ARCs, plus two extra copies!   That averages out to about 16 books per tote bag.   No wonder my body is aching.

Really, I didn't mean to be greedy.   I even passed on some ARCs that weren't my cup of tea.   But when you're in an all-you-can-eat buffet line, and almost everything looks good, well...I indulged.

Better yet, I got to meet two more LJ friends.   Saturday, I said hi to Cathy Ipcizade at the Sylvan Dell booth.   She looked very poised and professional, as usual, while I was sweaty and flustered.   But she's as nice in person as she is on her blog.

At first I'd only planned to go to ALA on Saturday.   But knowing that my admission covered the whole convention,  I decided to go back today.   Plus I wanted to meet Nancy Viau ( nancy_v) and have her sign my coveted ARC of Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head.   Another very nice, poised author.   I do have good taste in LJ friends.

I chatted a bit with Nancy,  which wasn't easy as her books were being snatched up and needed to be signed.   I was excited for her when a little girl came over and we learned that she was Jacqueline Woodson's daughter, wanting a copy of her book.   (Yes, the Jacqueline Woodson who just won a Newbery Honor award.)

I can't believe how many big-name authors I saw: Jon Scieszka, Mary Pearson, Holly Black, Lisa Yee (and Peepy, of course), Francesca Lia Block, Pam Munoz Ryan, Paula Yoo, Nikki Grimes, M.T. Anderson, Andrea Pinkney, Eve Bunting, Lauren Myracle.   Barry Lyga walked right past me.   (!)   I also saw Jay Asher wandering by the Penguin booth, where he was signing the next day (Sunday).   There were other authors that I missed, or just didn't see, like John Green (I saw a long line, and heard that he was the cause of it).   I wanted to have Linda Sue Park sign my copy of Keeping Score today, but I had to leave early to beat the traffic.   I also missed out on seeing Kerry Madden again, and getting Hurt Go Happy signed by Ginny Rorby (I didn't know it won the Schneider Family Award.   Cool!).   And I flat-out forgot to go see Zilpha Keatley Snyder, whose book The Velvet Room was a childhood favorite of mine....   Oh, well.

Notes From a Busy Weekend

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:12:56 GMT

Saturday, my cousin had a first birthday party for her twins at a small park in Ocean Beach (San Diego, not far from Sea World). An indoor party might've been a better idea. The strong ocean breeze kept blowing things off the table. It was cold in the shade and hot in the sun. Planes taking off from the nearby international airport roared by overhead. And by the time everyone gathered around to sing "Happy Birthday," the little guys were tired and cranky.
Their names are Jonathan and Zander, but--apologies to my cousin--I don't think they look like Jonathan or Zander. As writers know, finding a name that fits isn't easy.
The twins' cousin, one-year-old Sophie, does look like a Sophie. She's a little charmer. I'd forgotten how squirmy and busy they are at that age.
After the party, my sister and I went to the Cabrillo National Monument, in nearby Point Loma. We saw the statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the Spanish explorer who was the first European, in 1542, to set foot on the west coast of the United States. Behind the statue, to the west, there's a pretty view of the San Diego Bay. The Pacific Ocean is on the eastern side.
We then walked up a hill to see the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. Built in 1854, it stands 422 feet above sea level. For 36 years, eleven keepers and 22 assistants (including two women) tended the light. But, ironically, fog and low clouds often obscured it, so it was closed in 1891. A new light station at the bottom of the hill went into use.
We saw the parlor, kitchen, and two bedrooms. It looked cozy, but having to climb that narrow spiral staircase every day wouldn't be much fun.
Sunday, I did the grocery shopping, then went to the homeless shelter for my volunteer duty. Since we were a little shorthanded, business was booming. We ended up serving dinner to 111 people.
Gloria, the kind lady in charge, always wants to know how my writing's going. She was thrilled to hear about my latest Highlights sale, in April. I gave her a copy of the story to read.
What I've read lately: Kiss My Book, a YA by Jamie Michaels. It was a clever story ("ripped from the headlines") about a teen who makes a big splash with a book deal, only to be called out for plagiarizing. I noticed a couple of little errors, though. Maybe I should be a copy editor?

June Already?

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 06:08:06 GMT

Thanks to my friends who posted about BEA this weekend.   I thought about going,  but ALA, at the end of this month, is closer and cheaper.   I hope it'll be less overwhelming, too.   At least I've been inside the Anaheim Convention Center before, so I know I'll need to wear comfortable shoes.

As a consolation prize, I went to the grand opening of a new Borders on Saturday.   They gave away free chocolate samples (!), and had some craft projects for kids.   I missed my chance to see actor Ed Begley Jr. (yeah, I was crushed), but I did see Cathy Silvers, who played Jenny Piccolo on "Happy Days."   She has a new healthy-lifestyle book out.   Apparently she's been out of the limelight too long, because a guy was overheard telling somebody, "She's the one who played Joanie."

I had a 30-percent discount coupon burning a hole in my purse, but I couldn't find the novels I wanted.   So I grabbed 101 Reasons to Love the Cubs by David Green.   Not because I'm a Cubs fan, but I decided that the father of one of my book characters is, so I needed a handy reference.

Last week, I read and enjoyed Paula Yoo's YA novel,  Good Enough.   The last chapter confused me a bit, though--when the main character was saying "I will" do this, and so-and-so "will" do that, how did she know?   Was she making predictions?   Psychic?   The book was written in present tense, so it didn't seem like she was looking back.

I also enjoyed the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which aired on public TV for the first time on Friday night.   A few months ago, I read an interesting book about it called American Bee.   The winner correctly spelled guerdon, which is a reward or privilege (no, I'd never heard of it).   I really admired the kids for being so poised in front of an audience and TV cameras.   I was only in one spelling bee as a kid, in front of a small audience, and got so nervous that I almost threw up before it started.   I'm pretty sure it was nerves that doomed me to a third-place finish.

Friday Five

Fri, 23 May 2008 20:17:54 GMT

Kind of a weird week around here.

1.)   Monday, there was a freak accident at my sister's apartment house.   Luckily, she wasn't home yet.   Unluckily, her neighbor had the day off.   A teen driver came screeching around the corner after school, lost control of his car, jumped the curb,  and hit the back of neighbor's car--in the driveway.   My sister said the bumper will have to be replaced, and the trunk fixed.   The driver was apprehended and there were several witnesses.   It was amazing that nobody got hurt.

2.)   Tuesday, my favorite baseball player, Mike Piazza, announced his retirement....   I was an ~~obsessed~~ a highly devoted fan in the late '90s and early naughties.   How could I resist?   He was hunky, witty, and a great hitter (as well as a catcher.   I've always had a thing for catchers).

3.)   Thursday, just a few days after a heat wave, SoCal had a thunderstorm with hail.   And not one, but two tornadoes in nearby Moreno Valley!   They cut across the 215 freeway, knocking over a big rig and nine freight cars sitting on a railroad track.   Again, amazingly, only the truck driver was hurt.

4.)   What I'm reading right now (new library book)--Golden Legacy: How Golden Books Won Children's Hearts, Changed Publishing Forever, and Became An American Icon Along the Way by Leonard S. Marcus.   The history is really interesting, and it has beautiful color illustrations.   I've seen some book covers that I'd forgotten about (we had quite a few in our house).

5.)   Just got an e-mail announcing the grand opening of a new Borders in Mira Loma (closer to my home).   The only book signing invitee whose name I recognized is Ed Begley Jr., the actor turned environmentalist.   A new Barnes and Noble is about to open in Chino Hills.   Always glad to see more bookstores, but I still prefer the independents.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend, everyone!

Call Me Old-Fashioned, But...

Tue, 06 May 2008 20:11:13 GMT

I really liked the Quilt Stories display at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum on Saturday (May 3TH, according to the Cinco de Mayo parade banners hanging in downtown Corona).   I heard a young woman complain that she didn't like looking at old things.   Well, that's a shame, because there're lots of interesting "old things" in this world.

The exhibition features 44 quilts, on display until September 7.   My favorites were the family quilts handed down from one generation to the next (one had the family lineage stitched on it, with each generation represented by a different color of thread), African-American quilts from Gee's Bend, Alabama, and Navajo and Hopi quilts which paid tribute to nature (sparrows, horses, and a clothed coyote "helping to create the night sky" by tossing up stars).   There was a clever quilt called "Roadkill" that had flattened stuffed animals attached; a little gross, but funny.

In writing news, I'm working on a short story about...rhubarb.   (If I manage to actually pull it off, that'll be something.)   I also need to stop researching and start outlining two book ideas that I've carried in my head for months.   The YA novel I discovered at Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop last weekend,  Hurt Go Happy  by Ginny Rorby, gave me some more insight into deafness with a deaf main character, and it was a good story.

The Best Medicine

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 22:13:58 GMT

I can't think of a better cure for the common cold than good news, which came in the mail this afternoon. There, cleverly concealed in my SASE, was an acceptance letter from Highlights for my boy quilter story, "Sew What?" (I had the title long before the story.)

This is the (gasp!) fifth story I've sold them. Hard to believe. My very first sales were to small magazines my friends and family had never heard of. In fact, I'd never heard of three of them--I found them in the market listings. The strangest thing is, I haven't been able to break into other big magazines. I'd love to be published in Pockets someday. Maybe Cricket.

For now, though, I'll go back to happy-dancing.

Back Among the Living (Sort Of)

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:41:29 GMT

Just when I thought I was safe from the family germs that were floating around last month--wham!   Blindsided by a bad cold on the 17th.   I had to miss Rathskellar's show in Northridge on the 19th, and I didn't feel up to the L.A. Times Festival of Books this weekend, either....But I think the worst is over now.

I did manage to keep my annual "horse weekend" tradition.   Friday was Norco Horseweek's Adult Fun Night, where residents of "Horsetown USA" compete in games for prizes.   It's fun to be surrounded by horses of different breeds and colors.   Then, on Saturday, I went to the San Dimas Western Art Show.   The artwork is always amazing.   They have a contest for teens, too, and there's a lot of talent there.

Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop just happens to be down the street from the art show, on Bonita Avenue, so I stopped by.   I found a YA novel for my deafness research called Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby.   I thought the title sounded like an ASL sentence, and sure enough, it was.   The deaf main character, against her mother's wishes, learns sign language from a man who trained a chimpanzee to communicate manually.   But the main focus of the book is the protection of chimps from lab testing.    Very interesting so far.

Flying Fingers

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:49:33 GMT

Not mine on the keyboard, alas.   But fingers were flying all around me yesterday at DeafNation Expo, at the Fairplex in Pomona.

I've had an interest in Deaf culture for a long time.   I wrote a short story about a girl with deaf parents, which I sold twice (it was never published, so I got the rights back, revised it and resold it).   I'd like to have a deaf character in a novel, so I've been doing research.   The Expo sounded like an interesting (though intimidating) experience.   And not just for research purposes.

Back in the 80's, I was a fan of a young deaf actor named Jonathan Hall Kovacs.   He played the "wild boy" on Little House: a New Beginning, and then starred in a short-lived series about a blended family called Family Tree (his stepbrother was played by a young James Spader).   Although Jon was a student at the California School for the Deaf Riverside,  not far from my hometown, I never met him.

Fast forward to last November 3rd.   I mentioned in a blog entry that I'd rediscovered him.   He'd founded a group called Rathskellar (named after the cafe at Gallaudet University).   He and four other deaf performers mix dance, American Sign Language, music, sound and poetry.   I saw a YouTube video of Jonathan giving a tour of the group's ultracool bus (in ASL; he'd stopped using his voice).   Their show sounded interesting, but they were performing on the East Coast at the end of 2007.

Well, I read in the newspaper that Rathskellar was going to be performing at the Expo, and admission was free.   So...I had to go.

To my surprise, they had their own booth.   There was Jonathan, greeting fans and selling souvenirs!   It's so weird to see someone in person that you know from TV--as a teenager, now a 38-year-old (and I've done it before, at a reunion concert for Menudo, a Puerto Rican "boy band").

Of course, I became so flustered that all the ASL I'd practiced flew out of my head.   I had to resort to writing a note for him.   He autographed the back of a concert flier for me, then asked me a question in sign, which I didn't get...   So he wrote the question down for me (he wanted to know if I was going to the concert next week.   I'd like to, but it's in Northridge, which is pretty far away).

I killed time before the performance by wandering around the Expo, looking at booths, grabbing fliers, and people-watching (I saw a guy fingerspelling into the hand of a blind woman, which reminded me of Helen Keller).   The TTY (teletypewriter) museum had some old, very large models on display.   There was a lot of merchandise with the ASL hand signs for "I Love You" and "Interpreter."   I saw an "ILY" rubber duck, and thought of Cindy Lord.   There was a Sonic Boom alarm clock (for "deepest sleepers"), and a "Powerful Bed Shaker with loud alarm."

Speaking of loud, I'd wisely remembered to bring my ear plugs.   Since Rathskellar plays dance music, I figured they must crank it up awfully high, to feel the vibrations.   I staked out a good seat about an hour ahead of time, and the deaf magician's music was loud enough to make me grab the plugs (or, as Cecil Castellucci refers to them in Beige, "ear condoms").   After the magician came a deaf standup comic, who not only signed stories about his life, but did a good deal of acting them out via pantomime.

And then Rathskellar performed.   The two guys and three ladies danced to "Thriller" and "The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson, and "Wild Wild West", another retro song (I could feel the vibrations like a tickle in my chest).   Jonathan, still a ham, is very expressive in ASL and did an Old West gunslinger pantomime with (loud) sound effects.    He pretended to flirt with the girls in the group, fight with the other guy, and acted as the MC.

Thumbs up all around.

A Maggie Valley Saturday

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 02:12:03 GMT

I never need an excuse to visit a bookstore, especially Vroman's in Pasadena, which was recently voted "Best Independent Bookstore of the Year" by Publishers Weekly.   But I had a good one yesterday--another book signing by LJ friend Kerry Madden ( mountainmist).   Like I said last month, I couldn't wait to read her final (?) book in the Maggie Valley trilogy, Jessie's Mountain.   I loved it, of course, so my sister and I went to see Kerry again.   Everybody had a good time.

She talked about her books, read a few pages of chapter two, and did a writing activity with the audience.   Her husband, Kiffen, and daughters Lucy and Norah were there, too.   She talked Kiffen into giving a clogging demonstration--later, I explained to the curious cashier downstairs what all the noise was about.   A lady played the banjo left-handed (my lefty sister was impressed), providing some down-home background music as we ate Moonpies, and then we got our books signed.   Lots of fun.

Art and Books

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:25:55 GMT

I've been hibernating lately, but now that spring is around the corner, I've started venturing out of my cave again (most of my favorite activities are in the spring and summer).

Saturday, it was the Norco Western Art Show.   Each year it gets bigger and better, and I ~~envy~~ really admire all those creative types.   One painting was called "God Creates the Horse", with a pair of hands cradling a black foal, about to set it down in a canyon with the rest of a galloping herd.

Then I went over to Vroman's bookstore in Pasadena to look for a book about my hometown (Pasadena is closer to L.A. County, but they didn't have it either...).   While there, I discovered that YA author Marilyn Reynolds was upstairs, giving a talk.   I admit, I haven't read any of her books, but I've seen them.   She likes to write problem novels with controversial subjects.   Her latest WIP, tentatively titled Shut Up, is about child molestation.

I'm still reading a lot, and finally have a few potential writing ideas.   Fiction I've read lately includes Spelldown by Karon Luddy, and Eleven and Twelve by Lauren Myracle (I also peeked at the newly released Thirteen.    For some reason, the MCs in these books talked about peeing a lot.   ?).   And I had to buy the new MG novel by Linda Sue Park,  Keeping Score, because I knew I'd like it.   It's about a girl in 1951 who's a big baseball fan, and her friendship with a local firefighter who goes off to war in Korea.   So good.

A good nonfiction book I picked up is Humble Pie: Musings on what lies beneath the crust by Anne Dimock, a series of essays on that American institution.   (I still have the urge to write a pie-related scene or story, even though I don't like it much myself.   Funny how the muse leads us.)

Friday Five

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 05:15:55 GMT

TGIF!   I have to admit, I'm glad to see this week come to an end.

1.)   I'd managed to avoid illness all winter, but finally came down with a cold today, courtesy of the autistic students.   I'm feeling better now than I did this morning.

2.)   B&N finally got my copy of Jessie's Mountain, by Kerry Madden.   I'm up to chapter seven, and enjoying the story as much as I expected.

3.)   I got some work today at the elementary school where I broke in last month, in the after-school program.   Today was Fun Friday--no homework!--so the girls got to have a Girls' Day makeover party.   I was in charge of painting fingernails, which was no easy task with a large group of fidgety first-through third-graders.   Luckily, they didn't seem to mind my mistakes.

4.)   It was fun to listen to the girls.   The third-graders sounded like mini-teenagers ("Ohmigod!   You look sooo pretty!"), except for their opinion of boys.   The presence of a young male in the vicinity brought cries of, "Boy alert!"   ("Eeeew...")

5.)   Funniest conversation was between two girls:

Girl 1:   "My brother and I are twins."

Girl 2:   "How old are you?"

G1:   "7."

G2:   "How old is your brother?"

G1:   "7."

G2:   "Yeah, you are twins."

When It Rains, It Pours

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 03:56:02 GMT

Yes, even in SoCal.   It wasn't pouring this morning, but it was raining hard enough for me to turn on my headlights on the way to work.   Unfortunately, I forgot to turn them off,  so I got a rude surprise when I tried to start the car about six hours later.

This on what turned out to be my last day at the middle school...The young teacher never did seem to like me much for some reason.   At least I took some junior high-related notes while I was there.

I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow.   :>)

This Week I...

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 05:22:26 GMT

1.)   Helped serve dinner to 79 people at the local homeless shelter on Sunday.

2.)   Survived my first week in a middle school.

Actually, it wasn't as bad as I'd feared.   It's a long-term position--one of the special-ed aides quit, and due to recent budget cuts, the school decided to finish the year with a sub instead of a new hire.

Most of the kids are taller than I am, including the six autistic students in my class.   Five boys and one girl.   They can do a lot of things on their own with some prompting, so it's really not a hard job.   (Whew!)

3.)   Got my first teacher's aide paycheck for January.   I have my own employee I.D. number now.   That makes me official.

4.)   Ordered a copy of Jessie's Mountain by Kerry Madden (mountainmist) at Barnes and Noble.   Why they didn't stock it is beyond me (it came out yesterday).   I was saving part of my holiday gift card for this book, and I can't wait to read it!

Thankful Thursday

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 04:12:13 GMT

There wasn't much to be thankful for until I went to the mailbox this afternoon. But the day brightened considerably when I found another check from Highlights for Children. Pearson Educational Measurement bought reprint rights to the same story again (third time in three years)! Pretty amazing, considering that it wasn't even my favorite story.

I'm reading a lot of teacher/student-related nonfiction right now. What Really Happens in School by Ann E. LaForge has a lot of useful information (for a children's writer, too) on grades K-5.

Also interesting: American Bee: the National Spelling Bee and the Culture of Word Nerds by James Maguire, The Myth of Laziness by Mel Levine, M.D. (about how to become more productive), The Teacher Who Couldn't Read by John Corcoran, and How I Learned English: 55 Accomplished Latinos Recall Lessons in Language and Life by Tom Miller.

Paid Observations

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 03:21:43 GMT

Nope, no writing-related news yet (sigh).   But I've started subbing as a teacher's aide, and getting paid to check out possible story settings is a nice bonus.

I've had three jobs so far, each one completely different.   First was an after-school program, where a group of sixth-graders alternated between playing outside and doing homework.   To my chagrin, my brain has lost some memory of grade six math (I had the book with the answers, but it didn't explain how to get the answers)....I think I'd better look for a math book on my next library visit.

My second assignment was in a special-ed elementary classroom, and it was challenging, to say the least.   Four of the eight students had Down syndrome, and four were still in diapers.   It was only a four-hour shift, but it seemed twice as long.

Today was rainy and gloomy,  so I wasn't surprised that there were lots of absentee aides.   This time I ended up at my old high school.    They have a day care program for teen mothers who want to stay in school.   A little sobering to learn that there's a waiting list.   The parents can get class credit for coming in and helping at the end of the school day.

It was fun playing with the babies, and listening to the mothers (so young!...) talk about their plans to go to college and have careers.   Although it made me feel old, seeing how the campus has changed.   Not to mention that the grandfather who came to pick up his granddaughter looked about my age, or a little older.

Well, at least I'm getting paid.

Monday Musings

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:26:20 GMT

What I've been reading:

A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass.   It took me a while to get around to this book, but since I have a touch of synesthesia myself (seeing letters as having colors), it was interesting.    To be honest, the first few chapters didn't really grab my attention, but after that things picked up (maybe that's encouraging,  seeing as how my partials weren't getting anywhere).    And I liked the way it ended.

Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library by Don Borchert.   A new book by a librarian who's pretty much seen it all.

The New Year's Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini.   I don't usually read adult fiction, but the Elm Creek Quilt series is an exception.   Like a visit with old friends.   The next book--number 12!--comes out in April.

A few things I've learned lately:

Sherm Edwards Candies in Pennsylvania makes chocolate-covered pickles!   They're a favorite of the Heinz family.

LEGO is a contraction of the Danish words leg godt, meaning "play well."   In Latin, it means "I put together" or "I assemble."

A yacht qualifies as a second home as long as it has a bedroom and a bathroom.

Germans considered pigs to be good luck, because in the old days, a farm family was lucky to have a pig that could feed them over a long winter.   Probably why piggy banks became popular.   It's also why pork and sauerkraut are staples of a New Year's good luck dinner (the cabbage leaves symbolize money).

SpongeBob Squarepants is known as "Bob Esponja" in Spanish.

                                                                              ****

In other news, I went to two different Borders bookstores the last two Saturdays (in Brea and Chino), and ran into the same author doing signings at each.   Unfortunately, his book is an adult murder mystery--not my genre at all.

Two small planes collided in midair over Corona yesterday at about 3:35 PM, and landed in the auto center on the west side of town.   Five people were killed...I didn't hear anything, but my sister said she heard a lot of distant sirens.

Wednesday, the 23rd, is National Pie Day.   How do I know?   Because I got a coupon for a free slice of pie at Bakers Square.   Then I remembered that the one closest to me had gone out of business.   The next closest location is about 20 miles away....

Notes from the Waiting Room

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 06:57:35 GMT

Yeah, I'm still here.   Nothing much has changed since last year....I haven't done much writing lately, but I have been reading a lot, soaking up information.   I figure if I read enough interesting books, maybe I'll get inspired to keep writing my own.

YA books I've read:  Beige and The Queen of Cool by Cecil Castellucci.   (Beige was my favorite--so funny.   Ms.Cecil captures the teen voice stunningly well, and her characterizations are great, too.)

I also rifled through Head Case by Sarah Aronson, and Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer, at the library.   Both very intense, and a tad disturbing.

I reread Kimchi and Calamari by Rose Kent, and Sweet Fifteen by Diane Gonzales Bertrand.

Adult nonfiction I've read: Longaberger, An American Success Story by the late Dave Longaberger.   (A "rags to riches" story.   You can see the company's 7-story basket-shaped office building at www.longaberger.com .)

Watch it Made in the U.S.A., A Visitor's Guide to the Best Factory Tours and Company Museums by Karen Axelrod and Bruce Brumberg.

Apple Pie: an American Story by John T. Edge. (Hmm, I notice a patriotic title theme here....)

I've also been forcing myself to get up early (ack!) to watch reruns of a Mexican telenovela (soap opera) that I watched in 2005. Why? Well, there's an actor I like on there. And, more importantly, it's like taking a Spanish class (I turn on the closed captioning, because I can read Spanish pretty well). I'm getting a refresher course in Mexican slang, too. Which came in handy last week when my sister and I visited our old hometown, Huntington Park (in L.A. County). It's more of a barrio now than the melting pot it was back in the 70's. At my old school, we had Cuban, Vietnamese, and Cambodian students. A girl from Scotland (Morag), a boy from Hong Kong, and a boy with a Mexican mother and Japanese father (Francisco something-or-other). Probably where I got my interest in other cultures.

Try, Try Again

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 07:44:30 GMT

Well, I have to admit, 2007 was a letdown after a promising '06.   (Maybe even-number years are luckier?)   My resolution, basically, is, "Do all those things you didn't do last year."

2008 started on a positive note this morning, at least, with a call from Gloria.   She's the coordinator of Sunday dinners at the local homeless shelter where I volunteer every other month.   She called to wish me a happy New Year, and to thank me for helping out for the past seven years.   I told her that she works harder than I do, being there every week, but she replied, "You're always there when I need you."   I got a little choked up at that.

And to keep the good vibes going, I'll reflect on the positive things that happened in 2007 (there were some):

I visited a lot of cool places in SoCal, like museums, quilt shows, art shows, independent bookstores, etc.   Fed my love of learning, and of beautiful things.

I went to two baby showers for three babies, and got to spend more quality time with my cousins.

I got two checks from Highlights for Children; one for a story sold in December of '06, and another for reprint rights.

I took my first baby steps into the world of book publishing/agent querying.   (And, like a toddler, I bristled at the word "no.")

I went to SCBWI Writer's Day in April, where I met Lisa Yee and Jay Asher, and heard motivational speeches by Joan Bauer, Anastasia Suen, and Cheryl Klein.

I met three other LiveJournal friends at book signings: Kerry Madden, Debby Garfinkle, and Linda Urban.   It's such a thrill to see a book at the store or the library and be able to say, "Hey, I know that author!"

Lots of other nice people friended me here.   I really enjoy reading everyone's blogs and often show pictures to my relatives.   And I was excited to win my first LJ contest (a book from Kim Baccellia).

So, yeah,  there were a lot of good moments last year.

We'll see what happens this year.   :-)

Holiday Five

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 05:11:00 GMT

1--phone call to the police to complain about a noisy party on Christmas Eve (the noisier of two.   Yes, it's turning into party central around here lately).

2--books by LJ friends that I checked out of the library last week and enjoyed.   Total Constant Order by Crissa-Jean Chappell, and--better late than never--Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies) by Justina Chen Headley.

3--babies I got to hold and play with at my cousin's house on Christmas Day.   7-month-old Sophie and 6-month-old twins Jonathan and Zander.      Sooo cute!   (And I heard that another cousin is pregnant.   It's an epidemic!)

4--other kids in the house, ages 10-15.   Their Christmas gift wish lists gave me some useful info about what's cool these days.

5--more days until 2008!   (Okay, I couldn't think of anything better.)

I finished tweaking the story I've been working on today.   As soon as I learn the fate of the one that's already out there, I can send this one.

I also typed three letters to friends.   I didn't think my letters were very interesting, but two family friends said they missed getting them with my Christmas cards.   That's a good thing, I guess.

My Sentiments Exactly

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 21:09:05 GMT

There's more, much more to Christmas
Than candle-light and cheer;
It's the spirit of sweet friendship,
That brightens all the year;
It's thoughtfulness and kindness,
It's hope reborn again,
For peace, for understanding
And for goodwill to men!

Anonymous

It's ironic that I'm writing this after I just had an argument with my father... :^) Or maybe it's appropriate, because I really appreciate my friends and the kindness of everyone on LJ. I've learned (and laughed) so much around here this year. Wishing you all the happiest of holidays.

Another Author Visit

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 23:11:12 GMT

Lisa See (not to be confused with lisayee) gave a talk at the Corona Public Library this morning.   Although I haven't read her recent adult fiction ("Snow Flower and the Secret Fan", "Peony in Love"),   I had read some of her nonfiction work.   And it was a book by her mother, Carolyn See, called "Making a Literary Life", that helped motivate me to actually finish my first novel.

Looking much younger than her 52 years,  very thin and soft-spoken,  Paris-born Lisa explained that although she's mostly Caucasian (her father is only one-quarter Chinese),   she has 400 relatives on her father's side living in the Los Angeles area, and always considered Chinatown her home base.   Listening to the exploits of her colorful immigrant relatives piqued her interest in "lost, forgotten, or deliberately covered up" stories.   She began making trips to China and doing research, and learned a lot about obscure subjects like Chinese women writers in the 17th century.

Her stories were very interesting, and included a detailed explanation of foot-binding, which was outlawed by the Republic of China in 1912, but persisted in remote areas.   She reminded the audience, who were aghast at the notion of a three-inch foot being considered beautiful, that breast implants are currently popular "graduation gifts" for 17-year-old girls in this country.   And, basically, for the same reason--parents trying to make their daughters more "marriageable".

Lisa said she's about 100 pages into her current novel, another historical story.   She's planning another trip to China, too, with author Amy Tan.   Her advice to anyone interested in doing historical research: talk to women in their 80's.   The older people get, she said, the more they seem to feel the need to reflect on their life experiences.   And many of them have interesting stories to tell.

Muchas Gracias, Kim

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 07:08:37 GMT

I usually never win contests, so it was a nice surprise to learn that I won a copy of Earrings of Ixtumea from Kim Baccellia ( kbaccellia)! I'm really looking forward to reading it.

Thanks again, Kim!