I had the WONDERFUL opportunity this past September to hang out with the Henderson Book Club — who read Frostbite Hotel! Thank you so much for reading the book, and for sharing your insights about the story and the characters with me. I don’t always get to hear first hand from readers, so it was extra special to do that with you!
This is such a great group of readers – I loved hearing about the other books you’ve looked at together, and the stacks of books that you must each have have piled up on your nightstands.
Not only did we chat, we also did some super fun activities related to Frostbite Hotel, including sketching our favourite characters (or the character we could ‘see best’ in our minds), and – my favourite – a friendly Frostbite Hotel trivia ‘snowball fight’ where we launched paper snowballs containing book-related questions at each other. (Your book club is leader is very creative, as well as fun and kind — you’re lucky to have her!)
I didn’t belong to a book club like this in my tweens, but I sure would have enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me be an honorary member for an afternoon…
Enjoy your next book, and thanks again for having me as a guest!
I was honoured to be invited to meet and speak with students participating in B.E.E.P. (Balanced Experiential Education Program) at Governor Semple School this past Monday. Students across a range of grades gather throughout the summer with teachers and leaders who guide them in fun learning experiences that I have a feeling they’ll remember for a long time to come. Right after I left, they were going geocaching in the neighborhood – how cool is that? I’ll bet that not only will the experiences be special, the friendships you’ll make will be an important part of your summer, maybe even your whole lives! (My next book is about a lifelong friendship that starts at a summer camp…and also sort of about sharks. More on that later…)
Speaking of the neighborhood, the reason I was invited to hang out with my new B.E.E.P. friends was that I grew up just around the corner – and their theme for the week was Local Citizenship – so…perfect, right? (LOL). I’m glad I was able to stop by, check out a day in the life of B.E.E.P., and share a bit about myself growing up where you’re growing up. It was where I was first inspired to write!
It was fun meeting groups of young people (and in some cases, meeting you again!) and hearing your questions about writing and being a writer. It was really cool to hear that some of you read my books (thanks!) and that many of you are avid readers/writers yourselves! I also loved our spontaneous conversation about sharks and shark facts (another passion I share with some of you…). I understand that you may be doing some writing during your B.E.E.P. time – if you post your stories somewhere, let me know. I’d love to take a look!
Once again, it was really great to meet you and your leaders, too. Enjoy your learning, art, outdoor and indoor activities and just hanging out together!
I had an exciting chance to enjoy a ‘bonus round’ working with young writers this April and June (I usually know where I’m going to be for the year in September, so this was a totally wonderful surprise!). Thank you to the Grade 4s of Room 203 at Ecole Riviere Rouge for welcoming me into your classroom to ‘talk writing’. I first met you all in February during ‘I Love to Read Month’ where we connected over a fun reading, and your GREAT questions. I loved being able to return to your school to share my process with you and hear your ideas about writing and the whole wonderful world of stories.
Here’s your list of unique action words that we brainstormed together (I had to keep returning to the board to add more of your words even when we’d moved on to something else… LOL):
Something unique about our time together was exactly that – ‘time’! There were some BIG breaks between our visits. That can be a challenge because I know you had so many projects, events, and activities in between (even I had lots going on – like heading to New Brunswick and back, LOL). Sometimes we forget what we’re writing about or lose some of the excitement when too much time passes by… But it’s also kinda how the whole writing process often works – sometimes we need to let our ideas brew and stew over time, and like a delicious stew they may get more and more flavourful. So – good for you all for hanging in there, and patiently going back to your character web, 5 senses web, storyboard and other notes each time. I think your stories grew (and are growing) because of this patience and determination!
A big highlight for me happened on our very last day. I was talking about revision and how it can be a fun, creative and exciting part of the writing process. I’m not sure that all of you believed me at first (LOL) but I think you proved to yourself just how creative revisions (and you all) are! After looking at a first draft of a sample story that I brought in (“Ruby and the Ball”), the whole class let out a big group “meh”. But then I asked you what you liked about this story – even though it was kind of “meh” – and the ideas started to fly. Then, by zooming in on the parts we liked and then expanding them with some of the techniques we practiced (starting with a hook, using the 5 senses, showing instead of telling, and using impact words), suddenly we were in a creepy rain forest that was closing in on us with mucky mud, dripping rain, and a lack of cell service…we went from “meh” to “marvelous”, and we were just getting started!
(I know that it’s June and I know you’re busy getting lots of things done, but if you do some more work on this story as a class, let me know – I’d love to read it and post it!)
It was great meeting you all Room 203, and I hope we can work together in the future. Have a great summer doing some things you love (hope that includes reading and writing some stories!).
Historic Woodstock was my final stop for presentations on the Hackmatack Tour. It was also the smallest group I met with, comprised exclusively of Hackmatack Readers from the nearby Townsview School. But being small in numbers sure doesn’t mean small in terms of creativity, enthusiasm, and excellent comments and questions. This was a group of readers and writers who ‘knew their stuff’ and it was a pleasure to meet you all!
I read from Frostbite Hotel and even got a chance to crack open chapter one of No TV? No Fair! (a Hackmatack Tour first for me!). Your questions and comments about the books were amazing and thought-provoking! I especially appreciated the connections you shared about how you could relate to certain characters or situations (writers love hearing that!). I also felt inspired learning about the creative things you do, like writing scripts and acting in plays, writing stories (even a series of stories) in collaboration with friends, creating artwork and comic book writing, and more. We had such an interesting discussion about comics didn’t we? When I shared some details about my new book (Mermaid Warrior Squad) and the comic component it has in it, you shared your reasons for being passionate about comics – like how comics tell a story twice (once in words, the other in pictures.) I LOVE that observation and I’ll remember it forever!
It is always special and inspiring to spend time with others who love stories as much as I do. The creative energy we generated together lasted much longer than the hour or so we had – in fact, I still feel it now and hope you do, too. I ended the “Tour” part of Hackmatack with you, and can truly say that I feel so eager to dive in to more writing, with a huge thanks due to this wonderful group.
I was thrilled to receive a packet of letters about Frostbite Hotel and this HUGE ‘Welcome Poster’ from the Hackmatack Club at Florenceville Elementary.
I love the colourful, fun artwork on the poster — and the questions and comments in your letters really made me think. I am planning to get back to you soon, but please give me a bit of time to respond while I figure out answers worthy of your questions!!
Thank you for participating in the Hackmatack program and I’m glad some of you chose to read Frostbite Hotel. Hope we get a chance to meet one day…
Thank You Cards from Bath Community School (on my desk!)
After another scenic New Brunswick drive, this time from Edmundston to Bath (with a gourmet lunch in Perth-Andover…yum…), I visited Bath Community School. I met with a range of grades, about 60 students strong (probably the largest group on my tour!). You were excellent listeners who laughed in all the right spots when I read Frostbite Hotel (phew!), and I think you had a record breaking number of questions. (It’s amazing we’re all not still there together chatting away, it was that fun!). I loved hearing about the books you are reading and – hooray! – the stories you are writing.
You had insightful questions about the writing process. I especially enjoyed how we talked about ways to build suspense in our stories – not necessarily to ‘trick’ out readers, but to keep pulling them along in the adventure. It’s why I didn’t tell you everything about ‘The Bear’ in Chapter One, but I gave some hints about Kirby’s sneaky antagonist, to make you wonder and want to read more. Guessing activates readers’ imaginations and makes them want to keep going. Try it out sometime in your own stories (but I suggest that you don’t make every sentence a guessing game, otherwise your reader will just say “Huh?” LOL).
I truly couldn’t believe the number of questions and comments from this group, and I couldn’t be happier about it. It means you enjoyed your Hackmatack experience and have a love of reading and writing that I hope you’ll carry with you forever. I will certainly remember my time at the wonderful, welcoming Bath Community School. And I want to say thank you so much for the incredibly special gift of locally made maple syrup, a hand-signed thank you card, and even an MM Award – what an honour!
I hope you enjoy the rest of your year (and do a lot of reading this summer.) All the best and…
Mgr. W.J. Conway Public Library (….and my water bottle!)
In the excellent town of Edmunston there is a lovely library…(sounds like the opening line of a book!). There, I had the chance to meet with a wonderful group of students from Saint Mary’s Academy. You were a mix of grades and classrooms, but you felt like a tight-knit community to me, one that welcomed me in from the very first smile!
Some of you had already read Frostbite Hotel, and some of you had even explored a few of my other books (that was very exciting for me – thank you! – and, if you go on to read more, let me know what you think). What I loved about this group was the way you thought like readers and authors in terms of guessing what might happen next in my book, or in any book. We talked about how authors build authentic characters, the importance of developing backstories (even for minor characters), putting our characters in situations where they have to work, struggle and grow – basically the things that the most seasoned authors need to be thinking of all the time. You are a VERY sophisticated group and I hope that many (all!) of you will go on to explore your own potential as authors and that many (all!) of you will keep on reading!
I will especially remember our discussion about the difficulties authors face when writing a book, which arose from a great question. Some writing difficulties are practical challenges, like meeting deadlines, or keeping our creative energy flowing. Others are more personal, like exploring and remembering tough situations in order to write about them authentically. I talked about how in my upcoming book, I had to do a lot of thinking and remembering times in my life when I felt like I didn’t fit in or when I was too shy/scared to express myself. You bravely shared some of your own stories about fitting in or feeling different. And while we might not have solved those hard problems, I think we learned from each other that we aren’t the only ones to have these feelings. Not only that, when we read books about characters struggling with problems like our own, it’s another chance to know and feel we aren’t alone (because there’s a character out there who understands, and an author who does, too). There’s something very powerful and hopeful about that. So…read and write on, Saint Mary’s, for the joy and adventure of it all, and also to connect to the things that make us caring, feeling, human beings. (Okay, I’ve just decided that reading is awesome. 🙂 )
The visit with Saint Mary’s was unique in many ways, like getting to read from My Best Friend is a Viral Dancing Zombie (you’re the only ones I got to read it to!). And I even had the chance to read to Pig, an adorable friend of the library and avid story-lover (there are pictures out there to prove it!). Thanks for an amazing Hackmatack experience.
After a scenic drive (despite the rain) from Dalhousie, and a delicious lunch at Cafe Europa, I had the pleasure of visiting a group of Grade 6s at Campbellton Middle School. It was my second stop on the Hackmatack Author Tour, and you made me feel comfortable and welcomed right away (we kicked things off with a bit of hockey talk, so I knew I was in the right crowd, LOL). You listened to an excerpt from Frostbite Hotel and then shared some GREAT questions. I enjoyed hearing about your very cool “Frostbite” project where you had to create an image of your own hotel, and come up with a business plan — including the ever-challenging issue of choosing a staff.
One question from Campbellton that sticks out for me since I’ve never heard it asked before (and am still thinking of a good answer!): “How do you rate yourself as an author?” Hmmm…I don’t know quite how I rate myself, but it made me think that authors should have a unique rating system…so, rather than stars ***, or ‘thumbs ups’ — maybe ‘quills’ or ‘pens’ (as in “I give my favourite author 5 Pens”). Any other ideas, Campbellton Middle School? 😉
Besides your insightful questions, I loved how you shared your favourite authors and books with me. There’s such a wide range of literary tastes in your group! (Although, I did notice that a good number of you loved humorous stories – and I can relate!) Some of you have already begun your own journeys as authors, writing not only for school projects, but at home, too (fill up those notebooks!). I even met one young author who felt moved to write during our time together before her inspired idea had a chance to escape I think that’s absolutely terrific and hope you keep at it!!
One thing I’ve found in the ‘alone’-ly writing process is that coming together with fellow writers is very important for keeping creative ideas and energy flowing. So, thank you all for telling me that our time together inspired you – it did the same for me! I spent the rest of the day mulling over new ideas for books and jotting thoughts down.
I’ll always remember my time in Campbellton (thank you for the lovely thank you card and school pin!), and hope you keep in touch.
After arriving in New Brunswick on May 1st and spending the night in beautiful Bathhurst, I was taken to the town of Dalhousie on the shores of the magnificent Baie des Chaleurs. Even though I visit lots of schools and love, love, LOVE talking to young readers, as my very first author talk on the tour, I admit to having butterflies in my stomach! But I could not have walked into a friendlier or more welcoming situation, and immediately those butterflies settled down. Two terrific Grade 5 classrooms gathered to hear me read from Frostbite Hotel and to ask lots and lots of questions! I instantly felt that we had known each other all year instead of just a few moments (LOL). I had SO much fun meeting you, and was especially excited to hear about all the reading and writing that you are doing at school and at home on your own.
I loved our discussion on how to pick just the right character names (and the challenges that go along with it!). I was also excited about the chat we had from the moment I walked in the door – about which “grade” in school has been our favourite. The reason many of you gave for loving a particular grade was “because I learned so much”, whether it be in science, ELA, math, and more – that is an AWESOME answer. And, practically all of you agreed that Grade 5 was a major learning year – woo-hoo!
Thank you for the best possible kick off to my first ever Hackmatack Author Tour, for choosing to read Frostbite Hotel as part of your Hackmatack experience, and for welcoming me to your school. I hope that you’ll keep on reading books that make you think, feel and wonder…and keep on writing, too!
I had the pleasure of visiting an amazing Grade 6 classroom at J. B. Mitchell this past Friday – thank you to your wonderful teacher for the invitation! Many students had read my latest book My Best Friend is a Viral Dancing Zombie (‘Zombie’ for short – LOL) and had lots of questions for me about the book and the writing process.
Wait.
Did I say ‘lots’? I mean dozens and dozens and DOZENS of questions, all thoughtful and prepared with care in advance – wow! Great questions. Questions that made me think, some questions that I’ve never heard before (that’s a big deal – I’ve worked with THOUSANDS of students and heard lots of great questions!). We talked about emotions and their connection to writing, what makes a character change and behave in certain ways throughout a story, the biggest challenges in the writing of a story, and what to do with ideas that don’t seem to be going anywhere (…YET!). As your teacher reminded you, you are all writers, so while the questions were directed at me, I was also impressed by the insights you had to share about story writing. I’m sure you’re going to dive in with enthusiasm when you work on creative writing projects later in the year!
Thank you so much for your warm reception (on a very cold day). Your energy inspired me and kept me going for the rest of the weekend. Writing can be lonely at many stages (well, maybe not ‘lonely’, but certainly an “alone” sort of thing!) so getting to share my stories with a real, live group of wonderful people is very exciting and rewarding for me. Thank you!
Have a great year!
Till we meet again,
Karin
P.S. Thank you for the thoughtful, colourful card signed by everyone, and the J.B. Mitchell gifts – they’re terrific and I will put them to good use!
