Loree Burns – Page 39

June 16, 2009April 25, 2015

Ahern Middle School

A big shout out to my new friends at the Ahern Middle School in Massachusetts. It was fun talking to you about writing and science and TRACKING TRASH yesterday. And a hearty thanks to Mrs. Cathy Robbins, sixth grade language arts teacher extraordinaire, who coordinated my visit … and then patiently re-coordinated it when my ladybug research got in the way of our original date. I appreciate your flexibility and patience, Cathy.

The Ahern sixth graders and I got a little carried away with our question and answer session (loved this!), which meant that by the time I got out to the parking lot, my car was surrounded by big, yellow school busses. As I sat and watched those busses load up and ship out, it struck me, for the first time this spring, that the the 2008-2009 school year is on its way out.

You know what this means, right?

Summer!

And I think I’m just about ready. How about you?

June 15, 2009April 25, 2015

Darwin

DARWIN
By Alice B. McGinty
Illustrated by Mary Azarian
Houghton Mifflin, 2009

Category: Picture Book Biography

There is nothing quite so satisfying to me as a good picture book biography. I adore a quick glimpse into a life, and I admire the restraint and good sense that are necessary to give this glimpse just the right depth and scope. It is hard, I think, to get it all just right in this format. Goodness knows I speak from experience here; I’ve been working to get one particular picture book biography just right for, oh, about four years now. Not. Easy. Alice McGinty and Mary Azarian, however, know the secret; they got DARWIN just right.

I was tempted to be discouraged, actually, by the fact that this beautiful book is out in the world and my own picture book biography–similar in so many ways–is still sitting on my hard drive. Alas, there was Charles, on the very last page of the book, sharing this wisdom:

Whenever I have found out that I have blundered, or that my work has been imperfect, and when I have been contemptuously criticized, and even when I have been overpraised, so that I have felt mortified, it has been my greatest comfort to say hundreds of times to myself … I have worked as hard and as well as I could, and no man can do more than this.

No woman either.

Happy Monday!

June 12, 2009April 25, 2015

The Green Glass Sea

THE GREEN GLASS SEA
By Ellen Klages
Scholastic, 2006

It seems we Burnses are the last people on Earth to read this book, so I probably don’t need to tell you that it is about two eleven-year-old girls living in the top-secret town of Los Alamos, New Mexico—nicknamed the Hill—at the end of World War II. Their parents are involved in an equally secret project, a gadget that will end the war. It is an intense time, but Dewey and Suze are regular girls, dealing with the not-so-secret issues of being young and just a little different.

We loved this book. It spoke to all of us: two ten-year-old boys, one seven-year-old girl, and one thirty-nine-year-old mom. The kids were swept up in the history and are very keen to read more about the Hill and the Manhattan Project. Their reaction to the gadget and the ramifications of its success surprised and worried me. My own reaction mirrored that of Mrs. Gordon, Suze’s mother: “Christ. What have we done?” (This surprised no one in this house.) The book gave us a platform to discuss difficult questions, though, and I am always down with that.

My favorite moment in this novel was a writing moment. Dewey was given the great honor of visiting the secret treehouse of Charlie and Jack, brothers also living on the Hill. The threesome trudged through the flat landsacape of the hill, kicking up dust in every shade of brown and army green, and eventually came to the treehouse:

Dewey climed up the ladder, not as fast as Jack, but without any hesitation. Charlie appeared a few seconds later, the knapsack on his back. He took it off and dropped it with a thump, raising a spray of dust motes that sparkled for a few seconds in the afternoon sun.

Did you catch it? The word sparkled? It was masterful. The landscape until this moment had been so drab that those sparkling dust motes took my breath away. They gave the treehouse a special place in the story, foreshadowed that magnificent green glass sea, and, at the same time, made me worry for Dewey: they sparkled for only a few seconds, after all. My hackles were raised. So many emotional reactions elicited by one perfectly chosen, perfectly placed word.

We’ve added the sequel, WHITE SANDS, RED MENACE to our summer reading list. At the moment it is in the number four spot, behind this, and this, and this. (Hey, don’t mention that last one to Mr. Burns, okay?)

Have a great weekend, friends!

June 11, 2009April 25, 2015

What A Girl Wants

What do teen girls want in a book? A discussion of this very question has started over at Chasing Ray, where Colleen Mondor asked a group of women authors to talk about the book that affected them the most as a teen reader. My choice stands out like, forgive me, a truly sore thumb. You can read the entire post here.

Got a favorite book from your own teenhood? Inspired by books already on the list? Check out the discussion inspired by the post and share your thoughts.

Collen plans to add to her What A Girl Wants feature twice a month, exploring with the same panel of women writers various topics relevant to young girls and books. The issues we’ll talk about are important, and my fellow panelists are brilliant and articulate; do stay tuned!

June 11, 2009April 25, 2015

Sapsucker Woods

Cornell University is a citizen science mecca of sorts. It is home not only to The Search for Lost Ladbugs Project, but also the world-reknowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology, whose mission is “to interpret and conserve the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds.” The Lab coordinates several critical citizen science projects, including FeederWatch, NestWatch, Great Backyard Bird Count, and others.

As if all that weren’t enough enticement, the Lab is nestled in the Sapsucker Woods Bird Sanctuary. (Yes, this place is as lovely as it sounds.) I spent part of yesterday there, interviewing Rick Bonney, who actually coined the phrase ‘citizen science’, and meeting several other folks who work behind the scenes on the citizen science projects I toot about here. (Including, by the way, Tim Gallagher, author of THE GRAIL BIRD. What a treat!)

It was a fabulous end to a fabulous research trip. I left the Lab with important new insights into citizen science, a cool new hat (see photo), and the mounting conviction that it is time, finally, to start writing this book. I have some loose ends to tie up, of course: notes to type, interviews to transcribe, and massive amounts of research to organize and review. But as Ellen and I emerged from the Sapsucker Woods and pointed the car toward home yesterday, my fingers were actually tingling.

(About the picture. I wouldn’t normally just plop a picture like this here on the old blog, but I asked Ellen to grab a picture of me outside the Johnson Center before we left the lab of Ornithology yesterday … and I am just so amazed at how well she captured the exact feelings of the moment. I was happy and relaxed about a day of important work, and wanted to soak up a bit of this special place. I think she totally got the shot. Can you see my fingers tingling?)

June 9, 2009April 25, 2015

I ♥ Research

Oi, what a ladybug hunt we had! Here’s the loose math: 27 intrepid ladybug spotters, 14 heavy-duty sweep nets, 7 buckets for sorting bugs, 5 scientists, 5 teachers, 1 hour, and … (cue the dramatic music, please) …

7 ladybug species!

The fourth-grade citizen scientists Ellen and I shadowed were amazingly dedicated field workers and didn’t let wet clover, threatening clouds, or sudden intense sunshine slow them down. They captured, photographed, and released 7-spotted, pink-spotted, polished, checker-spotted, glacial, Asian multi-colored, and three-banded ladybugs. Not bad for a day’s work.

Ellen and I are now back at our hotel. I am typing up notes like a madwoman. She is reviewing photos like a madwoman. We have decided we have the most perfect jobs ever…

June 9, 2009April 25, 2015

Hello from Ladybug Land!

Photographer Ellen Harasimowicz and I are in Ithaca, New York learning about The Lost Ladybug Project. Yesterday’s highlights included a visit to Dr. John Losey’s ladybug lab–complete with a peek in the aphid room–and a ladybug collecting trip.

Eric Denemark, a former student of Dr. Losey’s, brought Ellen and I to a nearby clover field and showed us how to sweep out ladybugs. That’s Eric up above, sharing ladybugs he found with Ellen. I got to try my hand at collecting too, but those rather funny images are on Ellen’s camera. Suffice to say that it is easy and enjoyable work, so long as you are okay with thigh-high clover fields and nets full of interesting creatures.

Ladybuggin’ tip of the day: when you are done sweeping, let your net sit open for a moment … that way bees and other stinging insects you may have swept IN can fly OUT. This is especially important if you plan to do this:

The weather here is threatening today’s plans, so please send sunny, ladybug friendly thoughts this way. If the rain holds off I’ll have more to share tomorrow.

June 8, 2009April 25, 2015

Ladybuggin’

I’m leaving in a few hours on the final leg of a year-long, four-leg citizen science research journey …. and I AM VERY EXCITED!

I’ll be shadowing Dr. John Losey, ladybug scientist at Cornell University, as he hunts for lost ladybug species.

Curious, are you?

Well, then, go listen to Dr. Losey explain his super-cool citizen science project . After that, you’ll probably want to get outside and find some ladybugs yourself. Have fun … and be sure to bring your camera!

Then again, it is Monday. If all this sounds too taxing, then just have yourself a short game of Ladybug Pacman and rest up until I get back. I will have tons and tons and tons to tell you then …

June 7, 2009April 25, 2015

The Viburnum Mysteries, Part 3

It’s a boy!

No, wait, it’s a girl!

Ack! Truth is, I don’t know which it is. But our mystery viburnum eggs have hatched, and the teeny tiny caterpillars (less than half a centimeter!) look just as we’d hoped: greenish with a large, dark horn on the rear end. The horn is further evidence that these are, indeed, the caterpillar of a hummingbird moth. I don’t know exactly which species, but time will tell.

They hatched sometime overnight and seem to have eaten their egg cases. I put some newly clipped viburnum leaves into the tank and am hoping the little cats will move over to those fresher leaves on their own. Sadly, I will be away from my new babies for a few days … but my human kids have promised to take good care of them. More pics soon!

* For a better view of our little cat, click on the image above; it should enlarge. The ruler is in centimeters.

June 6, 2009April 25, 2015

Six Things on Saturday

1. I’m feeling better, thanks to some extra rest and these magnificent
thank you notes from my friends at Sage School.

2. My heavily monitored mystery viburnum eggs have still not hatched.
What are they waiting for?

3. I did some amphibian monitoring work this week as part of my
research for the citizen science book. Taking notes in the dark
(which is when you monitor frog calls) is hard!

4. I’m heading to Ithaca, New York on Monday to do a final series
of interviews for the citizen science book … and I will be
participating in an official Ladybug Hunt!

5. The amazing Colleen Mondor at Chasing Ray has invited me to be
part of a panel of women writers who want to talk deeply about
girls and books and reading. Please join us!

6. That end-of-the-schoolyear-kickoff-to-summer craziness known
around here as the Little League Baseball Playoffs begins today.
Go Ben! Go Sam! Go Pirates!