Author: Loree Burns

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A True Story

The story I want to tell you is so odd that I was afraid you might not believe it. So I asked my son to tell you instead. He is nine, he was there, and he is very, very honest. This is our ABSOLUTELY TRUE STORY…

Hi. I’m Loree’s son and I am about to tell you about an amazing adventure!

On Tuesday, March 18 we went to the reservoir near our house and I came across some trees that were cut down. I called my mom, brother, and sister and said, “Did a beaver cut these down?” My mom said, “I think so.” That is how it all began.

Me and my brother went farther down the bank and I found …

… a rubber duck! It’s head was a little cracked, but who cares? When me and my brother got back to the chopped trees and showed it to Mom, she found a number on it. It is “577”.

We decided to go farther down the trail all together and we kept finding chopped trees. Finally we got to a little opening, so I went down into it. Behind some bushes was a big dome. I said, “Is that a beaver lodge?” Mom said, “I think so!” Then we looked around and we decided it was a beaver lodge. We didn’t find any beavers.

In my opinion, the beaver bit is only mildly interesting when compared to the fact that we found a plastic duck in our reservoir. What are the chances that we would be the ones to find this plastic duck? What is it with me and plastic ducks? The number printed on the duck suggests it was part of a rubber duck race somewhere on the river that feeds the reservoir. The kids and I plan to look into it and we’ll let you know what we find out. For now we’ve put 577 with the rest of the gang.

 

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TRACKING TRASH at Worcester Polytechnic Institute


Photo by Gordon Peabody, passionate environmentalist.

Yesterday I spoke to students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute about TRACKING TRASH. It was an interesting coming-full-circle sort of a day.

You see, I graduated from WPI in 1991. It was there that I committed myself to a career in science and there, interestingly, that I completed work on an undergraduate thesis on ‘Realism in Contemporary Children’s Literature’. It is only in hindsight that I see how this place helped to shape me and my work and set me on the way to a career in writing about science and scientists for young people. It was fun to go back a couple years later (if you can call seventeen a couple!) and see clearly what was so muddy back then: I am drawn to stories of science and the people who practice it, telling these stories is what I am called to do.

I spoke to students in a chemical engineering course called ‘Transport & Transformations in the Environment’, and they were a great audience. TRACKING TRASH was required reading for this class (!), and these future engineers were genuinely interested in the issues it raises and how those issues relate to their curriculum and to their world.

After class, Professor Bob Thompson took me and several colleagues and friends (both old and new) to lunch at Higgins House. What animated conversations ensued! We talked about oceans, the environment, science education, horseshoe crabs, citizen science and so much more. It was a fabulous afternoon, and Professor Dan Gibson–the the man who taught me all I know about horseshoe crab physiology—thought to bring a camera. (Thanks, Dan!)

 

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Forest Grove Middle School


Indian Lake ICC Event, © 2007 Betty Jenewin

Back in October I helped coordinate an International Coastal Cleanup event at Indian Lake in Worcester Massachusetts. To encourage participation in my cleanup, and in ICC events across Massachusetts, I held a raffle: the prizes were signed copies of TRACKING TRASH and a day-long school visit from its author (um, me). I was thrilled when the school visit was won by a science teacher from here in central Massachusetts. Yesterday I visited Don Brown and his eighth graders at Forest Grove Middle School.

Mr. Brown’s students are very familiar with Indian Lake. They can see its shores from their classroom windows, and several of the kids I spoke with yesterday have cleaned its surroundings and tested its waters over the years. When I asked them why they do this, one young man told me, “Because that Lake is our responsibility.” I love that attitude.

Overall, the four groups of eighth graders I spoke with were an intense bunch. They didn’t smile much, but that’s okay, because marine debris is not particularly funny. They lightened momentarily, when I told them about the recent recovery of three individual sneakers on three different Canadian beaches in the past six months: all three were found within thirty miles of eachother, and each had the remains of a foot inside. (Note to self: middle schoolers dig gore.)

I signed books for several students, talked with a few about what I do and why I do it, and skipped lunch in order to give an impromptu talk to a gaggle who wanted to know more but had not been able to attend the formal presentations. I was impressed with what I saw at Forest Grove Middle School, and I hope I cross paths with these kids again … maybe next fall, on the shores of Indian Lake, with checklists in our hands.

 

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Margaret Neary School

It’s Book Week at the Margaret Neary School in Southboro, Massachusetts, and yesterday I was part of the festivities.

I visited with Neary’s four hundred or so fourth and fifth graders and talked a bit about earthworms and trash and revising and mistakes. The Neary kids were a fantastic audience, motivated and interested and willing to ask questions. I particularly enjoyed my small group lunches (two of them!) with students. We munched PB&Js and Caesar salads and talked books and movies and ladybugs and processionary caterpillars.

I signed books at the end of the day in the Neary library, which has been transformed for Book Week. It was a treat for me to watch them shop, pawing through piles of books, soliciting opinions from eachother, opening a cover to read a few lines and standing, transfixed, for a whole chapter.

The Neary kids are in for an amazing week … author Carolyn Coman will be visiting them tomorrow and on Thursday they will meet illustrator Ralph Masiello. Many thanks to parent and Book Week organizer Ellen Faherty, librarian Laurie Woodfin, and all the faculty and students I met at Neary. Happy Book Week to all of you!

 

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Book Bunch: Things That ?

In our first class, the kids in my Book Bunch class guessed my book theme easily.

In our second class, I got sneaky.

We read:

CLUCK O’CLOCK, Written by Kes Gray and Illustrated by Mary McQuillan
HOT AIR, Written and Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman
PUMPKIN TOWN, Written by Katie McKy and Illustrated by Pablo Bernasconi
FLY GUY, Written and Illustrated by Tedd Arnold

The first two were chosen as the perfect red herring combination … the kids were bound to think the theme was roosters or farm animals. It worked perfectly. (Giggle!)

Can you picture book gurus guess our theme?

A few clues:

Clue #1:
CLUCK O’CLOCK, a clever, rhyming look at a day in the coop, is as much about time moving quickly as it is about chickens.

Clue #2
HOT AIR is ‘The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot Air Balloon Ride.’

Clue #3
To fit PUMPKIN TOWN into the theme you have to focus on those errant pumpkin seeds and how they spread hither and yon. Need a little more? Here is a snippet from the book’s CIP Summary: “… as five brothers dispose of unneeded seeds, the seeds suddenly go flying with the wind and cover the town below …”

Clue #4
FLY GUY gets around, yes?

The answer? Things that _ _ _.

For the record, the kiddos nailed it. But it took all four books and a couple clues for them to do it.

Ideas for this week’s theme are welcomed …

 

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Lovely Cards, Lovely Kids

Look what has arrived:

Thank you cards. Loads of them. Hand-made by the very cool Newport students I have been telling you about all week. Some of the best bits were in postscript …

“PS. Are you going to write about killer bees?”
Yes. Because one of my biggest fears as a young person was that there really were Killer Bees and that they really were coming.

“PS. Why did you choose to write about bees?”
Because they interest me. And because they seem to interest you!

“PS. Go Red Sox!”
Yes!

“PS. Clean up the beaches for our creatures.”
I will try. You try too, okay?

“PS. I liked your sweater.”
Thank you. My sister, who picked out the sweater and who was with me when I read the cards, is now calling herself my stylist and demanding a paycheck.

“PS. I will not tell your kids about the picture if I meet them.”
My kids were also with me when I read the cards. Whoops. (“MOM!! What picture??”)

“PS. Hope you come back soon.”
Me too. Truly.

 

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Authors School Visits By State

Or, perhaps this week of posts has got you itching to invite an author to speak at your school?

I have got just the thing for you, too …

Kim Norman, a children’s picture book author herself, has recently launched the Author School Visits By State website. Her goal is to help educators nationwide find children’s authors who visit schools.

If you are an author who visits schools, contact Kim to be included. And if you are a teacher or librarian looking for authors near you, go ahead and browse. (You’ll find me under Massachusetts!)

 

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Belmont Children’s Picture Book Festival

Has the book festival goodness here at ‘A Life In Books’ this week put you in the mood for a bookish celebration?

Well, then, I have just the thing for you …

Belmont Children’s Picture Book Festival
Saturday, March 29, 2008
2pm to 4pm
First Church in Belmont
404 Concord Avenue
Belmont, Massachusetts

This event, which is free and open to the public, will celebrate Sarah S. Brannen, Anne Broyles, Timothy Basil Ering, Leo Espinosa and Laura Jaffe Espinosa, James Kaczman, and Melissa Stewart … and their newly released picture books.

Children and families can meet the authors and illustrators, hear them talk about their books, and enjoy a variety of performances and activities. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Enjoy!