Yesterday I was invited back to the fourth grade classroom of Mrs. Travers at the Spring Street School … but not to talk about my book. No, Mrs. Travers and her generous students invited me back because they remembered how much I love to read middle-grade fiction. As it happens, Jeanne Birdsall, author of the National Book Award-winning middle-grade novel THE PENDERWICKS, was visiting their classroom yesterday. Mrs. Travers and her class thought I might like to come and hang out and meet Ms. Birdsall. How cool is that?
Jeanne (she insisted we all call her that) has a gentle way with her fans. She came into the room, sat right down on the floor with them, and commenced to chat. The students gathered around her, question-laden index cards in hand, and began firing. Jeanne hardly got a word in edgewise! But it was clear that both author and fans enjoyed themselves a great deal. When the questions finally ran out, Jeanne signed books for everyone in the classroom, and I was given the enviable job of escorting her out of the school.
Mrs. Travers had introduced me as a writer, and as soon as we reached the lobby, Jeanne insisted I find us a place to sit and talk. I scored us a couple seats in the school cafeteria, and we spent a few grand moments chatting about the business of children’s publishing, marketing books, interacting with children. Jeanne was gracious and lovely and supportive … she beamed when I told her my first book would be released on Monday, and she yelped and shook my hand when I told her it had garnered a couple starred reviews. When our time was up (I had children to pick up at school and she had a long ride ahead of her), Jeanne signed a copy of THE PENDERWICKS for me, and I signed a copy of TRACKING TRASH for her.
“Welcome to the wonderful world of published authors!” she wrote. “All my best, Jeanne” Sigh. It is a wonderful world … and it was worth every moment of work and wait it took to get here.