As the five year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches, I've posted an essay I wrote in November, 2005.

A Circle of Friends

The other day I got an email from someone looking to establish pen pal relationships with “Katrina Victims”. The term jumped off the page and took me by surprise. He said he wanted these children to know they weren’t alone. First I smiled, and then I looked at my class. And then I smiled again. I have no “Katrina Victims” to offer him, and certainly, no one is alone.

I’m proud to say our school took in approximately forty students from the New Orleans area. From the minute they came to our school, they were children in our classes, not “Katrina Victims”. Yes, these students did come to us after a very difficult time, but in our classrooms, they were never “victims”. They were, and still are, children with unique learning styles and personalities….just like their classmates. As I watch everyone work and play together today, I am amazed that these children were “strangers in a strange land” just a few short months ago.

We all remember Aug. 29, when the lives of so many people in the Gulf Coast region were changed. We, as Houstonians and as a Jewish community pulled together and embraced the opportunity to help. When we were told that we would be taking in some children from New Orleans, any concerns the staff may have had were pushed aside by our desire to “Welcome the Stranger”. So the children came, and although those coming to us had endured a loss, the Shlenker children and staff were about to get a gift.

The time had come to live the values we teach. With the help of their parents, our students began to open not only their homes, but also their hearts to these new students. While fulfilling God’s commandments, they were lucky enough to make new friends and to see the world through other children’s eyes.
We certainly had an appropriate theme for Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day this year....."Circle of Friends." As I look around, I truly see that circle of friends….not Houstonians and “Katrina Victims”. Our children have reached out to others and in doing so, gained much in return. There is no “them and us”. There is community. There is no “Houston and New Orleans” There is friendship. There are no “victims” There are children. So as many of our families get ready to go back to continue their lives in New Orleans, we will be losing not “victims” or “evacuees”, but friends. We wish them well, and want to thank them for all they have given us. No one would wish another Hurricane Katrina on anyone, but if there’s one small glimmer of light that has come out of that tragedy, it is that many of us have had the opportunity to add to our circle of friends.

Galveston, Oh Galveston.....

A few days ago, illustrator extraordinaire, Bill Megenhardt and I had the pleasure of doing a joint school presentation at Parker Elementary in Galveston. I met the librarian, Lana Croft, at TLA in 2009 and have looked forward to working with her all year. Just like many amazing librarians we've worked with over the year, Lana got the kids excited about the visit, and they had some wonderful questions. We presented to pre K through 4th and loved each group!

After the presentation, Lana took us on a little tour....and even out for ice cream! I hadn't been to Galveston since Hurricane Ike and had forgotten how much I love it. I can't decide if it's the sight of the water, the smell of the salt, or the sound of the rushing waves that I like the best. Whatever it is, the Gulf is calming in so many ways. I love the history of the island, the people, and even the cheesy souvenir shops.

Walking around Galveston also brought back fun memories of going with groups of fifth graders. I looked at the Gulf and smiled thinking of every fifth grader we ever took asking why they have to go to old houses instead of swimming. I knew the answer, but honestly....I felt their pain.

I'm so impressed with how Galveston has come back since the hurricane, and I am determined to get down there more often. Now I have another reason to visit Galveston....the kids of Parker Elementary. Thanks for a great day....we loved hanging out with you!

What A Day at TLA!

Ahh....San Antonio, Texas....home to the Riverwalk, chips, salsa, and great margaritas. Oh,it's also home to the Alamo and other historic sites, but it's the chips, salsa, and margaritas that called my name earlier this month. For a few days in mid April, San Antonio was also home to the Texas Library Association conference. My wonderful co author, Ellen Rothberg and I were lucky enough to be there, and it was definitely an experience we won't forget.

According to librarians we spoke with, there were amazing workshops, lots of time to meet and greet, and of course, opportunities to hang out with famous children's authors like Gary Paulson and Rick Riordan. And there we were, among the greats! Rick Riordan may have Percy Jackson, but we have Sue Ellen the cow! Hmm...not really the same, huh? But still we were there.....very close to the creator of The Lightning Thief . So close that when we were in the authors' area, we were surrounded by him. Literally. His "people" began to load all his books around us while we were still there signing our books (and pointing people in the direction of his line). A young woman in high heels and a tight skirt who seemed to be physically attached to her BlackBerry was busy pointing her manicured fingers in our direction. We knew she wasn't waving at us, but we were a bit confused. Before we knew it, boxes upon boxes of Percy Jackson books appeared, making a fortress around us and our little cow books. Getting out of there was not a pretty sight. But although I still have a few bruises from the fall, I must admit that I was a little starstruck myself. After all, it's Percy Jackson and the Olympians!

So no, we're not one of the famous ones, and we usually carry our own books around, but it still was a great conference. We met new people, hung out with old friends, and took some lady's picture while she smiled with one of the famous ones. Can't wait 'till next year!

Last month I was lucky enough to visit some schools in the Clint Independent School District in West Texas. Now, those of you who know me know that I love kids, love teaching, and love writing. So having five author school visits in a row is right up my alley, right? However, you also may know that I hate flying, I have no sense of direction, and I certainly don't love driving a strange car. I live in Houston, so getting to those schools involved the aforementioned hated things. I also spend a fair amount of time worrying. It doesn't matter if there's really something to worry about. I am just so good at worrying, I figure I shouldn't waste a God given talent. Well, even though my head was filled with disaster scenarios, the plane didn't crash, I didn't end up in Juarez (a true concern), and although I did leave my brother's Lexus running one day, I didn't wreck his car. And the BEST thing is that every school was wonderful! After a long drive from my brother's house each day, each school welcomed me with open arms. I was so impressed, and a bit embarrassed. I'm not comfortable being the center of attention, but I was comfortable with the kids, the teachers, and the librarians. And the cakes. And the candy. And the lunches, and.....well, you get it. Being hungry was not one of my worries. But on those drives through the mountains, I did let my mind wander a bit. I had never done five different schools in a row, and I was sure I would mess some things up. What if I got the schools mixed up and talked about the teachers and principal from another school? What if the computer didn't work? Or worst of all, what if I went to the wrong school one day? Well, MOST of my worries were unfounded. However, I did call a "MR. So and So" "MS. So and So", and the computer did act a bit funky at one school, and I did lose my voice and just about choked on a Halls at another. But if truth be told, those five days at those five schools have left me with amazing memories that I will cherish (even though one of my first encounters with a child was, "Miss....you are old!"). I certainly hope that I was able to make a small difference in the children's day helping them create their own memories. I did get to the correct school on the correct day, I loved every minute at each school, and if you are lucky enough to get to West Texas, you've got to go hang around the schools in Clint. Maybe you'll get to make memories too! Thanks, Suzanne, Julie, Fonnie, Rose, and Ann. You are librarians supreme! Ellen

Welcome to Elementary, Dear Reader! This is my feeble attempt to join the world of bloggers and share information about our books, my travels, and the world of children's literacy. As you may know, Ellen Rothberg and I have co authored two picture books, Don't Eat the Bluebonnets and Hayfest, a Holiday Quest. I'm not sure if this qualifies me to write a blog, but it's worth a try. I struggled for days trying to come up with a name, but then someone asked who reads our books. Since elementary students read our books.....well, you get it. As far as the Sherlock Holmes reference....... blogging is still a mystery to me! (So much so that I've inadvertently deleted a few posts). But not being one to shy away from a challenge, I decided this is something I should be able to conquer (thanks, Barbie for helping me get started). Stay tuned for interviews with authors, illustrators (especially Bill Megenhardt, our wonderful illustrator), librarians, teachers, book sellers, and kids! Please be patient with me as I navigate the rough waters (at least for me) of posting pictures and links as well as sharing information in general. I'd love to hear from you. Please don't leave me alone in the blogosphere!