HENRY'S HEART - LOVE AND OTHER STUFF

I've been busy over the last couple of months, so the posting thing has not been easy - to be honest I've let it slip.  So, I'm going to catch up this month, with a few things I should have talked about last month.  It's not old news, it's good news, so I think it's worthwhile. 

First up Henry's Heart!

This is my newest book, and I'm really excited about it because . . . I worked on it with an entire elementary school.  I went to the school once a week for three months, and spent time with each and every student in the school - all 300+ of them.  It was an amazing opportunity for me, and if you want to read more about it here are some links to press articles about the experience.
Article One:  The Loop
Still want to know more?
Article Two:  LoHud

I'm a lucky author.  I truly love all the publishers I work with, and here's an example of why.  When I asked Christy Ottaviano - my publisher at Holt if I could put every child's name on the dedication page she said, "OK, Let's do it!"  
     
This was my surprise for the kids. They were dedicated, helpful, engaged and creative, and they stuck with me for three whole months.  Every Monday they had to stop what they were doing, line up, visit with me, line up again, and then go back to their classrooms to continue their studies.  Transitions like this are not easy - I know, I have a seven year old.  On top of that they waited for almost TWO years to hold the published book in their hands.  That's a long time in dog years - and I suspect it feels even longer in kid years.

I wanted them to have ownership of the book, and to know that no matter where they saw it - New York, Chicago, or Seattle their name was always going to be there, right on the first page. 

Here's a shot of the dedication page.

I could go on and on about the contributions the kids made to this book,  here are just a few.

It's hard to know what to say in conclusion.  The entire experience was overwhelming, wonderful, surprising, taxing, and rewarding beyond words. Perhaps an image says it best.