Right on the heels of "Amelia", the upcoming film on Amelia Earhart starring Hilary Swank, check out this fun and very informative four-part series of articles about girls, both fictional and real, seeking adventure in the sky.
Part I focuses on BORN TO FLY.
Parts II-IV profile, Bessie Smith, Amelia Earhart and the book “The Girl Who Could Fly”.
Education Oasis is a great site created by (and for) teachers and parents who are passionate about the power of education, and the potential of every child to learn, regardless of his or her circumstances.
They had a lot of nice things to say about BORN TO FLY and even “classroom-tested” it.
Read the review it HERE.
Here's a podcast interview of 20 fun questions which I did with Carolina Harmony author Marilyn Taylor McDowell while we were both at the Highlights workshop in Chautauqua. (click link to right of book cover)
I know it was kind of backwards, but due to the fact I was in NY when my book came out, my book launch party wasn't scheduled 'til two weeks later. Then the bookseller for the party asked to have a signing at the store and so I ended up having a signing first, and the launch party 2nd.
Mom and my wife Pattie got the food, flowers, decorated the tables with a WWII aviation theme and it was just great. 
Thanks to my cousins Lisa and Christine and their families helping set up everything, we started on time.
ago. The world grows, but as you age it just keeps getting smaller.
I've been thinking about why it's taken me a week to write this final post about the Highlights workshop, and I'm wondering if maybe it's not some unconscious defense mechanism to prevent it from ending, to avoid acknowledging it's over out of fear that admitting it's done might bring an end to the wonderful inspiration and excitement about writing/the fellowship of children's writers that we felt all week?
Anyway, the last day of the workshop, effectively was Friday the 17th. I sat in on Patti Gauch's session on the fantasy genre, Alvina Ling spoke about what an editor's day is like, and Larry Pringle discussed interviewing techniques. After that, myself and several others were asked to give "parting shots", share some of what we learned or was most memorable for the week. I hate speaking in front of crowds and was quite nervous. But I got through it, thanking several of the people I'd met who had been so supportive and friendly and sharing a small part of my wonderful conversation with Clay Winters on Tuesday night.
Friday night was the closing banquet. (here's I am with my fellow ladywriters of Vera house). At the banquet I got to share a table with the ever gracious Jerry and Eileen Spinelli. Jerry shared some of the Hollywood trials and tribulations of trying to get Stargirl made into a movie (with Paul Feig hopefully directing and adapting the script). I had a wonderful conversation with the Spinelli's guests, Miles and Elmore Demott from Montgomery Alabama. They had so many great ideas on how to market my book, I could have talked with them for hours.
Afterward, I guess my car didn't want it to end either. When I got to the parking lot, it wouldn't start. I had to get a jump from security and then I was on my way.
FERRARI, Michael. Born to Fly. 224p. Delacorte. 2009. Tr $15.99.
Gr 4-7–Bird McGill regards her dad as her best friend. He takes her up in the planes he repairs and lets her take the controls, and he encourages her dream of becoming a pilot. But a special bulletin disrupts her 11th-birthday afternoon: Japan has attacked the military base in Pearl Harbor , and Bird’s world is turned upside down. During the next few months, the local airstrip is turned into a military flight school, and her dad is shipped overseas. When a Japanese-American boy joins Bird’s class that spring, he is met with distrust. Although his uncle, with whom he is staying, is a longtime resident of Bird’s Rhode Island town, they are both thought to be spies, or at least loyal to Japan . Circumstances compel Kenji and Bird to join forces one day to escape Farley, a class bully, and in the process they stumble on evidence of an enemy submarine in the area. When they attempt to report what they have seen, nobody believes them. Their problems are compounded when Farley’s shiftless father is murdered and the local engine factory is sabotaged: Kenji’s uncle is blamed. Only Bird can clear Uncle Tomo, but the murderer has threatened to kill her family if she speaks up. Well-developed characters make this story of friendship amid hostilities shine. While the coincidences surrounding the murderer can stretch credulity at times, this action-packed first novel is full of engaging twists and turns, and readers learn about the injustices done to many Japanese Americans during World War II. First-rate historical fiction.–Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools , VA
So I go into the bookstore and don't see my book anywhere. But this time I talk to the manager, Earl. He says the computer says 6 copies came in. And one has already been sold. He says he thinks they put them out front on the table with all the Highlights Foundation faculty books. I look around the table. Nothing.
TUESDAY – D-day
Was up very late last night, fighting with a very weak wifi connection trying to send out email blasts to my friends and family. Got up early, took a walk. Then, couldn’t help myself but ended up at the bookstore (opens at 7) and strolled through, to the kids section under “F”. Nothing.
I looked at the table out front where they have a number of the faculty’s books (which I thought would have been presumptious to look there first). Nothing there either. I’m too self conscious to ask for the manager while I'm in the store, so I go back to my room and email him(Coward! Yeah I know. I save the hero stuff for my books). He responds shortly that he ordered it 7 days ago and should arrive today.
I get a barrage of wonderful emails from all my friends and former colleagues. I even get a job offer to teach a film course at the college where I taught screenwriting last year. Everyone at the Highlights conference is so excited for me. Peter Jacobi comes up and congratulates me, One after another, people come up to congratulate me and wish me well and ask if the book is in the store yet.
Professor/writer Peter Jacobi spoke on the topic of “The Art of Visual Flight, the science of what to aim for”
It was a one hour speech but the massive volume of info and examples he supported it with could have filled a weeks worth of college classes. He began by playing a recording of a Verdi opera about Nebudchanezzar which he said became for the Italian people their “Battle Hymn of the Republic” or their emotional “Dixie”. "When Verdi died people took to the streets, 300,000 gathered for his funeral." It was a soaring piece of music that began slow and rose to great heights. Peter translated the chorus:“Fly oh thought, on golden wings” and this was something he repeated throughout his talk. "As creators (writers/illustrators) we become fliers. There is no license needed… but urgency, desire IS needed. Let your thoughts fly on golden wings!" (I will devote a whole post about Peter's talk at a later date).
Had a great lunch where I got to chat with author Andy Gutelle.
He joked how Highlights will take full credit for BORN TO FLY getting published. It'll be their quickest success story ever. "He came on Saturday and by Tuesday he was published."Editor and author and ball of fire Patti Lee Gauch's call to arms was "use all your marbles!" (tricks, toys, tools at your disposal). Light your scenes. You are the director/set designer/art director of your story. Everything you do should complement wha the scen is about, or what is happening. Is it scary? Quiet? Soft? Harsh? Blue? Purple? Yellow? Grey?
Here I am between Patti on the left and the wonderful and funny Ecuadorean children's author Edna Iturralde on the right.
Donna Jo Napoli talked on creating characters, and I figured out she really has this-Sally Field-Places in the Heart-thing going on. From her soft, and measured cadence of her voice down to her curly hair and apple cheek smile. At first, you think you're getting the quiet Singing Nun but then she spouts some hilarious, frank bit of fearless wisdom and out comes Norma Rae (or Edna Spaulding if you know Places in the Heart).
Some good stuff she said: Give your characters injuries and scars. "Injuries and scars have stories behind them-- ones we want to tell and ones we don't." Introduce their weakness with an incident so we see how it affects them. Finally, as a stay at home dad (sometimes part time professor) it was great to hear her address the question: As a parent who raised her children and wrote, how did you do all the things you needed to to? Her answer? "Badly. If the woman across the street makes a beautiful Halloween costume for her kid, good for her. Your kid can wear the sheet again. You don't have to do everything well." Hilarious.
We had a great group of writers at our table for dinner. Here's a photo: L-R: Debbi Antebi, Jackie Hesse, Holly Anderson, Harold Underdown, Tracy Cretelle, Charles Trevino, Melissa Long, and me.
Woke up 5 AM this morning for some reason, so I did some reading then took a look-see around Chautauqua to test drive the new digital camera.
At the BBQ,
husband and wife authors Eileen and Jerry Spinelli interviewed each other. Some highlights: Jerry:Write about what you care about. Readers respond to what touches them. If it doesn't touch you, it w
on't touch them.
Miss Campell announces Eileen's as the worst. 
After some minor fiascos trying to get a suitable digital camera to post pictures on this blog while I'm at the Highlights workshop (1st camera wasn't Mac compatible though the guy said it would be, 2nd one had rechargable battery that needed 5 hours to charge before use)
Judy Burke managing editor for Highlights magazine gave me a quick orientation, then I unpacked at my quaint boarding house, The Vera.
(FYI Donna Jo is much prettier in person than this photo from the internet).
