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| SMART PIGGY'S NEWSLETTER By Audrey Wood Compiled by Heath Uliasz May 1999 Issue #4 Dear Friends, Since the Colorado Littleton School massacre, everyone has been wondering what we can do to prevent tragedies like this from occurring in the future. I don't claim to have any answers, but I do have an insight into what it felt like being an "outsider" as a child and how hurtful it was be to the victim of teasing. Of course no amount of teasing could ever justify the actions taken by the two Littleton teens, and their behavior prior to the incident may have been so bad it may have been such that their reported isolation was deserved. However, at one point in their school careers, perhaps in elementary school, it's possible that the boys were just more or less innocent, scorned "outsiders." Here is what happened to me- CONFESSIONS OF A COOTIE QUEEN! In elementary school I would have been labeled an "outsider." I was not popular, in fact, I was often the victim of mean pranks and taunting. I was called hurtful names like "Cootie Queen" and "Brewer Sewer." Sometimes my books and homework were hidden and items dear to me stolen from my desk. On several occasions I was accused of doing something I did not do. My parents and my teachers could not understand why the other children treated me so badly. I think it may have been because I was different in some ways from the other children. In the first grade I was reading on a fourth grade level. I was also shy and found it difficult to learn how to make friends. I can still remember nights when I cried myself to sleep because I dreaded going to school the next day. I credit my parents with making sure that I had outside interests and activities other than school. I studied art, dancing, and drama. Through these arts I discovered that I could survive my unhappy situation at school by using my imagination. Through trial and error and determined practice, I perfected the art of daydreaming. I learned how to create beautiful magical worlds in my mind. Ongoing stories about heroes and heroines experiencing exciting adventures became a daily practice for me. Books were the raw materials for my daydreams and I loved them passionately. While reading I could escape into the pages, forget my troubles, and enjoy a better, much richer world. The school librarian was like my second mother. I could depend upon her to always steer me in the right direction. As I grew older I began to write down the stories I created in my daydreams. In high school I won a city-wide creative writing contest and a state-wide art contest. My love of books continued to grow, and I learned that whatever I needed to know or experience in life could be found in books. To children who may know someone in your school who is being mistreated -- get together with your friends, be brave, be bold, decide to bring that kid into your group. Let him or her know that you don't agree with what the others are saying and that you think it is wrong. Be a hero! Tell several adults what's going on. I believe you will make a difference and a valuable new friend. Try it! Write me and let me know what happened. To children who are being treated badly at schools by bullies or mean kids -- ask your parents and several teachers for help. Discover the wonderful world of books, and the world of imagination. Express yourself. Write stories. Keep a journal. Learn a sport. Study art. Play an instrument. Take up a hobby that interests you. Be brave. Reach out and try to make more friends. All of this advice comes from a Cootie Queen who grew up to be a children's book author and illustrator. There is hope! I promise! Write me if you need more tips. Does anyone think Confessions of a Cootie Queen might make a good children's book subject? If you (children or adults) would like to send me your thoughts, experiences, or feelings on this subject I would greatly appreciate it. -AW *********************************************************************** CREATE A FLYING DRAGON ROOM ! Are you looking for a creative children's activity for a group or an idea for a special birthday party that your child will never forget? Find out what Don and I came up with for our son Bruce's Birthday party when he was a child. Go to the CLUBHOUSE and click on the "Meet The Artists" link. From the "Meet The Artist" page click on THE FLYING DRAGON ROOM link located under Mark Teague's name. From Mark Teague's home page, click on the "Audrey's Idea Box" link. *********************************************************************** SMART PIGGY'S AWARD GOES TO: SUSANNE BURGESS of Santa Ynez, California, for her creative music lesson with my book THE RAINBOW BRIDGE. (See below.) *********************************************************************** AN AMERICAN INDIAN MUSIC LESSON! Dear Audrey, I am writing because I have recently used your adaptation of THE RAINBOW BRIDGE with my 3rd graders. In my music class, we used the story as a vehicle for composition. The children composed rhythmic themes for each of the main characters and used them as leitmotifs throughout the telling of the story. They also pinpointed key events for which they developed sound effects. I was wondering if you might be willing to share with us about your research and writing of this book? -Susanne Burgess Santa Ynez, California Congratulations on a great project! You'll find a wealth of information about the research and writing of THE RAINBOW BRIDGE on our web site in the "Robert Florczak" section. His main page is located in the "Meet The Artists" section of the CLUBHOUSE. THE CHUMASH PEOPLE: MATERIALS FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WORKBOOK, provides excellent information and fantastic activities (Chumash games, instruments, recipes and much more) for children. Write to The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta Del Sol Road, Santa Barbara, Ca. 93105 (attention Education Department) *********************************************************************** DON'T BULLY ME! Dear Audrey, As an elementary teacher I observe the influence that gangs can have on young children. Have you written a book that addresses the problems' children have with bullies and gangs? -Monica Janings Philadelphia, PA In my book titled THE RED RACER, the three bullies, "The Brats", tease the main character Nona, because she has an old clunker bicycle. I have received numerous letters from teachers thanking me for including "The Brats" in my story. After sharing the book with their classes, teachers report that children have opened up and had discussions about "the brats" in their school and the problems they have had dealing with them. I have also received fan mail from children telling me about "the brats" in their school. -AW *********************************************************************** GOOD NEWS! Simon and Schuster has just released a paperback edition of THE RED RACER. A real bargain at $5.99US. Call Booksellers For Children at 1-800-421-1665 for a store near you. Buy online at www.bookweb.org or at www.amazon.com. RED RACER has been nominated to the Virginia Young Readers Masterlist. *********************************************************************** DID AUDREY WRITE THAT BOOK, TOO? Many people have requested a complete list of books that I have written. In answer to this we have created "The Audrey Wood Catalog" page on my web site. The page contains a full list of the stories I've written, who illustrated each one, and who published the book. To view the Audrey Wood catalog: Go to the CLUBHOUSE and click on the little airplane or the banner that says "Parents And Teachers." Next click on the link that says "The Audrey Wood Catalog." *********************************************************************** WRITER'S TIP FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN! Study your favorite author. If you want to understand how an author you admire works with words, choose a section from her or his book and write it out. The very process of writing down another author's words will teach you a lot about style and word crafting. When I was a child I loved to copy Dr. Seuss' stories. When I grew up and wanted to write a children's book, the first thing I did was to write down, word for word, Maurice Sendak's book, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE. I wasn't trying to copy Mr. Sendak's work or write another story like it, my intention was to study what made his story so successful. Writing out a great author's words can be extremely inspiring! *********************************************************************** NEW ACTIVITY PAGES!!!!!!!!!! This month we are introducing 3 new pages to the "Activities" section of the CLUBHOUSE: 1. "Cut and Paste Piggies." All ten piggies can be printed out and colored. Children can then trace their hands on a separate piece of paper. Next they can cut out the piggies they have colored and paste them above each of the fingers they have traced. 2. "Piggies Coloring Pages" 3. "The Napping House Coloring Pages" *********************************************************************** A FAMILY OF ILLUSTRATORS! It's really exciting around the Wood studios right now. Don Wood, Audrey Wood, and son Bruce Wood are each working on illustrating different books at the same time. We all have our own studios and work alone. But we enjoy dropping in on each other to see how the other person's book is progressing. My latest book, THE CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE OF SPACE ELF SAM, was illustrated by Bruce Wood on a computer. To view an educational demonstration of how he created the three dimensional world for our book: Go to the CLUBHOUSE and click on the "Meet The Artists" link. When you arrive at the "Meet The Artists" page, click on the name, Bruce Robert Wood. This will take you to Bruce's home page. Click the link that says "What Is 3-D Art?" This will take you to a series of pages demonstrating Bruce's illustration process step-by-step. *********************************************************************** STAGE YOUR OWN KING BIDGOOD OPERA! Dear Audrey, My kindergarten classes are entranced with KING BIDGOOD'S IN THE BATHTUB. They love the artwork and the repetitive text. Can you tell me where I might find some connecting activities to go with this wonderful book? -Rebecca Horning - via e-mail Dear Rebecca, Carl and Jennifer Shaylen (award-winning songwriters and accomplished musicians) have created an engaging audio-cassette KING BIDGOOD'S IN THE BATHTUB - THE MUSICAL. The tape is an exuberant, rousing musical with six original songs. Teachers have successfully inspired their students to create little operas using this tape. The children make costumes, scenery, a huge bathtub, and act out the story to the tape. You don't need permission to use the tape at your school or home as long as you are not charging admission and making money. If you read the fine print on the package you will notice that Don and I were invited to sing several supporting roles in the musical. That was quite an experience! The Shaylens have created two other musical adaptations of my stories, PIGGIES and THE NAPPING HOUSE (titled INTO THE NAPPING HOUSE). Both can be purchased as a "book and tape package" or the tapes can be purchased separately. Having trouble finding the tapes? Contact the publisher at Harcourt Brace's customer service - 1-800-543-1918 If you, or anyone you know, has created activities, or heard of activities, that relate to KING BIDGOOD'S IN THE BATHTUB or any other Audrey Wood books, please e-mail them to me so that I may include them in Smart Piggy's Newsletter to share with others. -AW *********************************************************************** AND THE WINNER IS... We accidentally drew 2 winners from the raffle basket, the entries were stuck together, so for the month of April we gave away 2 autographed copies of THE NAPPING HOUSE WAKES UP Pop-Up book. Congratulations to Amber, Blake, and Brett Thompson (a mother and her two children)! And, Congratulations to Book Keeping at Satcom! Answer: The flea was on the left fence post! Thanks for all of your entries. Enter our May contest and you could win a giant PIGGIES floor puzzle! *********************************************************************** MAY CONTEST!!!!!!!!! DON'T MISS OUT! This month one lucky person will win a free PIGGIES 29" by 36" giant floor puzzle. To enter the contest go to the CLUBHOUSE (www.audreywood.com) and click on the "Contest" banner. If you answer the question correctly you will be entered into a random drawing. The winner will be drawn at the end of the month. Good Luck! *********************************************************************** DON WOOD'S ARTISTIC DECISION! We're all happy that Don Wood decided to become an artist, but did you know he might have had another occupation? To find out where Don grew up and what other types of training he has had: Go to the CLUBHOUSE and click the "Don Wood" link. Once you are at Don Wood's home page, click on the link that says "Who is Don Wood?" *********************************************************************** NEW SUBSCRIBERS! If you would like to check out past Smart Piggy's Newsletters, go to the CLUBHOUSE and click on the "Parents and Teachers" link or the "Fun Bag" link, then click on "Smart Piggy's Newsletter Past Issues" link. *********************************************************************** AUTOGRAPHED BOOKPLATE OFFER! For free bookplates- see past issue #1 in the "Smart Piggy's Newsletter Past Issues" page located in the "Parents and Teachers" section and the "Fan Bag" section of the CLUBHOUSE. *********************************************************************** Keep your questions and suggestions coming! Warmest Regards, Audrey Wood |
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