Pineview and Griffin -- (Secret genius labs!)

Okay, so, yesterday Baggott & Bode did not just wear pajamas and bunny slippers all the live long day. No. As part of LITERACY WEEK, we got ourselves dressed and hauled ourselves over to Griffin Middle and then Pineview Elementary to talk about VERY SERIOUS MATTERS ... like collecting odd things, cheese-doodle-encrusted remote controls, gum that looks like Elvis Presley, observing things closely, giant peaches, being jabber-mouths, words words words ...

And here's the thing. These kids were brilliant. I mean smart as smart can be. One asked us what the first novel was -- the first ever! And this is the kind of thing we try to answer in those stuffy graduate courses we teach -- while trying not to be dusty windbags (like YOU KNOW WHO). WHAT A SMART QUESTION! And another asked if our writing was mainly "narrative or expository." Are you kidding me? What kinds of genius food are they feeding these kids? Another kid asked us which we prefer -- narrative or expository.

In other words, we can say no more about the subject. Obviously, there are two secret genius labs being run down here in FLA. Genius labs, I tell you!

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK?
Expository versus narrative. Pick one subject and write it both ways. What happens? Only time will tell...

Almost 3000 books! You kidding me?

So, Baggott & Bode traipsed on over the HOLY COMFORTER EPISCOPAL SCHOOL to talk the talk of writerly things. You know -- the wild, gusty imagination, those inky smudges on the page called words, and the importance of empathy -- trying to figure out what it's like to be someone else. Not an easy task. No, sirreeee.

BUT RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR YAMMERING -- there was a presentation. A presentation of .... what seemed to be an ENORMOUS CHECK! You know, the ones that take two people to hold up and are usually only given out on GAME SHOWS? Well, it was one of THOSE.

But instead of money ... it was something better. (Better than money, you're asking. Yes... To my mind much more valuable than money.) It was a check that tallied up all the books that these students had donated to two other schools (Title I schools) in town.

IT WAS A CHECK FOR ALMOST 3000 BOOKS!

Is that the craziest thing you ever did hear? Well, we grabbed that check and started running ... but then it was explained that we could not bring it to the bank and expect the bank teller to hand over books. No.

But in the name of Kids in Need - Books in Deed (www.booksindeed.org) the books found their way to new homes -- the hands of other readers ... What better home is there for a book than a reader's hands?