This morning I started to reassimilate into my home and family after an amazing and productive writing weekend. Of course I checked my emails and there were numerous emails about some call from Seattle. Seattle? What’s in Seattle?
The ALA had, as you all already know, announced that Cindy Lord won a Newberry Honor and the Schneider Award for her wonderful book Rules. I was thrilled to pieces. I think my actual reaction was:
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! OMIGOD, OMIGOD, OMIGOD!!!!! Guess what!” I said jumping around the house cornering my son who was home sick. (Again, but that’s another story.) “Cindy won the NEWBERRY HONOR!” I said jumping around him as he tried to put a puzzle together.
“Cool, Mom. That’s great. What’s a Newberry?”
“Kind of like a Caldecott,” I explained (I’m a picture book person.)
“Oh, cool, really awesome.”
I jump away a little like a kangaroo on steroids.
I immediately called the bakery to order a cake. Why cake? Because Cindy, I am honored to say, read some of those original chapters at our in-person crit group of which she was a part for many years. (five, or six years was it?) I was there when it got rejected. I was there when Scholastic said, “yes.” And that is when our group buys the author a slice of cake from the cafe where we meet.
I was also there (as were many who have been touched by Cindy’s kind, humble and giving nature) as Rules made it’s journey to publication. Now I am able to say I was there when Cindy won her first ALA awards. This calls for more than a slice. Let her eat cake!
I’m sure there will be more.
Creative Chaos 