by Sylvia McNicoll | Apr 17, 2011 | Sylvia McNicoll
A writer wears many hats. Here I am wearing antlers. Visiting Sudbury to present in schools, this time Coppercliff and then the next day Walden Public School, allows me a chance to browse Science North and report on the new Wild Life Rescue exhibit. I loved the Born to be Wild 3d Imax as well. After seeing it, kids will be happy to pledge to help save the environment. In the exhibit there are several posters suggesting different commitments the children can make to help save endangered species and all animals in general. The antlers are part of the exhibit.
In the schools, I talked about different novels depending on the age group. The response was phenomenal. Kids stopped me in the hall to thank me or tell me how wonderful an author I am.
In the photo, the whipped cream on the face is a demonstration on rewriting for plausibility.
Believe it or not.
by Sylvia McNicoll | Apr 1, 2011 | Sylvia McNicoll
All of these students’ parents gave permission for photos so witness protection programs weren’t ruined or anything. You have to love panoramic shots because once the students noticed what I was doing they would try to sneak across to be in all of the shots. Didn’t work. To my disappointment as well
Last week I had a great time with grade 5, 5/6 and 4/5 at Paul A Fisher School. Look at all my young writers hard at work, nose to the pencil. I love the sound of students writing.
The challenge this week was we divided the day in three to match the wonderful nutritional breaks. Stopping to eat twice a day, sheer brilliance I think. This made switching classes easier than what I normally do which is teach only two classes and leave mid third period to divide the time equally.
But there wasn’t a lot of time for my fun little exercises such as team menu writing for the apples I hand out. Or a lesson on putting the quotation marks in and changing paragraphs (not so much fun). Or even finishing a draft of a story.
Hmm, I guess I’ll have to rework my AIE lesson plans to allow for less time.
I only hope if I offer this three class day, the teachers don’t insist I fit two classes in each time segment.
by Sylvia McNicoll | Mar 16, 2011 | Sylvia McNicoll
Not sure if you can enjoy the great panorama of White Tank Branch Library.
You can play spot the Sylvia in the photo. Outside there’s a park full of my favourite cacti, the Saguaro.
I also visited Tombstone Public Library as it was right next door to the Wild West show and we had 15 minutes to spare.
I find librarians the best source for local tourist hotspots, they can tell the truth about restaurants etc, where as government tourist people have to remain unbiased. They know the history of towns better and plus they like books and are often thrilled to meet a writer.
The librarian at Tombstone was exceptionally friendly and asked for a business card, promising to buy my book as well as my traveling buddy Gisella Sherman’s.
I also visited Phoenix Pubic Library to thank the “Ask the Librarian” for all their previous e-suggestions on what books are set in Arizona. When you respond to same, there’s no inbox to accept your thanks. That librarian wanted to know if I was hoping to “break into the U.S”.
“No,” I answered. “I’ve written for 25 years and lots of my books are in the U.S. Just not in this library.” She took my bookmark to order Last Chance for Paris but I’m sure, as an urban librarian, she was a bit jaded, perhaps even besieged by budding (or ageing)writers.
But the library was gorgeous with a pond in the middle and wide open spaces throughout.
All three libraries were worth the mini detours.
by Sylvia McNicoll | Mar 16, 2011 | Sylvia McNicoll
While I’m known for writing about Beauty the dog, in Arizona we went horseback riding ’cause I love horses. Mac, my steed, apparently has been on TV as bounty hunter Dog’s ride.
Well, Mac, I’m a bit of a celebrity myself as I’ve been on Sonja Dunn’s television show reading from Bringing Up Beauty.
For the trail ride I brought my shockproof, waterproof, dustproof camera (love it!) but sadly it is not idiot proof. I left the camera on after downloading so there was no battery left and hence no riding shots of me and my fellow cowboys.
My husband only took photos with his high-potential-for disaster camera before the ride when all the farmyard animals befriended me. As I was patting an Australian shepherd puppy, this pig came up and nuzzled me for attention. I felt like a barnyard Cinderella when the chicken came up from behind to check me out.
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