Posts Tagged connection

Distance Doesn’t Have to Mean Disconnection

Quick question.

What do you miss most?

I know. It’s a broad question.

But the truth is, most of us are missing something that we used to enjoy. Travel. Dinners out. Family gatherings. Weekends with friends. Browsing in the library or local bookshop. The list could go on and on.

I’ve been thinking a great deal about how the world has changed the way authors connect with readers. For those of us who write for children, connections with readers come by way of very important adults: parents, teachers, librarians, booksellers.  Like many authors, my life used to be filled with connection. I spoke at schools regularly. I said “Yes!” to every invitation to book-talk at a library, and I cherished the chance to sit at the signing table at a book store or book festival and ask a bright-eyed ten-year-old how to spell their name as I signed their new book.

But none of those things are happening right now. And I’m feeling it, big-time.

When all of my spring 2020 events were cancelled, I was hopeful. We’ll rebook in the fall. Fall is going to be so busy! But now we know that’s how it’s working out.

Here’s the thing:  Covid-19 doesn’t have to steal our connection. Authors and illustrators still want to meet our readers. We’re just going to have to get creative and think of new ways to make it happen.

Now, before I go on, let me say this:  Teachers, Librarians, Parents, Administrators, PTA presidents, all those who usually orchestrate author connections in schools:  You are swamped right now. You are trying to figure out how to do the impossible and you are nothing short of heroes who didn’t ask to be heroes. Thank you. Author connections are likely the last thing on your minds. So, tuck these ideas away for a day (and I hope that day comes sooner rather than later) when your routine is set, your students are in the groove, and the learning doesn’t feel so overwhelming. Then perhaps, you might come back to this post, this list, and we’ll find our connections once more.

Virtual Author Visits – What was once considered second-rate to the “real thing” is now becoming commonplace. And it doesn’t feel so second-rate at all. I had the privilege of meeting with two wonderful groups of students in May and June via Zoom and we all relished the experience. I’m in Ohio and they were in Texas and California. Bringing an author to your classroom doesn’t have to mean raising money for airfare and coordinating years in advance.  Many authors have revamped their author visit options to include small group visits with students in their own virtual classrooms. Some schools are meeting in person this fall with strict (and wise) rules prohibiting outside visitors. Authors are as flexible as ever. Virtual visits are alive and well! Check out authors’ websites or visit an author booking site such as StorySeer to find out how authors are still coming to schools and virtual classrooms.

Snail Mail is Back – What did your students like about the book they just read? What questions do they have for the author? Many authors answer mail from readers. To find out how to reach an author, check out their website for information about where to send mail. We love hearing from our readers more than just about anything else!

Story Time Has Gone Online – Your local library might be limited to curbside pick-up right now, but librarians have proven themselves some of the most adaptable folks on the planet (no surprise there!). Look at your library’s website or social media pages to see if authors are visiting virtually. Many of the summer events my fellow authors and illustrators had planned in Northern Ohio went to a virtual format instead of being cancelled.

Booksellers are our Best Friends – At first, booksellers were simply trying to figure out how to stay in business (and many still are trying to stay afloat, so buy local and buy indie. But now we realize that events that draw a crowd are not going to happen in the near future, so booksellers are finding new ways to connect authors and readers. I’m in the middle of a three-Saturday virtual Author-Led Book Club with a group of chapter book readers, and while this was all new to everyone participating, a local bookseller was willing to give it a go! Stay connected with your local bookseller. They have a lot to offer.

Remote Learning Resources from Authors and Illustrators –  The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) has collected a mass of resources for teachers, librarians, and parents to support literacy and learning in the remote environment. From activities, to online readings, podcasts, and workshops, find everything in one neat location right here.

Family Virtual Author Visits –  What child wouldn’t love to have a one-on-one meeting with the author of their favorite book? Would a personal video conference with a beloved author be the perfect birthday present for the young reader in your life? A sign of the digital age, this new service that connects children with authors in virtual, at-home, meet-and-chats sounds like something that may have come out our current pandemic situation, but in fact Talkabook was underway prior to stay-at-home orders and online schooling. Click here to read about how it works.

NOTE: I would be remiss if I completely ignored the elephant standing before me as I type. So, I won’t. Some of the things listed above cost money. Not all, certainly.  Many book creators have always been generous with their time when it comes to answering letters, discounting school visits, making a limited number of appearances free of charge. But, when it comes down to it, authors and illustrators are professionals. Many earn half or more of their annual income with speaking engagements – and most have completely lost that income in 2020. Speaking as a creator who frequently visited schools, I can tell you that the lost income is difficult. But the lost connection is worse.  Most authors and illustrators will do what they can afford to maintain their relationship with schools, libraries, booksellers, and families.

If we’ve learned one thing in these past few trying months, it’s that distance doesn’t have to mean disconnection. Book creators can still connect with their readers in engaging, fun, and creative ways.  If you have more ideas on how to make this happen, put them in the comments below.  We love hearing from you!

 

Challenge Day: The Boy in the Corner

The boy hunched in an empty corner of the gym while the rest of the seventh and eight grade sprint-walked across the floor to join two Challenge Day leaders in an impromptu dance party. Everyone in the room vibrated with nervous energy and twittering laughter. Everyone except the boy in the corner.

It was December and I was an adult volunteer for a six-hour, immersive Challenge Day experience at a local middle school. My job was simple: participate like everyone else and pay attention to any kids that might be slipping through the cracks.

Imagine a school where everyone feels safe, loved and celebrated. Imagine enemies finding common ground and making peace; friends healing past hurts and making amends; people igniting their passion for service and leadership; adults and youth working together to create a school where everyone is included and thrives. This is Challenge Day.

The first activities were mostly silly, racing to find a new seat if, as the Challenge Day leaders specified, “you were wearing clothes” or “woke up this morning.” All this racing around, interspersed with goofy dance moves, eased the tension in the room and shook up the normal social dynamics. Kids ended up seated next to people they didn’t know well. Everyone except the boy in the corner.

The program goes beyond traditional anti-bullying efforts, building empathy and inspiring a school-wide movement of compassion and positive change. We address some common issues seen in most schools including cliques, gossip, rumors, negative judgments, teasing, harassment, isolation, stereotypes, intolerance, racism, sexism, bullying, violence, suicide, homophobia, hopelessness, apathy, and hidden pressures to create an image, achieve or live up to the expectations of others.

Once they’d loosened up the crowd, the leaders shifted into more serious activities that unpacked different issues often found in middle school. All of this built to an intimate and intense small group activity just before lunch. In small circles of four, we took turns finishing these sentences:

If you knew me…
If you really knew me…

This far into the day, we were ready to open up. Each and every one of us in my group (which didn’t include the boy I was keeping an eye on) shared intense and personal things. We cried. We hugged. We supported. We were human in the very best way.

And we were hungry.

At lunch, we were asked to pair up with someone new. By the time I had my lunch bag, the boy in the corner was back in the corner. I don’t how he fared in his small group, but I decided that he was having lunch with me.

“Can I join you for lunch?”

He nodded.

“How’s it been going?”

He shrugged.

“That was pretty intense, huh?”

Another shrug. He wouldn’t look at me. I showed him a picture of my dog and gave him a piece of jerky. Eventually he told me about his cats and his siblings. We were human in the very best way.

Returning to the group, the leaders launched into an exercise called, “Cross the Line.” You’ve probably seen a version of it on Facebook. We began on one half of the room. The leaders asked us to cross over if we identified with a series of statements. Have you ever faced food insecurity? Are you or someone you love struggling with mental illness? Have you ever faced discrimination for your skin color? Your religion? Your sexuality?

After each statement, we were asked to send love to those who had crossed over, and if we had crossed over, we were asked to notice how many were standing with us. Tears streamed down our faces. We held each other. No one was ever alone. Not even the boy in the corner, and my lunch companion crossed many times: foster care, divorce, incarceration, suicide, bullying… These were his challenges. These and more.

At the very end of the day, we were invited to stand up and speak directly to others in the room. To apologize, to appreciate, to reach out, to connect, to commit to taking the lessons of Challenge Day into the rest of our lives.

I stood and took the mic and thanked my lunch friend for telling me about his cats.

***

For me, Challenge Day encompassed everything I love about the humans we call middle grade readers. They can be full of bluff and bluster, goof and gallantry. And sure, some of them, like my lunch friend, wear thick armor. But they can and do crack open in the most beautiful ways. They hold light even in the darkest circumstances, and they can be reached by the right teacher, the right librarian, the right book.

I hope you will consider learning more about Challenge Day. You could bring a program to your school. You could volunteer like I did. The experience affected me deeply, and it reminded me of exactly why I write the books I do. I write them for the boy in the corner.