A lot of inquisitive kids.
The visit Whitney and I made to Arlington Traditional School last Thursday was our last one for this school year. What a great way to end the season. The second-graders we talked with had already read Hanni and Beth: Safe & Sound before we arrived, so they were armed with questions. Some examples :
- How many years could you see, and how many years could you not?
- Do you know when it’s daytime?
- How much did it cost to buy that dog at the puppy store?
- Can you write in a straight line?
- How did you pick that dog from all the puppies at the puppy store?
- What games do you play?
- So if you didn’t buy your dog at the puppy store, was she free?
- How do you write books if you can’t see?
- If you didn’t train that dog, who did?
- Can you spend your own money?
- How did you train that dog?
- How did they teach it to cross the street?
- Do you ever get scared?
- Is she a puppy, or a dog?
- How many streets did that dog help you cross so far?
That last question was a toughie, and I took my time answering. “Four thousand three hundred and sixty-two times,” I said. They seem satisfied with my answer.
That last answer is priceless!
I wish everyone could visit Morristown NJ and see the process that I saw during the 8 years I lived there – the Seeing Eye dogs being trained and then their new people being trained with them. It was so fascinating and inspirational, and I am still proud to have lived in the hometown of the Seeing Eye.
And I’m so glad to know someone who lived there long enough to witness the process we go through while we’re there. Thank you for sharing your stories, Pat, I love hearing them
Beth, these kid questions get better with each reading. Do you ever record or document your answers? I hope your next book is a kind of “Kids say the darndest things.” If it is, “4,362 Times” would be a really great title. I too was satisfied with the answer. Such joy.
Mel, you’re right. Publishing a children’s book with all the questions kids ask at school visits is a very good idea. So good, in fact, that it’s already been done!
Rats.
The book is called Do You Remember the Color Blue: The Questions Children Ask about Blindness. It’s written by a blind woman named Sally Hobart Alexander,
she uses a Seeing Eye dog to get around. Here’s a description From School Library Journal:
“As she has done in past books, Alexander makes blindness clear to readers. Here, she responds to frequently asked questions, including how it feels to be blind and how blind people cope with daily living…Her discussion of remembering colors and dimensions will interest sighted readers. Small black-and-white photos appear throughout;
most are snapshots from the personal collections of the author and her friends.”
I’ve never read this book, maybe if I did I’d find out there’s room for *two* books about the questions kids ask about blindness. I do know this: I am mildly irreverent with some of my answers, but not sure that would make for enough difference to warrant another book with the same theme.
Thanks for the idea, though, Mel. Kkeep ‘em coming!
Love your answer!
Mel Theobald’s comment is a great idea. I second it!
Thank you, Sheila for your endorsement of Mel’s idea, but I think it’s been done….?
Beth,
It’s Amy, Bennett’s mom. Bennett just finished Long Time No See last night and started it over again this morning, giggling at parts when reading. Know that he finds enjoyment in your sarcasm!! He said last night, “Remember when Beth came to Tess? She accidently hovered over her email icon with voice over on and it said she had 1,532 new messages. I guess she’s pretty popular!” Guess so 🙂
We can’t get this new Writing Out Loud book out in Braille and audio fast enough –I want Bennett to be able to read this one, too!
Are second graders (mostly 7 year olds) great!! Their curiosity knows no boundaries.
Your book, 4,362, will be a best seller because you’ll have so much humor in it!!
Correction: Aren’t second graders great!!
Phew! I was worried you’d inherited a bunch of second graders!
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