Last summer down in New Orleans, we took our group to the Orange Couch in the Marigny.  Ms. Nathalie, whose house we were working at, introduced us to the chill coffee lounge.  Once there, Johnny and Josh hooked us up with a cool evening of ice cream and tunes.  A perfect way to spend a hot July weekday night in the Crescent City.


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So last week, I spent the week visiting schools in the Chicago area.  It was a blast!

Them Chicago folks sure know how to make an author feel welcome.  Here was my reserved parking spot at one school.  I vote this is how it should be everywhere I go.  Then again, I don't own a car here in Brooklyn, so I don't know how necessary that would be.


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These are the words of J.K. Rowling, spoken a couple years ago at her commencement address to the students at Harvard

"If you choose to use your status and influence to raise your voice on behalf of those who have no voice; if you choose to identify not only with the powerful, but with the powerless; if you retain the ability to imagine yourself ( Read more... )

As Margaret Mead said,

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

So, so true.

            Our young volunteers jumped at the opportunity to help.  Four times these last few weeks, Ana has led groups of young people to the bitter cold warehouse in Yonkers, New York, where they’ve spent hours preparing the shipments bound for Haiti.


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So this week I kicked off my 2010 school visit season.  Between now and the middle of December, I'm scheduled to visit over 80 schools, and I have a feeling I'll be adding quite a few more dates to that calendar.

I spent the week in Humble, Texas, which is a suburb of Houston.  It was an absolute blast!

At Maplebrook Elementary, Lori and Jean put ( Read more... )

So School Library Journal gave THE HALLELUJAH FLIGHT a STARRED Review!

The Hallelujah Flight.Phil Bildner. illus. by John Holyfield.

K-Gr 3-An engaging account based on true events. James Banning and his copilot, Thomas Allen, the “Flying Hoboes” as the story has it, became the first African-American men to fly across the country. Traveling ( Read more... )

(Please re-post, re-send and spread the word)

Over the course of the last few days, many of you have asked whether The NOLA Tree is going to be doing anything to support the relief effort in Haiti.

We most certainly are.

We need your help, and we want your input. We need to figure out how to maximize our limited resources.  What can we do that will ( Read more... )

So next week's Publisher's Weekly gives THE HALLELUJAH FLIGHT an amazing review ( Read more... )

So THE HALLELUJAH FLIGHT got its first review. Ironically (or not), I learned of this while flying. I'm typing this note at the cruising altitude of 34,000 feet ( Read more... )