This week I was honored to be a guest in Mr. Headley's 5th grade classroom at Matherville Elementary. Each student had their own copy of The Adventures of the Brothers Brave and Noble, and they had already spent a portion of the morning reading the first chapter and discussing it. Hearing their questions and thoughts made my day. Some great questions included, "What's your favorite thing about writing?" and "What made you think to make them raccoons?" I loved sharing with the students, and I thought I'd recap some of our question-and-answer-time here on the blog.
What's your favorite thing about writing?
Before I could answer this question for myself, Liam (with whom I had the pleasure of bringing along) piped up, "I would say, for both me, and for Mom, the best thing about writing is the adventure." I smiled at him. How could I add to this perfect answer. Yes, I agreed, my favorite thing about writing is that the adventures I might not get to really go on in real-life, I am free to take while telling a story. I enjoy getting to know and becoming friends with the characters. I grow fond of spending time in their homes and woods. I cheer for their dreams and aspirations to be reached. All the while being the one lucky enough to make it all wonderful and as I believe it should be. Also, while writing this book in particular, I always had the hopeful motivation in the back of my mind that I was creating an experience for my kids. I remember reading my favorite books when I was a child, and I can see how they've truly shaped me. As some dear family friends, the Clarksons say, we are story-formed. So the possibility of this story sticking with and shaping my kids, and other friends and families, and individuals all over, is a very important and exciting idea to me. It's definitely my other favorite thing about writing.
What made you think to make them raccoons?
This is a testament to why we should ask the questions we have, even if they might sound silly and random after we ask them out loud :) because the reason I made Casper and Ash raccoons was a bit of an author's secret! But she asked it, and quite directly, and so I had to share my secret. Casper and Ash are important characters, and clues to a larger idea within the plot of The Adventures of the Brothers Brave and Noble, but the matter of fact truth is I could have made them anything; humans, monsters, jungle animals, whatever -and that larger idea within the plot would have still happened. But Casper and Ash are raccoons, and I will tell you why: because of Peter Pan. You see, Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie is my most favorite work of fiction, ever. It's original, beautiful, and perfect. And as my homage to Mr. Barrie and the incredible story he told, I made Casper and Ash raccoons, just like the two little raccoon twin boys in Walt Disney's animated rendition of the story. And now my secret is out. It's a fun little personal connect/easter egg within The Adventures of the Brothers Brave and Noble. There are plenty more, too. But you'll never know them if you don't ask questions (that might make you giggle after you ask them out loud in front of your friends).
Visiting the students at Matherville Elementary was so much fun, and I'm excited for Brave and Noble to become friends with all of them. Matherville, Illinois actually reminded me a lot of where the Hewletts are from. So much so, that I stopped along the windy road which leads up to the school in order to capture this beautiful landscape. It could very well be the same scene Brave and Noble pass as they ride the bus to school too.
From under the kitchen table,
clh
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