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Dear Reader,
I was lucky to meet today's guest author, Dianne Ochiltree when she stopped by my home a few years back. It was an honor to meet her in person, she's delightful. Enjoy reading her guest column and be sure to enter the giveaway, a signed copy of her newest book, It's a Seashell Day.
Welcome to the book club, Dianne Ochiltree...
Late August always brings childhood goodbye-to-summer memories home to me: helping my grandma bring in basket after basket of late harvest vegetables from her bursting-at-the-seams backyard garden; floating in an old rubber inner tube on Mosquito Lake, after the last Wednesday egg-salad-sandwich-and-grape-Koolaid picnic with my mom and siblings; sitting in the rickety, wooden "grand stand" of a dusty speedway with my grandpa and dad, taking in the thrills and spills of a local demolition derby just one more time before the track was shuttered for the season in September.
Late August brings goodbye-to-summer feelings to mind as well: the excitement of riding the bumpy city bus downtown to buy new school clothes and supplies; the little butterflies of worry about new teachers and new classmates; and a hint of sadness in the air as we all--kids and grownups alike--savored summer's last days of freedom.
Most especially, late August never fails to bring the memory of a hot, angst-filled night during the summer between my 6th grade and 7th grade school years. In less than a week, I was facing huge changes: metal lockers and multiple teachers, strange hallways and unfamiliar classmates--and a gym class for which you had to change into an ugly blue uniform beforehand, in the company of a locker room of other girls. Yikes!
One night when my parents thought I was asleep, I crawled out my bedroom window onto the roof just outside. It was a favorite summertime place to sneak to whenever I needed to be alone to think things through.
The moon shone down through a cloudless night sky. As I looked up into the face that deep and sparkling span of black velvet, I felt very small, as usual. But I was surprised to realize that I did not feel alone! I understood in that moment that even a small piece of the universe--namely, my worried 11-year-old self--was connected to it in a big way. And if the universe could hold great galaxies and tiny planets in place for eons, it could certainly be counted on to hold me my hand through anything junior high school might throw at me. All of a sudden, all my worries seemed small. Even gym class!
Does late August bring you any treasured end-of-the-summer memories? If you'd do, I'd love to hear them. To share, please email me at Dianne@dianneochiltree.com Wishing you late summer days to savor!
--Dianne Ochiltree
If you share an end-of-the-summer memory with Dianne, you'll be entered in a drawing to win a signed copy of her latest book, It's a Seashell Day. It's wonderful! Email and enter at: Dianne@dianneochiltree.com
Dianne Ochiltree, author of the new book, It's a Seashell Day, is a nationally-recognized author of books for young readers. Her picture book, Molly, by Golly! The Legend of Molly Williams, America's First Female Firefighter was included on the ALA's Amelia Bloomer list of exemplary feminist literature for young readers, and received the Florida Book Awards bronze medal in the children's literature category. Her picture book, It's a Firefly Night, was awarded the Florida Book Awards silver medal for children's literature in 2013. She and her family live in sunny Sarasota, Florida.
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
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