I must quickly agree, Judy, because what you write about Eve Bunting
is put exceedingly well. Are you a TEACHER by chance? (snort)

I want to comment on the idea of authors writing stories based on real
events. Ducky is a case in point and I am so happy you brought it up.

One of my all-time favorite and powerful books was based on a
newspaper clipping, if I am not mistaken. The book, The Cats of
Krasinski Square, was written by Karen Hesse and taken from an actual
event. Cavey recommended it and I am forever grateful. I use it in my
Chapman class (Ed 521).

Karen Hesse was selected by the mother of childhood friends of both my
sons. (Her two sons are friends with MY two sons.)

Cathy selected Out of the Dust for her author study focus and she read
aloud a section that was very powerful, having to do with a horrible
kitchen accident in the early 1900s. Cathy had access to a lot of her
own family history and played a tape recording of her great-
grandmother retelling a similar event that occurred in her family
around the same time. Talk about POWERFUL. This was real life.

I often say, when imparting something humorous about my students in
my "blawg" that "I can't make this stuff up."

Authors can, and do, of course - but something about the "true to life
seed" resonates powerfully.

:-)K

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