Betty Birney’s Blog

Eben’s house (actually the house my grandmother grew up in)

The mail carrier has been very good to me lately and today was no exception. I received two copies of the new printing of the hardcover version of THE SEVEN WONDERS OF SASSAFRAS SPRINGS - the fifth printing. The paperback sells very well, but it’s nice to know that the hardcover, with that lovely timeless cover by Matt Phelan, is still getting into people’s hands. I like the paperback cover, too, but it’s totally different.

Librarians and teachers should check out the July issue of Book Links magazine for an article by Teri MacDonald and Helen Foster James titled, FINDING THE WONDERS OF OUR WORLD. In addition to providing suggestions on using Sassafras in the classroom, the authors also suggest other books on the subject … including THE WIZARD OF OZ. (Which reminds me, we’re going to see WICKED tomorrow - inspired by the WIZARD OF OZ.) And it has a sidebar article by moi, complete with picture.

READING RECOMMENDATIONS: We’re having a drought here in California (although we had a brief shower this week - almost unheard of in the summer months). The dry summer prompted me to pick up an old favorite off the shelf. This book has a great sense of place: Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright, the Newbery Award winner for 1939. It’s a quiet book that weaves its magic. I’m also reminded of a book that a reviewer mentioned in a flattering Sassafras review: Homer Price by Robert McCloskey. That reviewer was on to me. Homer Price was a favorite of mine which I’ve reread many times. There is also a sequel: Centerburg Tales.

Last week, I had a terrific time speaking at a writing workshop in Azusa, CA. Yes, I typed that word right. Azusa is about half an hour from my house in L.A.  I had always heard that the town got its name as a slogan: “Everything from A to Z in the USA.” I like that story a lot but I looked it up and it doesn’t appear to be true because the name, or a variation of it, was in the area before the town.

I had a great time there with my fellow writers - 40 of them in third, fourth and fifth grades - all keeping writer’s notebooks and using a writer’s toolbox.  Yes, they had a real toolbox. I think I’ll get one, too.

Then came the questions and answers - always my favorite part of an appearance because I learn what people are interested in and besides, I’d rather talk with people rather than at them. One girl asked her question slowly. “How many times did you rewrite….” Then she paused to check her notebook. I was already excited! Here was my opportunity to hit home how much writers actually rewrite. And I do …. dozens and dozens of times. If I was really lucky, she’d ask about THE SEVEN WONDERS OF SASSAFRAS SPRINGS, which I rewrote more than dozens of times. I even wrote the whole thing in the third person before changing it to first  person. I rewrote each individual story over and over to make each storyteller sound unique. And, at the end, with the encouragement of Caitlyn Dlouhy, my editor, I added - gulp - 100 pages to the story. Now that was a rewrite.

The girl glanced down at her paper and then named the one title I didn’t expect: PIE’S IN THE OVEN. There went my lesson on rewriting! PIE’S IN THE OVEN was a picture book published in 1996. It just went out of print so you can’t buy it (except used copies) but it lives on in a lot of libraries. When I wrote it I was at an SCBWI Conference (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators - highly recommended). I have no idea who was speaking, but I always get inspired at those wonderful conferences and I started jotting down thoughts. I’d wanted to write about my grandmother’s pies and it started to come to me. At the next break, I found an easy chair in the hotel, opened my notebook and wrote out a first draft. I’m actually embarrassed to say it: the words never changed. I still have that notebook and see that I left it as I wrote it that day, sold it immediately and the editor never asked me to change a word, either. (Well, it is pretty short but still, that’s unusual.) The only discussion we had was whether it should be “Pie’s” in the oven or “Pies,” but stuck with my original “Pie’s” because really, Grandma is saying “Pie is in the oven.”

I cannot tell a lie, so I recounted this story and everyone groaned. I don’t blame them. It is not possible to sell a book without lots of rewriting. But I did it. Once. I figure once is all I’ll ever get.  It probably happened because Grandma’s legendary pies were so inspirational. Actually, I think what happened was the strong rhythm of the book came to me right away and carried the writing along.

Things are back to normal now - I’m stuck on not one, not two, but three books. That’s the way writing really works. And yet …. maybe some day I’ll get it right the first time again.

A few more notes about the book:

Holly Meade did a beautiful job illustrating the book and I forgive her for turning me (the narrator) into a boy! She generously sent me a piece of the artwork which hangs in my office. 

The names of all the people (and the dog) are real. They are the names of my grandparents’ neighbors and many family members and family friends. My grandfather was really a fireman. And Grandma baked the best pies I’ve ever tasted …. and made little crusts for my sister and me. We liked the crusts better than the pies, especially when sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. She’s the same Grandma whose stories inspired THE SEVEN WONDERS OF SASSAFRAS SPRINGS. One grandmother, two books and I don’t think she’s finished with me yet!

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READING RECOMMENDATION FOR GROWN-UPS: You can’t really learn to write by reading books. (Reading actual books, like fiction, is probably more helpful.) But once in a while, I look to books for inspiration. One favorite book which conveys the joy of writing is Ray Bradbury’s ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING. I also love a photography book by Jill Krementz: THE WRITER’S DESK. Priceless, especially the photo of Eudora Welty. I also like Welty’s book, ONE WRITER’S BEGINNINGS. And anything by E.B. White and Raymond Chandler (I’ll bet those two were never lumped together before), including their essays and letters.

A very nice Humphrey fan named Robert emailed me that he was a little confused, because he read THE WORLD ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY and then read TROUBLE ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY. He was asking what order the Humphrey books are in. A good question … and I understand his problem.

Writing a sequel can be complicated. I want readers to be able to read the books out of order, so I try to put a little of the “backstory” in each book. I mention that Humphrey’s the classroom pet in Room 26, how Ms. Mac brought him there, his original problem with Mrs. Brisbane, etc. I don’t want to spend too much time on that information, however, because it would be boring for people who had read the previous books. I know many people who read FRIENDSHIP first and didn’t feel they missed anything. However, I expect what confused Robert was the fact that in TROUBLE there were students in the classroom who weren’t in the first book. They were added in FRIENDSHIP, because I felt I needed to expand the classroom a little So Kirk, Mandy, Seth and Tabitha were added in the second book. And Og, of course - can’t forget him. BOING!

I’ve run into this situation before. A tip for figuring out which book came first in a series: right up front there’s always a page of printing that nobody reads. It gives information about the publisher. However, if you look down the page, you’ll find the complete history of the book. Even if it’s the paperback (which is published after the hardcover), it will always show the original date of publication. So, WORLD came out in 2004, FRIENDSHIP in 2005 and TROUBLE in 2007 - there was a large gap between the second and third book. All books contain this information. Even if you order books online, say on Amazon.com, that original publication date is given. Always look for the earliest date - that’s the original date.

When I wrote WORLD ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY, I wasn’t planning to write a sequel. The publisher asked for a second book before WORLD was published, so I wrote FRIENDSHIP, not expecting there to be a third book. After that long gap, the publisher asked for at least three more books. So there will be another book in 2009 and I’m pretty sure more after that. I just feel terrible that the book confused you. I hope you give Humphrey another chance!
BEST-BEST-BEST Wishes,
Betty G. Birney

The next book, SURPRISES ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY, will be published in spring, 2008.By the way, in the United Kingdom, the books come out a year behind the U.S. publication. So, TROUBLE comes out next May and SURPRISES in 2009. But U.K. fans will get an extra Humphrey bonus on World Book Day which is March 1, 2008.

HUMPHREY’S HANDLERS …. someone emailed a Humphrey’s Handler form but it wasn’t filled out. If you sign up for Humphrey’s Handlers and don’t get an email back from me, it means I didn’t get the information. Please try again!

In the last post, I highlighted Desi’s beauty. But she can be silly, too! A friend from high school, Sandy Robine, gave me a headband that had STAR on it. Very cute, but it was child-sized. So I let Desi try it on. I never realized before how funny dogs look without their ears! But she’s still a star!

This blog is new and I realize I never addressed the issue of comments. I disabled the comment function because so many people who are reading it are young and I would hate to have something inappropriate pop up here. In addition, comments reveal the email address of the sender and again, because of children and privacy issues, I don’t want that to happen. But I’d love to hear your responses, so just email me using the contact button at the bottom of each page. Then I’ll share your comments with other readers while maintaining your privacy!

Also, there are a number of new features up on the website. The whole Humphreyville section highlights all three books (number four on its way) and all the Humphrey printable activities, games and Teacher’s Guides are there. There are brand new ones there, just up. For classrooms, you can sign up to be on Humphrey’s list of Official Handlers, which means Humphrey is YOUR classroom pet. (Sorry, I can’t send him to you. I’m selfish!) And check out the TROUBLE page and you can see a real, live hamster examination in a vet’s office!

Keep watching…. my next book, THE PRINCESS AND THE PEABODYS comes out soon (Sept. 1) and I’ll be sharing a little of that with you starting very soon. And there are other SURPRISES in store (SURPRISES ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY)!

Desi, as it’s plain to see, is a dog. But not just any dog. She’s our dog and the smartest-sweetest-prettiest dog I’ve ever known. No, really! Anyway, recently a kid suggested that I write a book called THE WORLD ACCORDING TO DESI. I’m sure that she’d like that! She looks pretty disgusted when I talk about that hamster, Humphrey and Miranda’s dumb dog, Clem. I point out to her that the hound dog, Sal, is a key character in THE SEVEN WONDERS OF SASSAFRAS SPRINGS. Even better, Duke, the family pet in the upcoming THE PRINCESS AND THE PEABODYS, is a very funny character everyone’s sure to enjoy.

Actually, Desi’s not real big on reading. When she came to her current position, 11 years ago this month, she was about a year or so old, semi-abandoned. From the start, she realized what her new job was: she was to be a boy’s dog. Not just any boy, but my son Walshe’s dog. He was 11 then.

Oh, she did a fine job getting Walshe through middle school and high school. She did everything a dog could do and more. She was especially good at getting him up in the morning by leaping on his bed and licking his face. (Though if I didn’t watch it, she’d curl up with him and go to sleep.) She was a great addition to the often rowdy carpool and even gave the assistant head of school a big lick on the mouth as we let the kids off in the morning. He obviously liked it; he never failed to stick his head in to say hi to her.

She was an excellent companion to the other boys who hung around: Dan and Matt and C.G. in particular. She starred in Walshe’s first video for his Video Art class - he went on to win a major award in that area. A mere coincidence? I think not. She was equally welcoming to the girls when they started coming around.

She laid under Walshe’s desk while he did his homework. She laid outside his door when it was shut, in full protective mode, and never flinched at the loud bass boom-booming out of his room.

She listened to screechy violin playing and later much better guitar playing without howling about her sensitive ears.

She probably heard a lot of secrets. I wouldn’t know. She doesn’t snitch.

And, while she’s never too interested when my husband and I try to engage her in games, she knew what a boy was for: fun. Walshe could always get her to play a game of chase-me-around-the-dining-room-table or catch. Still can.

She loved her job. And then one day, the boy went off to college. She was in the car when I dropped him and his father at the airport for the trip from L.A. to Boston. She probably thought he was spending the night with a friend. Soon, she went into major mourning. Month after month, she laid in front of his bedroom door. (As if I wasn’t sad enough about the too-quiet house.)

Sure, the boy came home for vacations. The first time he came home for Christmas (hadn’t been home since September), Desi got so excited, she hyperventilated. Since then, she’s come to know that he comes and then he goes again. She knows the meaning of a suitcase.

College friends came to visit and there was hoopla again, but it didn’t last long. When Walshe’s girlfriend, Ania, came to visit for the first time a few summers ago, Desi was ecstatic. They had so much in common: they both liked to hang out in the yard, soaking up the rays. (Desi has a strict rule: she must lie in the sun from about noon to two every day. She is a dog who has never known winter.) I think she recognized that Ania was more than just another girl to Walshe.

During the summers when Walshe worked as a camp counselor, she got him up on time as usual, and entertained his fellow counselors who spent a lot of time at our house as well.

Then, he didn’t come back for the summer. He graduated from college and got a job in Boston. Soon, he’ll move to NY.

Desi remains the world’s best dog, but her job is over and she doesn’t like retirement very much. Yes, there’s a little granddaughter, Remy, who adores her. She likes Remy and plays with her but it’s not the same. She’s a boy’s dog.

She can still outrun any dog in the park and when people ask my husband, “How old is your puppy?” he tells them “Six.” “Six months?” is the usual response. She’s forever young, too young to retire. I forgive my husband for not being able to tell the truth and say: 12.

In honor of Desi’s 11th anniversary with our family, I included the pictures above, taken on a dog beach in Santa Barbara, CA last Christmas. The first shows how beautiful she is, but the second picture is the one I love. That view of Desi, moving ahead, unfettered and free at last. I think she might have just kept going. But being a well trained dog, she came when we called her.

Good girl.

As soon as I posted the riddle yesterday, I decided I got it wrong! I think it goes like this:

“Why is the Fourth of July?”

The correct answer is “Yes.” When the person being questioned looks puzzled, the questioner explains, “Y is the Fourth of July …. the fourth letter.” And laughs hysterically, having put something over on the other person.

I don’t know. Neither version seems quite as uproarious as they did when I was eight or nine!

But thinking of this reminded me how much I’ve always loved riddles and puzzles. I’m going to revisit some of those in the near future. For a couple of knock-knock jokes, check out Humphrey’s Notebook in the Humphreyville section of the website. Humphrey updates his notebook once or twice a week.

 In case you didn’t get any fireworks on the 4th, here are some pretty spectacular fireworks from a program at the Hollywood Bowl last summer.  

Fourth of July is the Great American Holiday and I love it (even if I never have been able to tolerate the loud noise of fireworks).

Last year was a spectacular 4th as we LAYAS (L.A. Young Adult authors) got to judge the South Pasadena, CA Balloon Parade, wearing crowns and sashes. We got to be in the parade, too! Actually, judging the parade was really difficult and a lot of pressure. All of this was thanks to the incomparable Lisa Yee (http://lisayee.com), author of Millicent Min, Girl Genius, Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time and the new So Totally Emily Ebers. But this year, Lisa is in Columbus, Ohio as the 2007 Thurber Residence Author-in-Residence so the parade is passing us by!

LAYA Judges Eileen Rosenbloom (Stuck Down), me, Cecil Castelucci (Beige; Boy Proof), Amy Goldman Koss (Poison Ivy, The Girls), Lisa Yee, Kerry Madden (Louisiana’s Song)

I have no real plans for this 4th except some work, staying inside the air-conditioning (it’s been 100 here in L.A.), and trying to find the wonderful James Cagney film, YANKEE DOODLE DANDY on TV. If it’s not on, it’s not a big problem because: I know it all by heart, along with the scores of most major Broadway and film musicals.

(My Fair Lady is going to be at the Ahmanson in L.A. this year and if they can’t find a leading lady, I’m available. I could step right into the part. The fact that I can’t sing doesn’t hold me back a bit.)

We can usually catch some fireworks right in our back yard, from the Hollywood Bowl, the Studio City celebration down the street at CBS, or something in Woodland Hills.

By the way, the best fireworks display I’ve seen BY FAR was in Laguna Beach, CA many years ago. My dad’s cousin Jane and husband Allen took us out on the rocks to see a private fireworks display put on by the local residents right over the water. Second best: Kirkwood, MO fireworks in Kirkwood Park, where the best viewing spot is across the street from my sister’s house. You’re all invited! Dinner, too! (You’re welcome, Janet.)

But this year, I’ll be a contented, stay-at-home Yankee Doodle Dandy … though I did keep my crown from last year.

FOURTH OF JULY BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: My favorite description of an all-American Fourth of July is in Mary Cantwell’s fabulous memoir, American Girl. One of my favorites of all memoirs, and I love memoirs. Also, for the most American books possible, I always recommend Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books. I reread them every few years and to me, they are the best depiction of the American spirit possible. And the Betsy-Tacy books for Pure Americana.