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Arlene On the Scene, and the sequel, Arlene, the Rebel Queen, grew out of one moment, a moment of connection between two friends. Carol Liu and Marybeth Caldarone locked eyes that day, years ago, and decided: there should be a book. There should be a book about a kid with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
Shark–what?? It’s a weird name, a difficult disease. Marybeth and her daughter, Grace, have it. It’s not that rare, but too many have never heard of it. Marybeth and Carol decided that would have to change.
So they got to writing, and out popped Arlene. Yes, onto the scene. And she’s been making waves ever since.
Carol decided to take the show on the road, and one student at a time, explain why she wrote the book, why she believes in the message contained within its pages, and why we all need to get together to change the future for kids like Grace Caldarone, the inspiration and reason this whole thing happened.
We hope you like the book. It’s available on Amazon, and anywhere else books are sold. But the other thing that is readily available is a free author visit! Carol would love to visit your school and talk about Difference, Disability and the Power of the Pen! Be sure to check out our free Teacher’s Guide, with over 50 pages of ideas to use Arlene in the classroom. Both books have been assessed by the F&P Text Level Gradient™ Leveling System.
The whole point of the book was to shout out to the world what it’s like to live with CMT, but it turned into a story about growing up different. Which means simply growing up, because what Arlene realizes is that we’re all different, and differences are beautiful. Carol Liu is not only an author, she’s also a clinical social worker with decades of experience working with young people on the very social issues explored in this book: developing a positive self-image, appreciating differences, and negotiating peer relationships.
To accomplish our goals, we have to continue just how we started: with a moment of connection. Contact us today about an author visit, or just to talk. And browse our Author Blog, where we write about what’s going on, where we’ve been, and things on our mind. We hope to connect with you soon!
6 Responses to "Home"
April 9, 2013 at 9:04 pm
Hi this one of the girls who asked to do a movie about Arlene on the scene. My co-directer and I (Olivia and me Addison) are very excited to make the movie. We have not yet read the book because of school reading assignments. We are at almost the bottom of the waiting list of the book in the library. When we get the book we are going to read the book like there is no tomorrow. We can’t wait! I would love to do research on the the sickness so the movie is more accurate. Also, in the credits is going to be your name of course! Thanks! Sincerely,
Addison Enloe
April 9, 2013 at 9:16 pm
Addison–thanks so much for your comment and your commitment to the cause! We so appreciate your support. And I can’t wait for your movie! Hope you get to read the books soon. School does come first though. Maybe your school will get a few more copies, or maybe your public library could get it. Let me know what you think after you read it, and thanks in advance for the mention in the movie credits!
May 9, 2013 at 12:37 pm
My Third Grade class and I just finished the book today. Mostly, I read the book to the class and tried to have all of Arlene’s humor and bright outlook on life. This was a “perfect” book – humor, adventure, challenges, and a great lesson for all!
Arlene is on the SCENE 
June 25, 2012 at 4:36 pm
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