Archive for the ‘All About Arlene’ Category
Arlene, the Rebel Queen was recently included in the Bank Street College of Education’s annual list of the best children’s books. The Children’s Book Committee’s 2014 list included Arlene in the ages 9-12 category and marked it as a great read-aloud choice for teachers and parents.
Bank Street College of Education strives to guide librarians, educators, parents, grandparents, and other interested adults to the best books for children published each year. In choosing books for the annual list, reviewers consider literary quality and excellence of presentation as well as the potential emotional impact of the books on young readers. Other criteria include credibility of characterization and plot, authenticity of time and place, age suitability, positive treatment of ethnic and religious differences, and the absence of stereotypes.
Bank Street College is a leader in the field of education. Its programs include a graduate school of education, a premiere independent school for children, a head start program, and a family service center. Bank Street is unique in that it melds the clinically grounded knowledge of professionals with the theoretical abstract world of the researcher, and then tests that theory in practice and that practice in theory.
We are proud to be endorsed by such a prestigious institution!
Forty-six schools, eight states, 6600 students. The third year of the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation’s School Outreach Program was our best yet! From our home state of Rhode Island, to our current homes in New York and Washington, DC, and on out to Chicago and Dallas, we met our goal of reaching more students, teachers and parents than ever.
Our school presentations deepen understanding of disability as difference, something that can be embraced rather than merely tolerated or accepted. With our sequel, Arlene, the Rebel Queen, we added the powerful message that every young person has the potential to change the world. In fact, perhaps the young are best suited to lead us to change! With the addition of our Team CMT Kids program, we provide the opportunity for students to join with us in our mission to one day cure Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT). Be sure to check out our new video of highlights from this year’s presentation.
Having presented at almost 100 schools since first writing Arlene on the Scene, educators are beginning to spread the word on the classroom potential for the Arlene series. We’ve received positive reviews from the School Library Journal, our Teacher’s Guide for Arlene On the Scene has been revised, and many schools have taken advantage of discounted class sets. Both books will also be assessed this summer for their reading levels.
We believe that awareness is an integral part of HNF’s mission to support those living with CMT. We have found that our children’s books and accompanying school presentations have resulted in increased understanding and support for our friends and family members living with CMT, as well as all of those we know who live with all kinds of disabilities and differences. That would include just about all of us!
We look forward to next year, increasing our reach even further. Don’t forget to contact us if you’re interested in a free school presentation in your area.
Thank you letters–
Teacher’s Guide, Revised!
Posted on: May 29, 2013
It’s here, our REVISED Teacher’s Guide! Many teachers have found our Teacher’s Guide helpful to incorporate Arlene On the Scene into their language arts curriculum, from grades three to five. Some have asked us whether more printable worksheets were available–now they are!
In addition, many have pointed out that the activities and worksheets in the Guide naturally align with a wide range of Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. We thought it made sense to include these standards within the Guide as well.
Check it out, let us know what you think!
Team CMT Kids Goes the Distance!
Posted on: May 23, 2013
The biggest Team CMT Kids event of the year featured a group of youth triathletes going the distance to support those who live with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.
The Playtri Youth and Junior Teams of Dallas, TX are incredible athletes! At the Hidden Cove Youth Triathlon meet last week, these kids, ranging in age from eight to fifteen, jumped into frigid lake water in the early morn for a challenging swim, then hopped on their bikes for a few laps around the park, rounding it all out with a run to the finish line–no, make that sprint to the finish line. Yes, they had enough energy left to burst through that inflated arch, shaving precious seconds off their total time.
What made it all so moving was knowing that these kids had chosen to support those living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease at this event. The team read the book Arlene On the Scene earlier in the year and had learned about the challenges of those living with CMT. They then set out to raise money in the weeks leading up to their first big team competition of the season. Through their efforts and dedication, the Playtri team raised $1275 for the cause! This money will be donated to the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation to support their efforts to find treatments and a cure for CMT.
We also presented at elementary schools in Dallas in the days before the triathlon event. Seven schools received free author visits, and about 1200 students learned about empathy, disability, and CMT through a discussion of the Arlene books, along with a reminder of the power of writing! Cesar Chavez Learning Academy, Sam Houston Elementary, Truett Elementary, Mark Twain, M.T. Reilly, and Central Elementary all participated in these lively discussions. Titche Elementary even blogged about it! As most who’ve read these books know, Carol grew up in Rhode Island and is an East Coast gal. But Dallas folks sure are friendly! Students asked amazing questions and had great insight into the social issues discussed at the presentations. Thank you to all the media specialists who opened their doors to our School Outreach Program! We’ll be coming back to “the DFW” next year for sure!
Thank you again to the Playtri team and Coach Morgan Johnson! We couldn’t accomplish our mission without your support!
Kizirian Elementary School in Providence, RI has found Arlene On the Scene to be a great teaching tool in many areas. Bonus: it’s a fun read!
After purchasing a copy for all of the third graders, Kizirian Elementary dove right in. Using our free Teacher’s Guide and graphic organizers, students learned about disability and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, as well as broader topics such as the power of empathy and the beauty in embracing differences. Kids created their own campaign signs and even made their own Plumpy the Pumpkin!
Finally, for Character Day, students dressed up like their favorite characters from Arlene On the Scene and Arlene, the Rebel Queen!
Arlene
Mr. Musgrove
Arlene
Kechup and Mustard
Kizirian Elementary students, you are a shining example of the power of empathy! You are awesome!
Arlene has been on the road again!
We visited fourteen schools in our home state of Rhode Island in early April. Wow, was it good to go home again! I even went to my alma mater, Sherman School. And there was that red bench, the one Arlene sits on near the end of Rebel Queen when she has a heart-to-heart with Mr. Musgrove. While the bench has been painted, and the seats in the auditorium are now cushioned (cushions! I had to sit on hard wood, for hours, with no bathroom breaks…), my former school has the same warm feel, the same welcoming vibe.
Kizirian Elementary, Providence
We simply had a great time in Rhode Island! From Narragansett to Quidnessett, Coventry to Providence, Warwick to Johnston, we met amazing students at every school. We even ventured into southern Massachusetts, to Braintree and Arlington. Students at every school jumped into a great discussion of empathy, self-image, and the power of activism. Through these conversations, and an amazing video of eight year old Jennifer Keelan climbing the steps of the US Capitol, we learned that one person, one kid, can indeed change the world! We spent some extra time with kids at Kizirian Elementary in Providence–they had great questions! Hope their biographies are coming along. We also want to send a big thank you to Wakefield Books for hosting a book signing with Grace and Marybeth!
Carol, Marybeth and Grace at book signing, Wakefield Books, RI
Margo Toth, teacher extraordinaire, and Carol Liu
We also just got back from Illinois–Naperville to be exact, just outside of Chicago. What a great town, great kids! And I had the pleasure of meeting in person a wonderful teacher I’ve heard about for years, my husband’s fourth grade teacher from Madison, NJ. There she is, still in the classroom, still inspiring young minds. Her second graders had just finished reading Arlene On the Scene and had many insightful questions and responses.
At every school, students and teachers learn about Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and the challenges our friends and families face each day. They begin to understand why the mission of the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation is so important. More broadly, we highlight the power of empathy and the beauty in not accepting, not tolerating, but embracing differences.
Still left on the schedule this year: New York, Philadelphia, and Dallas. Be sure to let us know if you’re interested in a free author presentation! Details can be found on our program brochure, and you can email us any time for more information!
If you can believe it, we still have over thirty schools on the schedule for us to visit between now and the end of the school year. Amazing!
We’ll do a week in my home state of Rhode Island in April, visiting twelve schools from South County to Providence. We’re even going back to my old elementary school, Sherman. Can’t wait!
After Rhode Island, we’ll be Illinois, then New York, and finally, Dallas. In between I’ll be going to schools locally in Maryland and Washington, DC. Each school brings a new energy to our School Outreach Program, and every new reader is one more partner in our mission to find a cure for Charcot-Marie-Tooth.
I had a great time today at Stonegate Elementary in Colesville, MD. I even met the president and vice-president of the SGA. Arlene would be so excited!
The only thing that was disappointing about today’s visit was that no one told me it was Crazy Hair Day! But there was great school spirit in the library, with some pink locks and spikey ‘doos.
I hope the students I see like the book, and don’t forget that the sequel, Arlene, the Rebel Queen is now available! And once you’ve read the books, think about posting a review on Amazon, for Arlene On the Scene or Rebel. I know reader reviews always help me choose my next book!
…the day is finally here. Meet Bill and Pete!
That’s right, you can finally read my very first book, Bill and Pete Go Into Space. I have to apologize for my handwriting and how the words are a bit faded. Those of you who have heard me speak know that I wrote this story 
long, long ago, in the ancient times before computers, Ipads, and Microsoft Word. Copyright date is 1978, and I was just a mere nine years old, about the same age as many of the students I meet.
When I posted it on the site this morning, I re-read it. Yikes! It doesn’t sound very good to me now. Kind of a space-age version of David and Goliath, with a little hint of my favorite show as a kid, PuffnStuff, although way less creative. And wow, there are a lot of mistakes! Spelling, grammar, punctuation. Guess I had more learning to do.
So I’m a little embarrassed to put it up here, but then again, maybe that’s a good thing. One of my main points when I talk to students is that when the environment around us is supportive, when we are all practicing our empathy, I can feel safe in sharing my true self, in embracing who I am. And I love writing. Sometimes I’m not that great at it. So?
You can click here to read “Bill and Pete Go Into Space.” Like I said, I personally don’t think it’s amazing. What it could probably use are some PICTURES! If you want to send me your drawings, I would love to see them. If you say it’s okay, I’ll post them online. You can email them to me at carol at hnf-cure.org, or click here to email me directly, and I can send you an address where you could mail me a copy of your picture.
Go Bill and Pete! 🙂
While it’s not available in stores quite yet, Arlene, the Rebel Queen is being deemed a good read by some! Children’s Literary Classics gave the sequel to Arlene On the Scene its Seal of Approval, saying it “belongs on every youngster’s reading list.” Read the full review.
We’re so pleased that they liked the book but more importantly, that they understood our point. Well, pointS. We had a lot of them. We wanted to talk to kids about change, and that making change happen can be complicated and risky. As we finish honoring Martin Luther King, swear Barak Obama in as president, and head into African-American history month, let’s be honest–change is huge. It can be frightening. But we can learn so much from looking back on changes we’ve been through, and recognizing the sacrifices made by the leaders of change.
But given that, you–yes, YOU–can be an agent of change. We all can. And should! In our homes, our schools, our communities, even the world. Rebel Queen was written to demonstrate to young readers that they have the power to make positive changes in their corner of the world. Right now!
Finally, we wanted to talk about the interpersonal relationship between Arlene and her friend Lauren. Watching our daughters weave their way through the jungle that is the tween/teen social scene, Marybeth and I wanted to dive right in to these issues–how do friendships evolve over time? How does one navigate through a waning friendship and emerge with self-confidence in tact? And what does difference and disability add to that dynamic?
Well, not to say we answered all those questions. As Mr. Goldberg says in the book, many of life’s biggest questions simply don’t have answers. Asking the question and thinking about it, that’s the point. Arlene isn’t thrilled with this idea, but she rolls with it. Which in the end is what she learns we have to do with change.
Arlene is on the SCENE 