Outta the Mouths of Kindergartners

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On Tuesday, my voice was sufficiently humanoid for me to make good on the school visit I’d booked. I had to suck on the occasional lozenge as the day progressed but I stayed upright and I don’t believe I ever blacked out or spoke in tongues. (If I did, the audience was very polite and wrote it off as poetry.)
 
The school – in a bedroom community north of Austin – is tremendous! There were 250 kindergarteners, which is how many students went to my four-year high school. There’s some trivia for you. But nobody seems the least bit overwhelmed – the hallways are bright and pretty, the library is cozy, and all the adults speak with warmth and humor to the kids.  All in all, a great way to emerge from my cocoon of coughs and fever.
 
A few highlights (or lowlights, as the case may be):
I got lost on the way to the school in the morning. One would think that East and West would be pretty self-explanatory since the main highway runs directly North-South, but apparently I need these things translated into simple Lefts and Rights. Still trying to figure out if there is any way I can blame this on my ailing health.

During one of my sessions, when I came to the line “A pocket for a farmer is a dell, hi-ho…”, I asked the kids if they recognized that, from a song. “Yeah,” answered one world-weary little guy, “but it’s also a place to work.” Oh. Right. Dell.

When I was signing books, one particularly earnest little girl asked if they were going to have to give the books back. I pointed out her name in the inscription and said that it was hers, to keep. She leapt. Like a frog. Even hung there at the top of her jump for a moment, suspended with delight.

In the midst of one rather lively question-and-answer session, a student asked about the silver sticker on the front of my book. I explained that the book had been nominated for an award, and that the label recognizes that. A discussion ensued about “all those other books that win ‘cott awards” and I laughed and said something about how happy those labels make their authors.

“So is that why you do it?” asked a boy in the back. “Is that why you write books, to get more and more labels? To win more and more awards?” 

Wow. 

“No,” I answered. “I write books for you. I write books because I loved reading when I was a kid, and I loved being read to, and I’m inspired to be a part of that for you! Awards are a nice bonus, but they’re not why I write.”

Pause. Deep breath. Final answer.

“Yeah, that’s what I wanted to get outta you,” he said, satisfied.

 I was satisfied, too. I love a kid who knows what he wants.

20 Responses to “Outta the Mouths of Kindergartners”

  1. jmprince

    love those kid comments!
    Sounds like a good time.
    Thanks for sharing!
    Hope you’re feeling completely better soon.

  4. jensbookpage

    That’s great! LOVE the kid who wanted to know if you write to get more awards, and that he was hoping that the answer was no. And in kindergarten. Amazing!

  5. Anonymous

    Aw, man…

    That is so totally adorable. And I love the new short-hand version of Caldecott. I’m going to use that from now on. Can we say ‘bery awards, too?

    eisha (7-Imp)

  6. Anonymous

    Congrats! I didn’t know ‘A Sock is a Pocket’ won a Children’s Crown award. Look at you!

    Don
    devast.blogspot.com

  7. Anonymous

    Don’t you love what they say? I had a second grader ask the author at my school “how he could sign up to be an author.” Jone