Cynthia Lord's Blog, page 16

Thank you, Publishers Weekly! Two down, and now I'm going to try to let the breath go that I've been holding.

"Filled with moments of discovery, wonder, and sorrow, Lord’s story captures Lucy’s artistic sensibility and photographer’s eye, as well as her compassion for both animals and people. Through Lucy’s thoughts and actions, Lord (Rules) elegantly conveys how complex stories can be told through moments frozen in time."

You can read the full review here: http://publishersweekly.com/pw/reviews/single/978-0-545-03533-0

As deceptively quiet in tone as its New Hampshire lakeside setting, this affecting book affirms the power of art as it tackles profound issues of loss, memory, aging, belonging and the inevitability of change. . . With winning results, Lord brings the same sensitivity to the subject of dementia that she brought to autism in her Newbery Honor book, Rules (2006). --Kirkus, Starred Review




My first industry review for Half A Chance, and it's a STAR! Thank you, Kirkus. :) I danced around the kitchen when I saw it.

For fun and to celebrate, I played myself one of the videos that I listened to over and over while I worked on this book (and hadn't listened to since). It's strange to hear loons in December, but listening to this video brought back long summer days of writing.

Bailey Island, Maine. Photo by my husband, John

Tonight was the Christmas party for my son's adult day program. He turned 21 over the summer, and that means adult services for someone with his level of autism. It's a big change to cross that line, and the first day I walked him into the program, I saw adults.

In my head, I knew that's who would *be* in adult services, but it's one thing to say the word and another to see people with disabilities and gray hair and wrinkles in their 60s and 70s and think, "This is where and with whom my boy belongs now and for the rest of his life." It was a lot to take in with a smile on my face for him and a lump in my throat for me.

Over the months, I've gotten used to it. So much so that when we walked into the party tonight and a woman who attends the program and is close to my mom's age ran up to me and grabbed my hands to dance, I simply and happily danced with her--even though I hadn't even taken my coat off yet.

And I danced with my son. "Are you having fun?" I asked him.

"This is madness," he said simply.

I smiled, because he collects phrases the way other people collect books, pulling them out at moments to show them off. They are always appropriate to the situation, but quirky.

"A good madness or a bad madness?" I asked.

"A good madness."

This isn't what you dream of when you have a baby. This isn't what you hope for when you have a young child with autism and you embark on the thousands of hours of therapy. But tonight, dancing together to corny songs and Michael Jackson's Thriller under hundreds of white fairy lights and paper snowflakes, I thought, "This is a beautiful night and we are together in this moment surrounded by love and joy."

And good madness.

Milo insists on drinking out of the tree stand, even though he has a perfectly nice bowl of fresh water in the kitchen.



Blueberry and Muffin wearing their Dollar Store finds!



And Cookie enjoying the lights on the top of his cage.



Happy Holidays from my house to yours!

The story I'm working on is set in July and August, but I couldn't resist putting up some Christmas lights.

Preparing for the Harbor Lights Festival, Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Photo by my husband

Small Business Saturday at Devaney Doak & Garrett Booksellers was a blastl! I saw friends, kids who remembered me visiting their schools, and met lots of wonderful people. I did a bit of handselling, some gift wrapping, and just had fun conversations with Kenny and customers about books.


Me and Kenny from DDG Booksellers


Here's proof that I did some work! I'm gift wrapping a book for a customer.


One funny moment came when a mom said to her 3 year old, "OH! We love Hot Rod Hamster at our house, don't we? Do you see this lady here? It's her book!"

The little girl looked shocked and said, "No. That's MY book."

I think she was afraid I was going to take her book away!

Tomorrow for Small Business Saturday, I'll be here at DDG Booksellers in Farmington, Maine. Those of you in the area, please come say hi! I'll be there helping out and having fun from 11 to 3.

Someone stole my son's piece of garlic bread and buried it in the yard. Who could that be?

I love this peek from Maine illustrator Matt Tavares how a picture book page takes shape.