Over the years, I've visited a lot of incredible schools for "Author Day" but until this week I'd never had a parade.
A parade! With floats and a marching band and kids cheering as we drove down the street.
It felt like the middle school version of Coming Home week on American Idol, and it took place in Oklahoma where Central Middle School (which has hosted me several years in a row), has become a home away from home.
The day didn't start with a parade. It started with strict instructions from the school's librarian to meet her in a church parking lot near the school. (I've learned not to ask too many questions of this librarian. I've learned that she has a vision and you just need to go with it.)
And then the day really started.
We got pulled over by a cop.
At first I thought it was a prank, set up by said librarian. So I hopped out of the car.
"Get back in your vehicle," he barked. And, from his no-BS demeanor and seeing how he was fully decked with bullet-proof vest under his uniform, sun glasses, and a firearm, I got back in the vehicle.
I powered down the window. "Uh, hi?"
"Why are you here?" he asked, scrutinizing the van.
So I explained. About the librarian. And us being authors. And doing a school visit.
"This area is under surveillance," he said. "You need to leave."
Because of his demeanor, I was now totally convinced that we had to get the heck out of the empty church parking lot before we blew his undercover operation. But still. It just came out... "Surveillance?"
He frowned and beamed authority through his sunglasses. "Yes." And then he added, "I can't believe Officer Borsch hasn't told you about this."
"Aghh!' I cried and jumped out of the van and shoved him. "You totally had me!"
He laughed and was clearly pleased, and then the librarian jumped out of his police car in a Sammy Forever shirt and I immediately started crying.
Sammy Forever! Officer Borsch! What an unbelievable prank.
And then we headed for the school, with our lights-flashing police escort, where kids in high-tops and on skateboards greeted us with cheers and signs as we wound our way through nearly 800 kids, teachers, and school staff through the campus.
And then we watched as the parade--complete with marching band, cartwheelers, skateboarders, and shopping cart floats based on our books--went by.
Pictures can't capture this, video can't capture this...it was a wild post-testing day of celebration, and I know that for the rest of my life I'll turn to Mark and say, "They did a parade! I can't believe they did a parade!"
And now, even though they can't capture it, here are a few pictures anyway!
 |
| Officer Borsch's henchman! |
 |
| Converse Day At CMS! |
 |
| Sammy Keyes Forever! |
 |
| A mini-Justice Jack |
 | ||||
The Swear to Howdy float
|
 |
| An incredible display for ROAD RASH |
 |
| Mark and the school's Bad Mobile! |
 |
| Sammiacs ruled the day! |
 |
| A table display in the library |
 |
| Caradith Craven, the librarian behind it all. |
19 comments:
Don't know what I can add except "what Wendelin just said". Truly a once-in-a-lifetime school visit...WOW!
It was great hearing the story from you in person, and now I get to see the photos! HOORAY FOR LIBRARIANS AND YOUNG READERS!
What a FABULOUS day @ CMS! Not just 1 author but 2! What a FABULOUS Librarian!
Caredith always seems to go above and beyond! We love seeing you here at Central. :)
Wow!! Looks really fun!
This made me cry!
This sounds like it was spectacular. I mean wow, just wow.
I would have loved to have been here. The school sounds like a place where everyone is excited about reading which sounds like my kind of place.
I was a bit worried about you getting pulled over. If I was in that situation I would have believed that I was in trouble. But so glad that it all turned out okay.
Reading this post just makes me all the more excited to see you in the fall! I am hoping that when you come up here it is either a weekend, Monday, or Wednesday because I don't get out of class until 4 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Oh wait a Friday would also be good.
But in all honesty if I can I will probably just not go to class that day.
Happy Mother's Day Wendelin!
Kylie
That is totally awesome! I so wish I went to that school! I can't get over how cool that is! And I love the Sammy Keyes shirts! I want one I those!
Have a fantastic week everyone!
Gabrielle
First omg i wish i could put on such a display! And Caradith is a blogette which makes me happier!!!!! I dont know if any other place can top what a show they put on and i cant think of a single thing they left out! I wish i could've seen it all!
--Yusa
First omg i wish i could put on such a display! And Caradith is a blogette which makes me happier!!!!! I dont know if any other place can top what a show they put on and i cant think of a single thing they left out! I wish i could've seen it all!
--Yusa
It's been fun reading the responses to Central's day of celebration with Wendelin and Mark. Every school has its unique qualities and strengths. I think our school's focus on fine arts and encouraging students to discover their individual abilities, talents, and creativity beyond state standards is ours! I love bringing books and stories to life through the arts. I had a vision for this day, and everyone came together to make it a reality. I wish all of you blogger Sammiacs could have joined us. I really did think about you as we were putting this together and especially when we pulled off the Officer Borsch prank. The officer who did it was terrific and so were Wendelin's and Mark's reactions! I love your enthusiasm for reading and your devotion to Wendelin and her wonderful stories, especially the Sammy Keyes series.
YES! This is awesome!
I forgot to comment the last couple of weeks. Those Elvis Heavenly stairs! Had you ever seen those kinds of stairs before you put them in the book, or did you just imagine them?
Caradith, that is so AMAZING. I love the Officer Borsch prank, and I would have loved to go to your school.
And yes, we all need Sammiac shirts.
Not to discount the many amazing moments you will remember from this tour, this day sounds like it makes everything worth it. Caradith you are an inspiration!
Okay. I have six Central Sammiacs shirts left. I have two medium, 3 large, and 1 X-large in adult sizes. They say Central Sammiacs above the picture of Sammy waving goodbye and Sammy Forever below it. You'll have to explain the Central part of it, but if any of you Sammiacs would like one, I will send it to you. I will need an address. Send me your address @ caradithcraven@aol.com if you are interested in having one. They are free.
The Central part is obviously explained by the fact that the sammiac fans are centrally connected to one another by our love for sammy and yeah
Jessica: No, I made the Heavenly stairs up so it was really crazy to find that Elvis had mirrored his stairwell.
Caradith: That is so nice of you!
Blogettes: I met another Sammiac in Albuquerque! I am having the BEST TIME meeting y'all!
We made it to Taos, NM. It's cold here!
Oh, wow! Hats off to Caradith. Again. And Central, again, for making it reality. And that police officer! "I can't believe Officer Borsch hasn't told you about this"! May I hug him? Are you allowed to hug officers in uniform?
Caradith, I love that you thought of the other blogettes while putting it together. I love that your job lets you turn flailing over books into a school-wide art project.
Two outside things possibly of interest to the blogettes:
First, a bit of poem from a book I just got out of the library (Barefoot : Poems for Naked Feet, by Stefi Weisburd).
Flip-flops
great lakefront property
a drummer lives downstairs
so be prepared for swacking sounds
It's part of a poem called Vacant Houses, and each verse describes a kind of shoe like it's a house waiting to be bought (Dog-stolen old sneaker / fixer-upper / extensive saliva damage). So of course this one immediately reminded me of Sammy and Mark and Marko and Zach. :-)
And second: Anyone else been watching Amy Purdy's dances on Dancing with the Stars? Amy is the bronze medalist in women's snowboard cross from the 2014 Winter Paralympics. Monday she swapped her usual wood-and-foam feet for a pair of prosthetic running legs like the one Jessica had in The Running Dream to dance a quickstep. It was so cool watching the little video package from rehearsals where she's explaining to her professional dancer partner (and the camera) about the running legs and thinking, Oh yeah, those!
And then she went and danced the best quickstep of the season so far (in my opinion, and there's only one week left), and--! You should go look it up. She's dancing with Derek Hough. (And while you're at it, look up Meryl Davis and Maks’ jive for some Elvis-y goodness.)
Karen, thanks for sharing the DWtS info -- I just watched it, and it was incredible. I've heard that Jane Richards (the 8-year-old who lost a leg in the Boston marathon bombing) is Irish dancing again, and this video shows how far prosthetics have come to allow athletes to continue their sports. Amy is a great dancer, full of grace and energy.
Post a Comment