Meet Authors of Children Books

Chatroom - Third Animal Diaries Chat
 
13 September 2000

Caroline = Caroline Arnold, author, photographer and illustrator of many (child)books
rene = Mr. Rene de Vries, teacher of De Wadden 
MrsT4th = Mrs. Lynn Thornton's 4th grade, West Carthage, New York
Goble = Mrs. Goble's third grade of Cannelton Elementary (Indiana-USA)

rene> pompidom
>> MrsT4th has joined channel #tenan
rene> Hello, welcome...
>> Caroline has joined channel #tenan
rene> Hello students of Mrs. Lynn Thornton
rene> Hello Caroline
[Caroline] Good morning everyone.
rene> MrsT4th are students from the state New York, right?
rene> I am Mr. Rene de Vries, from The Netherlands
[Caroline] hello Rene. I enjoyed my practice chat with you yesterday. What time is it now in Holland.
rene> And Caroline is our guest from today, she is writer Caroline Arnold from California
rene> In Holland it is now 5:28pm
[Caroline] Greetings also to the fourth graders in Mrs. Thornton's class.
>> Goble has joined channel #tenan
rene> Almost dinner time for most people here in Holland.
[Goble] Hello everyone!
[Goble] We are here!
rene> Goble are students from Cannelton
rene> We are here too !!
[Goble] Hello to you Ms. Arnold!
[Caroline] I live in California so it is morning and I have just finished my breakfast.
[MrsT4th] Yes, Mrs. T's class is in Northern NY
[Caroline] When we finish our chat I will get to work on a book that I am working on now.
[Goble] tell us about your book
rene> Can you tell the students of Mrs. Lynn and Mrs. Goble which book?
[Caroline] Mrs. T, where exactly in northern NY
rene> Carthage
[MrsT4th] Carthage NY, near the E. edge of Lake Ontario
[Caroline] the book I am working on now is a series of projects that help explain concepts of geography--such as how the continents were formed, maps, etc.
[Goble] wow, we are learning about maps right now!
rene> would it be a child's book or more for adults / grown ups?
[Goble] We could use your new book right now if it were ready
[Caroline] I have visited upstate NY several times.
[MrsT4th] We are happy to be part of the chat - we just finished your book about the tar pits
[Caroline] All the books I write are for children.
[MrsT4th] If you are ever in our area please stop in!
[Caroline] The tar pits are one of my favorite places to take visitors who come to visit me in Los Angeles.
rene> ok, just wondering, I am a silly Dutch..... // Carthage, did you like the book about the tar pits?
[Caroline] Mrs. T., thank you. Next spring I'll be visiting schools in Rochester, Ny
[Goble] We have one of your books in our classroom, Ms. Arnold
[Goble] It is Baby Whale Rescue!
[Goble] We liked it a lot!
[MrsT4th] We lioved the Tar Pits!
[Caroline] I'm glad you liked learning about JJ the whale. The fun part for me in doing that book was that I got to spend a lot of time at Sea World in San Diego
rene> Carthage, do you have a question about the book for Ms Arnold?
[Goble] So, you yourself got to see JJ?
[MrsT4th] Do you visit sites for all your books?
rene> good Question!
[Caroline] I have been to the George C. Page Museum (the Tar Pit museum) recently to learn about mammoths. That is another one of my new book projects.
[Caroline] Yes, I saw JJ many times.
[Goble] WOW!!!!!!
[Caroline] Usually I do visit the sites for my books. I can learn things by seeing them myself that are not always in other books
[Goble] We want to know, could you or did you get to Pet JJ?
[Goble] or touch JJ?
[MrsT4th] my students wonder, how long does it take to put the book and illustrations together?
rene> ok, there are two questions now to be answered,... wait a moment with typing ;-))
[Caroline] No, I didn't get to touch JJ. JJ was an unusual animal at Sea World because unlike the other animals, they didn't want her to become tame or to get used people. That was because she would be going back to the wild.
[Goble] Oh, we understand, ok
[Caroline] I usually spend several months and sometimes much longer collecting information for my book. Then I spend several months writing the book and collecting the illustrations. That whole process takes about a year
[Caroline] After I send the manuscript to the publisher it takes another year to eighteen months to publish the book.
rene> Thanks for answering... ok.. next questions please
[Caroline] It's a very long wait!
[Caroline] I don't always collect photographs. Some of my recent books have illustrations. Then my manuscript goes to the illustrator and he or she has several months or more to make the pictures.
[Goble] We want to know, when did you find out about JJ, how did you find out?
[Caroline] That's how my newest book, Giant Shark, was done.
rene> Wow... so many months!
[MrsT4th] Who is your favorite author?
[Caroline] I got the idea for JJ by listening to the news on TV. I found out that some people had discovered a lost baby whale on the beach.
[Caroline] That's a hard question. I like to read just about everything so I don't really have a favorite author.
[Caroline] To continue about JJ., after JJ was taken to Sea World, I decided that her story would make a good children's book.
rene> Maybe you can tell the students of Carthage what kind of books you read most?
[Goble] Jessica wants to know: how close did you get to JJ?
[Caroline] I read novels, mystery books and nonfiction. Right now I have just started a very long book called Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond.
[Goble] We are surprised it is not an animal book ;-)
[Caroline] JJ was in a very large pool that had an underwater window. When she swam by the window I was only inches from her. It seemed like she was a giant living submarine!
[Goble] Wow! that is in your book too (giant living submarine)!
[Caroline] Actually, the book IS about animals in part and how the environment plays a role in how animals live--and sometimes become extinct.
[Goble] GREAT!!!!!
[Goble] We worry about the animals, that is one reason why we like your books.
rene> Carthage, do you have another question for Ms Arnold?
[Caroline] Another interest of mine--besides animals--is ancient cultures. I have a new book about Easter Island. Perhaps you have seen a book I wrote called the Ancient Cliff Dwellers of Mesa Verde.
[MrsT4th] We enjoyed your series on communities - how did you happen to write them?
[Caroline] Yes, I believe that animals are an important part of our world. We need to learn about them so that we can care for them and where they live.
[Goble] Amy wants to know: What made you decide to write about Giant Shark?
[Caroline] I'm interested to hear that your library has my community series. I wrote those books a long time ago. Those books were an assignment from one of my publishers.
rene> Maybe you can explain the Cannelton kids a little about the community books?
[MrsT4th] One of the boys brought in Why do we have Rules - and sait" I always wanted to know"
[Caroline] Giant Shark is about an extinct shark called Megalodon. It was 50 feet long and could eat something the size of a horse! I heard about a fiction book about megalodon and wanted to find out about the real shark. 
[Goble] WE shall find out ....our library is small, our school is small, but we will look
[Caroline] Luckily for us, Megalodon became extinct about 2 million years ago.
rene> ok ;-)
[Caroline] Yes, when I was young I always wanted to know why we had rules too!
[Goble] wow!
[Goble] Megalodon sounds scary !!!!
rene> yep, and rules too ;-)
[Caroline] I have a question for you. If I could write a book about something you wanted to know about, what would it be?
[Goble] endangered animals
[Caroline] You can see fossil Megalodon teeth in museums and sometimes in fossil shops. You can also see pictures of them on the internet.
[MrsT4th] Ms Arnold, thank you for answering our questions - we have to leave for lunch - good-bye to everyone - this has been really neat -
[Goble] Ashley says, endangered turtles
rene> My students and I would love to write a book about Space... where does space begin and where does it end...
[Caroline] I enjoyed my conversation with you, Mrs. T and 4th graders. Have a nice lunch!
rene> (not about animals)
rene> Bye for now, Lynn
[Caroline] I am taking note of all these ideas
rene> Thanks for your participation i this chat
[Caroline] I wrote a short book about sea turtles for a Scholastic book club. I'd like to learn more about endangdered turtles.
[Goble] What was your most eciting moment in your writing career?
[Goble] Lynn, (Mrs. T) we will save the chat for you
[Caroline] That's a tough question.
[Goble] Shane wants to know: have you ever seen a shark in real life up close?
rene> Shane... with or without a window between the shark and Ms Arnold?
[Caroline] Probably the most exciting trip I made to research a book was my trip to Easter Island. It is the most remote inhabited place on Earth. It is 2000 miles from anywhere. The most famous part of Easter Island is the huge number of giant statues.
[Goble] good, we will be on the look out for that sea turtle book!
rene> We would love to go there too one day...
[Caroline] I've seen sharks through windows at places like Sea World. but Megalodon is extinct. I've only seen fossil teeth and skeletons.
[Goble] Did you take any photos of those Easter Island statues?
[Caroline] Yes. I did take photos. In fact, the book is illustrated entirely with my photos. It is the first time that I have been both the author and photographer of a book.
rene> Can you give us the exact title of the book? We would like to see if it is available here in Holland
[Caroline] I like taking photos. But I learned that it is hard to do two things at once. It is hard to take pictures and to get information at the same time.
[Caroline] Which book?
rene> About Easter Island
rene> Is it listed on your website?
[Caroline] It is called Easter Island: Giant Stone Statues Tell of a Rich and Tragic Past. Can you order books through Amazon.com? They have it.
rene> Yes, we can, thanks!
[Caroline] Yes, all my new books are on my website.
rene> good, we will make a link from this chat to your website
[Caroline] Thanks!
rene> Cannelton, do you have a new question for Ms Arnold?
[Goble] Derrick wants to know if you have seen a snapping turtle up close
[Goble] Heather wants to know if you have ever seen or written about Bald Eagles
rene> ok, great, two new questions ;-)
[Caroline] Yes, I have seen snapping turtles up close. I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We sometimes found turtles in the lakes there. I remember once when I was fishing and the turtle ate the fish at the end of my line. So I caught a turtle instead!
rene> Wow, that is funny ;-)
>> MrsT4th has left channel #tenan
[Goble] When did you first know you wanted to become a writer?
[Caroline] Yes, I have seen bald eagles. They are magnificent birds. but I haven't written about them because there are already several good books about bald eagles. I have written about some other birds though. I wrote about the California Condor in my book On the Brink of Extinction. It has a wingspan of nearly 10 feet. It is the biggest flying bird in North America!
[Goble] We will try to get that book about the California Condor!
rene> Gosh. that was one of our deepest wishes when we visited California last month... to see the Condor... alas, we did not!
[Caroline] I didn't know I wanted to be a writer until after I grew up. But I realized then that I had been preparing to be a writer all my life. That was through my love of books. When i was your age I read all the time and went to the library every week to check out books.
[Goble] ;-)
[Goble] We have many students in this class who are now reading chapter books!
[Caroline] I wish that i had done more writing when I was younger. Writing is like anything else. It needs practice. The more you do it the better you become.
rene> Cannelton, do you have one or two last questions for Ms Arnold... and Ms Arnold, do you have any questions left for the students?
[Caroline] That's great!
[Goble] .And of course, we love your nonfiction books, because we like learning the real story of animals
[Caroline] Yes, both fiction and nonfiction are fun to read and fun to write. I sometimes write fiction stories but I don't have enough time to do as much fiction writing as I might like
[Caroline] My last question is, do any of you think you might be writers when you grow up?
[Goble] We want to know: Have you ever had a scary moment when doing your research on animals for your books?
[Caroline] I try not to have scary moments. Often I get close to animals but I always do that when someone is there to show me how to do it safely. One of my favorite experiences was being close to a tame cheetah.
[Goble] wow! Nearly all the hands went up on "who wants to be a writer?"
[Goble] You are certainly a great inspiration!
rene> great questions to end with.. this is surely a wonderful Global Chatmeeting and before we forget, we would like to thank Ms Arnold so much for being part in this meeting
[Caroline] That's great! I hope you all become writers.
[Goble] Yes, thank you so very much for this chat!
[Goble] We will write to you again, if that is ok
[Caroline] Thank you for inviting me. This is my first chat ever. An I've enjoyed it very much.
[Goble] We are glad!!! It was fun talking to you!
rene> Great, we liked the chat too!
[Goble] We are heading for lunch ourselves, and Mr. Rene will go to dinner
[Goble] thank you again!
[Caroline] Good luck with all your reading and writing! I'll be logging off now. Enjoy your lunch and dinners!
rene> Thanks, Ms. Arnold.
[Goble] Goodbye to you Ms. Arnold, andif you are ever in Southern Indiana, look us up!
rene> or what about Holland?
>> Caroline has left channel #tenan
[Goble] oops
[Goble] yes, Holland too!!!!!!!
[Goble] ;-)
rene> ok kids, thanks ;-)
[Goble] WEll, we will go now
[Goble] we hope you come visit us!
[Goble] we need to go to lunch now
rene> bye for now
[Goble] ;-)
rene> my dinner is ready
[Goble] bye!!! thanks
>> Goble has left channel #tenan

END OF THIRD ANIMAL DIARIES CHAT