A Book For All Seasons (Leavenworth, WA)

A Book For All Seasons - Leavenworth, WA

A big thank you to Theresa at A Book For All Seasons, in Leavenworth, WA for hosting me today for a book signing. I've lived here for going on nine years now and have really only been to Leavenworth for athletic contests, though we did make it out to Oktoberfest last year for the first time.

So this was my first experience with a Christmas weekend and wow - it was jaw-dropping. I was worried I would be there too early and would have to find something to do for 45 minutes or so, but about 2 miles outside of town (not on the Seattle side, mind you) traffic just stopped. We inched along the whole rest of the way as the snow started to really come down. By the time I left, the snow had only picked up, and the backup (bumper to bumper) stretched for several miles. There's no way they all were going to make it for the tree lighting. But I didn't care - my work was done and I limped home with just the passenger side windshield wiper working - but that's a story for another time.

I had a great day today meeting and greeting everyone who stopped in. You can't really see from the photos, but we were kind of placed right in the middle of everything, so anyone coming in kind of had to at least take a look at us. I met some super fun kids, including a young lady who is going to take the world by storm when she grows up (right now she wants to teach fashion design, but I have a hunch she may end up a math teacher), a high school teacher changing lost lives in an alternative high school in Tacoma (remember, every life you save is a life saved!), a first grade teacher whose kids are already begging for more challenging reading material (such as...say...Fibonacci Zoo?) and a 2nd grade teacher (seen above in the picture!) who just casually picked up my science book not realizing the author was standing right next to her. She is taking a really fun resource back to her students on Monday morning.

Did I mention 'throngs'?

I never know what to expect from book signings, but so far, I have never been disappointed. Today, despite the crazy snow outside and the throngs of people (who apparently come from ALL OVER on buses for this event - yes, it's a thing!), I had a really fun day. The drive home took way too long at 40 mph, partially because of the snow, and mostly because I really couldn't see out of my driver's side. But all's well, and more kids are getting some really powerful new books under their Christmas trees this year!

Oh, and just sharing some other fun news - each year at this time of year, my Everything Kids Science Experiments Book rises up Amazon's Top 100 list to near the top. It's uncanny, and so cool to watch! Today, it's at #28 (having DROPPED, mind you). Thanks to everyone who helped put it there!

Buzzin' about Books!

Had a great day at Pybus Public Market in Wenatchee last weekend! It was a better turnout than I expected, but what really blew me away was the amount of people at the market overall. It was packed on a November Saturday afternoon. Kudos to Steve Robinson who has built this public market into an events each weekend! Beside us, there was the National Diabetes Day presentations (yoga and a cooking demo, I think), the usual shops that are permanently there, and so many vendors in the aisles selling their art, craftwork, food items, and personal passions.

As for the books? There were 13 of us, all seated at tables and the vibe was very low-key and approachable. I suspect eventually I will stop saying this, but this was really my first event like this. It wasn't so much about selling books (though ultimately, that IS the goal), but more about giving folks a chance to meet local authors, here the back stories, and if they are so inclined, to buy books.

To her credit, Theresa from A Book For All Seasons (more on her later!) did a wonderful job of featuring our books, but also making it possible for folks to visit with us without feeling pressure to buy. Each attendee was given a sheet of paper with all of our names and books on it. All they had to do was stop by our spot, talk with us, and get us to sign their sheet. Once they had nine of thirteen signatures, they were entered into a drawing. And boy, did they come!

I met some wonderful kids, including Aurelia, Peter and Emmy, and my buddy Eli who ended up with a copy of Fibonacci though his dad only planned on buying my science book. Parents and grandparents who really care about developing a love of reading and learning in the next generation. Really, it was an uplifting day, and a fun day to talk about math, science, and philosophy of education (!). I was proud to sell out of one of my science books, sell all but one copy of the other, and to sell half a case of my Fibonacci Zoo.



Even better, I got to meet some local authors who have been doing this a lot longer than I have. And most are self-published, which is a growing trend in the book publishing business, but still can be a very challenging way to go. I was honored to meet Wendell George who has written several stories (Coyote Finishes the People, Last Chief Standing, and Raven Speaks) about his tribe's history in north central Washington, Jim Talbert, who has penned a non-fiction account of Lake Chelan's history (Lake Chelan Revisited), and enjoyed sitting next to Sarah Hartsig, who was sharing her first picture book as both author and illustrator - a lovely, upbeat story of a birthday party (Party for Pepper) for a mouse and all the fun decorations to count at the party.

And even more fun, Theresa has asked me back to her shop in Leavenworth for their Christmas party December 3 to sign books! And then on December 5, I'll be back up there for another author event. It is heart-warming to connect with a local bookstore owner who supports local authors and is excited about bringing us in to meet the public and share our stories.

If you think you might be in or around Leavenworth that fir
st weekend after Thanksgiving, please stop by and say hello!

"Think Local Authors First" Book Buzz

The beautiful and fun Pybus Public Market in Wenatchee, WA

It's coming! November 7, from 11:00-1:00 pm the Pybus Market in Wenatchee, WA will be hosting its semi-annual "Think Local Authors First" Book Buzz event. The event is hosted by local (Leavenworth, WA) bookstore A Book For All Seasons.

At this event, local authors from all over North Central Washington will be on hand to share stories of their stories, to sign books, and do a meet and greet with the public.


It's been a while since I last got to present Fibonacci Zoo so I am excited to have the public come out, the LOCAL public, and see what it's all about. The weather is still fabulous in our neck of the woods, and Pybus is a rare find. There's lots to enjoy for all ages - I hope you come out and enjoy the festivities!

Village Books - Fairhaven/Bellingham (WA)

Village Books in Fairhaven/Bellingham (WA)

I earned my Master's degree from Western Washington University. However, I did so by studying at the Seattle branch, and only traveled to Bellingham for graduation. And that was 21 years ago. So I hadn't been back to this part of the state in a long, long time. I discovered that I had been missing out!

The Readings Gallery at Village Books

Village Books is a large three-story independent book store, now in its 35th year of operation and it's impressive. Books galore, people galore, and it's also connected to a cafe on its top floor, a bigger
cafe/restaurant on the bottom floor (Colophon Cafe), and a paper/art store (Paper Dreams). And now I hear talk they are expanding to a second store in Lynden later in 2015. The stage was set (literally) for a big visit.

Alas, the best laid plans... only a handful of people showed up. Here you can see what it COULD have looked like, had the house been packed. It's a lovely place for an author visit - intimate, formal enough, but still informal at the same time. It would have been dynamite with 30-40 people there. But as it was, I tip my cap to those who came, including my former student Sara and her two boys, and I gave them the best I had.

Jean Hamilton's first attempt at a Fibonacci Spiral quilt.
How great is this??

I think overall, Fibonacci was very well received. The common theme seemed to be searching for meaningful math books for grandchildren, and I think I hit the sweet spot there. One woman is the mother of a math professor at the University of Utah and was thrilled to be able to buy a book for her grandchildren that would teach them mathematics. Another woman, a quilter, told me she was going to go home and make a Fibonacci spiral quilt. I asked her to send


me a photo when she finished, thinking it would be at least several weeks, possibly months. She sent me this picture TODAY! She apologized, saying it was her first attempt and future ones would look better. But wow - isn't this awesome?

Part of the trail that connects Fairhaven to
downtown Bellingham. This may be my
favorite spot in all of Bellingham!

Oh, one other little glitch...they only had a handful of books. I think there were 4 or 5 books available for purchase. And this woman bought three of them. So despite the small crowd, several left without books in hand. They ordered copies, and will receive them in a few days, but it's sad not to be able to have the book signed by the author. I made an executive decision, then, to sign bookmarks and give one to every person there. At its worst, it's great advertising, and at its best, it's something tangible, signed by me, the author, that those without signed books can have.

The stone bridge over Whatcom Falls where I enjoyed
my picnic dinner. Beautiful!

My visit to Bellingham was wonderful. I could have explored so many more spots, but really enjoyed several, as you can see below, including the South Bay Trail that arches out over the water as you leave Fairhaven (and end up walking 5 miles round trip after finding myself in downtown Bellingham at the abrupt end of the trail!).

Whatcom Falls

Another highlight was Whatcom Falls Park, which is a series of trails through a beautiful forest with the Whatcom Creek bubbling and babbling its way over falls and down into the bay. I love exploring places I don't know and this trip afforded me that luxury.

You may not be hearing much from me in the coming month. I'm taking some time off to travel and gather my plans for the fall, when I hope to be hitting the school trail in earnest. For now, enjoy the pics, and remember, you can always "Count on Fibonacci!"

Getting ready for Bellingham!

Just a quick fun post today. The Bellingham Herald did a nice write-up for my appearance Monday at Village Books. Enjoy!

Chelan Public Library Summer Reading Program

Some of the crew from my visit to
Chelan Public Library

Further proof that learning doesn't have to stop when school lets out. Last week, about 35 learners and several parents and grandparents came to the Chelan (WA) Public Library for their weekly Summer Reading Program. Jennifer Oatey has them charged up about reading, and in a community where poverty and dis-advantage is common, the learning that takes place through programs like these is incredibly valuable to those kids who want to move ahead in the coming year of school.

I wasn't exactly sure what or whom to expect for this visit. I've done school visits but this is different, as it's by no means required. In fact, on the day I spoke, it was about 95 degrees outside, beautiful sunshine (like just about every other summer day in Chelan), and the lake was warm and inviting. And  yet, come they did.

Ok sure, maybe some came for the raffle drawing that takes place at the end of each week's events. They huddled around the prize table long before I got on stage, debating the merits of each prize. But ultimately they came for the books. And on this day, Fibonacci Zoo, was THE book.

Jennifer has done a great job of procuring and then featuring my book in the library, inviting patrons to check it out, both figuratively and literally. I noticed the audience was a bit on the young side, more like ages 3-7 than the older kids I spoke to earlier in the year.

As I am experimenting with different components of my presentation, I had been told to expect ages through maybe 5th or 6th grade. So I added a part about the writing process, about the two-year project that culminated in the publishing of this book. I think I lost some momentum there, but I do see potential for that part of the story with a slightly older audience.

See, my goal, as a speaker, is to be able to tailor my talk to any audience, from the smallest children to the more...ahem...'veteran' readers. So I have to be able to throw in (or out) a variety of stories and messages. So I lived and learned. The kids were so excited to meet each animal in succession, especially so when they figured out that they come alphabetically. And I loved watching the faces of the parents light up when they connected the Fibonacci Sequence (the actual numbers) in their minds.

Was it my best presentation, in the end? Probably not. But I'm learning that you can't throw a no-hitter every time out. As long as I can pitch my team (Team Fibonacci?) to a win, we'll call it good.

Big thanks to Jennifer at Chelan Library for setting this up for me. And now it's time to branch out from my little community. Next Monday, July 27, I will be in Bellingham, WA, at the famous Village Books, at 4:00pm for an author presentation. Another new experience, another chance to try different combinations out, depending on the audience. I may not know what that audience is until I show up, but sometimes, that's half the fun!

See you there!

Always something new...

So today, out of the blue, I get a package in the mail. It's from Adams Media, my publisher for my two Everything Kids Science Experiments books. Typically, the only time I hear from them is when sales totals are reported, so this was a bit unexpected.

I open the package to find four copies of  these... The Everything Kids Science Experiments Book...in Korean!

The Everything Kids Science Experiments Book...
translated and re-designed for Korea!

It seems my book has a new life, and it's going to be in Korea. Thanks to an observant former student (Scoop Boxly), I have learned that the 'awards' at the top of the page mean, generally, 1) it's a great seller, 2) it's popular in other countries (like...the US...where it was written and published...but perhaps the Koreans who will buy this don't know that), and 3) it's filled with good science.

I did some sleuthing myself and figured out that the main title (highlighted in yellow) says 'Science Experiments'. Can't find my name on it, but the original cover is there, which is cool.

Not the clearest picture of the inside, but then again, I can't read a word anyway.

So apparently this is a thing and yes, it just happened. My first book has been translated into Korean. That now makes the third language I've been published in (Spanish language version of Fibonacci Zoo), and a very odd, exciting day for me. I'm not really sure what to do with all the copies I have, but if I ever meet a Korean child who doesn't yet speak English, I'm ready!