Belated post: the Global School in GA

My whole trip to GA was amazing so it's hard to say that anything was my favorite, but part of my trip there included a school visit to the Global Village School, an all girls school for recently arrived refugee teens (from 11-18).  Almost all the students had read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and a handful of them were chosen to introduce me by reading aloud their impressions of the book.

It was one of the most moving things I've ever heard. I was so touched, I asked if I could get a copy of their speech. One girl said:

I like when Minli runs away from her house and tries to find the Old Man of the Moon and make her village turn into Fruitful Mountain. She is brave like I was when I had to run away from my country because it was not very good there, like Fruitless Mountain.

Another girl said:

 The part that is special to me is when Minli's village is changed...I want my village to change like that too because my village where I used to live when I was a kid was so poor.

And this one made me teary:

 I like the part when Minli came back to her family and her Ma and Ba welcome her with happiness. This part is special to me because I don't want to separate with my family anymore.

Seeing the story through their eyes was so humbling and touching. There are times I get caught up in petty things, worrying about booksales and publicity and this is such a heartening reminder of why I try to make the books I do. Who cares if I can't write a big blockbuster book? These girls and the people who connect to my books are the readers that I'm honored and grateful to reach.

At the end of the presentation, they gave me this:

Each girl made a shrinky-dink  piece with their name and the words they would chose for their secrets of happiness (some of the words are in another language) and pieced it together to make  a jacket like the one Minli received from the Village of Moon Rain. It's tied together with a red thread. It's so, so exquisite.

It has a permanent place of honor on my window in my studio, to remind me how thankful I should be.

It's a beautiful gift, not only as an object, but as a reminder of the other non-tangible gifts they gave me. Thank you, Global Village School!

Belated Post: On the Same Page in GA

After Albany, we were flying out to GA for an event called On the Same Page, mainly organized  by the incredible Little Shop of Stories Bookstore. When I was first contacted about this event, I actually tried to weasel out. I don't like to travel in the winter and also after being in Taiwan, I thought we'd probably could use a break. But then my publisher told that this was a huge honor and I really shouldn't decline, and I reconsidered. And I am SO glad that I did!

Because On the Same Page is a community read program in Decatur, GA-- and they were reading Where the Mountain Meets the Moon! They created an amazing 3-month program of activities and events all around the book:

with me, at the end, coming to some schools:

as well as a huge grand finale event:

with lions, both big:

and little:

 

singing:

and acting!

Synchronicity Theater in Atlanta, GA is putting on a performance Where the Mountain Meets the Moon! At the event, they gave us a sneak peak. The real show starts February 7th, buy your tickets now and then tell me how it went!

Because even without costumes and sets, I was entranced! The whole night was amazing. To see a packed audience and so many wonderful creations inspired from a book I wrote...well, it sometimes there aren't enough adjectives.  I've said this before, but it's completely true--the saddest thing for an author is to write something that you've put your whole heart into and realize that no one cares. So when the opposite happens, it is a realization of your happiest dream.

Thank you so much, On the Same Page and Little Shop of Stories for making this author's dream come true!