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In June, the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union launched a community read of OCTOPUS, and as part of that a group of students decided to march in the July 4th parade to help spread the word. And something came up about how we should all have #TeamOctopus t-shirts… Well, thanks to many of you, we able to fundraise enough to provide t-shirts for all the kids that marched in the parade! And now those same t-shirts are for sale again, and the proceeds go to helping get the book into the hands of kids at Title 1 schools! 
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Finally, check out this except from a song written by a student in South Carolina, inspired by the book! Isn’t it AMAZING???
Logistics for #TeamOctopus in the July 4th Parade
Join us to march with #TeamOctopus in the Brattleboro, VT July 4th parade and help launch the Community Read!
Here are the logistics…
Who: You! Did you read the book? Are you excited to read it? Do you promise to remind yourself of your inner strength? Then, you should come march with us! All ages welcome!
When: July 4th at 9:40am in the middle section of the BUHS student parking lot. (The parade starts at 10am.)*
What to Wear: #TeamOctopus T-shirts! We’ve been able to fundraise enough so that we can provide FREE T-SHIRTS to every kid who is part of the parade. I’ll have them at the meeting spot ready for you. (Or if you’d like to pick yours up ahead of time, they’ll be at Brooks Memorial Library in the children’s room on July 3rd.)
What to Bring: Water bottles! (It’s a hot parade so let’s make sure we stay hydrated. I’ll have a wagon that you can put your water bottle in during the parade.)
Optional: Hand-Made #TeamOctopus Signs! (I’ll have poster board and markers at the meet-up location, so if you come early enough you can make a sign beforehand.)
We’ll also hopefully have the giant “octopus” from Cotton Mill Hill to carry, and a variety of tentacles/stuffed octopuses to wave around, but you don’t have to bring those!
Let me know if you’re hoping to come. It’s going to be so fun!
GO TEAM!
*Here are all the logistics from the organizers of the parade:
The Canal Street entrance to Fairground Road will be the only way to reach Brattleboro Union High School before the July 4 parade, as access from South Main Street will be barricaded to traffic.
Marchers needing to park can do so in lots on the school side of Fairground Road but not on the street. WE STRONGLY SUGGEST CARPOOLING.
We’ll be lining up in the student parking lot across the street from Brattleboro Union High School. Please enter only at the eastern end opposite the baseball grandstand (the western end opposite the auditorium is an exit) and position yourself with help of marshals.
Remind all marchers that, by participating, everyone is agreeing to the statement: “I’ve read the rules and agree my group will adhere to all. I also understand that the volunteer ‘By the People: Brattleboro Goes Fourth’ citizens committee assumes no liability for any damages or injuries that participants may sustain before, during or after the public event and, therefore, our group holds the committee harmless from any legal action.”
(We reserve the right to reject or remove anyone incompliant with the march’s standards or spirit.)
PARADE RULES
All entries must be capable of safely navigating the route (Fairground Road to Canal and Main streets to the Common) and no more than 12 feet in height so not to snap overhead wires. All drivers must have valid licenses and vehicles have proof of liability insurance. All bicyclists/skateboarders/
Participants shouldn’t stop to perform but instead maintain a steady forward pace so spectators don’t face large gaps. (Brattleboro Community Television asks that everyone slow down and “give us their best smiles” when marching past the live cameras on Main Street.)
NO STOPPING OR PARKING AT THE COMMON OR ADJACENT STREETS. Either exit onto Chapin Street or Route 30 or, if you must stop and park, continue to the American Legion lots on Linden Street.
Participants must walk street-side to distribute candy, flags, balloons or other family-friendly items. Our liability insurance policy prohibits throwing anything from moving vehicles, as someone may be hit or encouraged to get too close to turning wheels.
Because of an unusually high number of entries and concerns expressed by local environmental and energy-conservation groups, all units must limit themselves to one vehicle (the only exceptions: the Brattleboro Fire Department and senior/veterans groups who can’t all fit in one car).
Absolutely no unofficial sirens, flashing lights, smoke, flames, special effects or conduct that could cause a spectator and/or safety official to believe there’s an emergency.
All participants are urged to protect themselves by bringing sunscreen, shade hats and water. In the hopefully unlikely event that police/fire/rescue units must respond to an emergency, all marchers/vehicles should MOVE RIGHT so to clear the left lane for authorities.
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Here’s where we’ll gather:
ATWOOD STREET:
Brattleboro Elks #1499
Brattleboro American Legion color guard/band
Brattleboro Fire Department
Small Fry baseball
Affordable Towing
Guilford Volunteer Fire Department
Putney Fire Department
Vernon Fire Department
West Dummerston Fire Department
Chesterfield, N.H., Fire and Rescue
Rescue Inc.
FAIRGROUND ROAD AT CORNER OF ATWOOD:
police cruisers
Vermont Governor’s Institute on Current Issues & Youth Activism
STUDENT PARKING LOT CLOSEST TO BUHS:
Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro
Brattleboro Detachment 798 Marine Corps League
Vietnam Veterans of America, Brattleboro Chapter 843
Vermont Patriot Guard Riders
Agape Christian Fellowship
Brattleboro Masonic Lodge #102
Ladies’ Oriental Shrine of North America Nile Court #94
Thompson House
Vernon Homes-Vernon Birches/Vernon Hall/Vernon Green
Brattleboro Union High School band
STUDENT PARKING LOT MIDDLE SECTION:
WSESU Let’s Read! Committee <––
Brattleboro Historical Society
WTSA Radio
Brattleboro Little League
Brattleboro Retreat Ride for Heroes
1049 Nash Icon
Faith’s Ford
STUDENT PARKING LOT FARTHEST FROM BUHS:
“We Celebrate Democracy/Civil Rights for All” banner
Alfred Hughes Jr. with local/state officials/officeholders
#TeamOctopus in the Brattleboro, VT July 4th Parade!
I always say that things happen one step at a time, right?
Well, I’m super excited that the Wellness Committee for my local WSESU school district is organizing a community read of THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS! That by ITSELF is thrilling, but I swear every time I cross paths with one of the committee members they have a new cool idea that they’re working on. Like recently when one of them said, “We’re thinking we should have a group march in the July 4th parade!” And then next day when the update was “You know that giant octopus in Cotton Mill Hill? We got permission from the artist so that we can carry it on July 4th!”
Okay, so you know I’m already over the moon at this point, right?
But then I realized that this means that all the kids (and families) in the area who have read it so far (or are excited about it) can march with us! And THEN yesterday morning when I was announcing this at a local 4th grade class that read the book, they were so enthusiastic, and one of them said, “T-SHIRTS!”
And you KNOW I love T-shirts!
So, now the first ever #TeamOctopus t-shirts exist and are on sale for the next 3 days, and thanks to all the t-shirts that have already been bought and donations that have been made, I’m going to be able to provide a free #TeamOctopus t-shirt for every kid that marches in the parade!
GO TEAM!
Here’s the link if you want to purchase one for yourself!
What a wirlwind spring of school visits!
Last week I wrapped up my last school visits of the year, and wow what incredible kids there are all over the place! All together I visited over 40 schools and initiated over 13,000 students as new member of #Team Octopus, and I loved every minute of it. Check out this #TeamOctopus slideshow and a news clip from one of my school visits in Baltimore County, Maryland. (A special thanks to Patricia DeFatta, Producer, BCPS-TV – The Education Channel and reading specialist Bonnie Belsinger for organizing!)
#TeamOctopus Twitter Chat
NEW BOOKS! And DREAMS COME TRUE!
A few weeks ago, I sent out a newsletter to my subscribers with a recap from a busy fall, and I said something about how I was looking forward to enjoying a peaceful December writing and spending time with family. WELL. I have been writing and spending time with my family, but it’s like I ordered a simple bowl of vanilla ice cream and this month instead delivered the most delicious and epic banana split imaginable.
Not only was THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS listed as one of NPR’s Best Books of 2018, but then THIS happened!
It’s an understatement to say this is a dream come true. Because this is the kind of dream that I (a confident, optimistic person) did not even dare to think about. The idea of working with Nancy Paulsen has always seemed so out of my league that for years I never even brought her name up with my agent.
Here’s the backstory:
Last April I was excited to have my first book coming out soon and even though I knew it was with a small press, I thought I could make it work. Then, I got a call out of the blue from my agent that my publisher had just fired my editor, my publicist, and the entire children’s division! We didn’t know if the book was even going to go forward. When we found out that they were still going to publish it, I was relieved, but it was also clear that this book was going to get zero support from the publisher and it was up to me to make sure it could find its way to readers. I teamed up with the amazing goddess Kirsten Cappy, who not only loved the book but made it her personal mission to get the book into educators’ hands. We only had a handful of Advanced Reader Copies to work with, but it was just like doing grassroots organizing for GunSenseVT. Maybe you can only connect with a few people, but if they are moved, they might tell others and it can take on a life of its own. We were hoping…
Around that same time, I had the chance to talk with Karen Hesse (because she had just read the book and loved it!) She told me, “You need to be writing the next thing.”
I said, “nnnyugghhhhh.” (I hadn’t written something new since the election.)
She said: “When are you going to write.”
I took a deep breath. “Early morning.”
She said: “And what happens when someone invites you to breakfast?”
“I say ‘I can’t go because Karen Hesse told me I can’t.”
That day, I set a goal of hitting 45,000 words by September 1st, and I wrote 400 words every morning—and I hit my goal!
Then the first week of September, OCTOPUS released to WAY more buzz than I could have imagined, immediately went out of stock, & my agent, the fabulous Tricia Lawrence, called to ask if I could write up a pitch of what I’ve been working on because there might be editors interested.
And I said, “Yes,” and then I also decided I need to be brave and voice a dream that I hadn’t even been willing to voice aloud to myself before, and I said, “Can we send it to Nancy Paulsen, too?”
And NOW…HOLY BANANAS!!!! This makes my non-swearing-self want to say many swears and leap around with abounding glee!!! But since I can’t do that all the time, I’m just going to sit here and write and feel the joy within me like sunlight because I get to work on this book (AND THE NEXT BOOK!) with Nancy Freakin’ Paulsen!
One step at a time. It’s how we make change in our world. It’s how we make change in ourselves. It’s how we can grab on to the tiny voice in the back of our heads whispering the dreams we long for, even as the rest of us doubts our ability to achieve them.
Have faith that one tiny step in the right direction
no matter how hard it is
or how small it is
is making that NEXT step possible.
On the Radio… About School Visits!
Yesterday I got some amazing letters from students that I got meet at a school visit last month…
“You inspired me to believe I can do anything.”
“I have many obstacles in my life, and I’m glad to know I can get through it.”
“I once got bullied and I lost all my hope, and when you told us we all have superpowers I felt better.”
“You motivated me when you said that everyone has a superpower but not everyone has discovered them yet. I knew that I haven’t discovered my superpower so I am looking for it.”
My heart!
And then this morning I got to chat with Olga Peters of WKTV about these school visits. Take a listen here!
What’s a Party Without Easy Cheese and Octopus Cupcakes?
What an incredible evening to celebrate launching THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS into the world!
For one thing, 133 Octopus cupcakes were eaten. That alone would make a successful party. But then there was also AN EASY CHEESE TABLE! As in, Easy Cheese designs on a saltines made-to-order!
If that makes zero sense to you, here’s a sneak peek from page 10 of the book where Zoey is explaining how she single-handed keeps her little siblings happy when resources are scarce: “Because little snowmen out of Easy Cheese are the most magical thing little kids have ever seen. And Easy Cheese letters on a saltine is totally different than having to eat regular saltines. Aurora knew the letter A before she even turned two thanks to Easy Cheese letters.”
The evening also served as a benefit for the Women’s Freedom Center, and I loved the activity table they ran with Pin-the-tentacle-on-the-Octopus — which participants filling each tentacle with answers to the question: “What helps a relationship be respectful?”
Check out some of the fabulous answers along with some fabulous poses (as and with) octopuses on this highlights reel!
Finally, I loved being interviewed by Starr Latronica, the incredible director of Brooks Memorial Library. Kirsten Cappy, of Curious City, captured our Q & A on video for those who couldn’t make it to the event.
Than you so much to the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center for hosting the event!
If you couldn’t make the party, you can still purchase a signed copy of The Benefits of Being an Octopus from Bartleby’s Books. Amazon might have sold out, but the staff at Bartleby’s worked hard to make sure they can keep enough in stock!
What a Launch Week!
Wow. This week has been quite similar to having an actual baby: with all the deep deep emotions and not nearly enough sleep. And now that I’ve had two human babies, I know that as momentous as this week feels, that combination of exhaustion and full-on emotions will make it hard to remember later. So, mostly this blog post is for my future self, so I can remember what actually happened.
On Tuesday, the book came out! And then it sold out on Amazon! A great problem to have, especially when you have independent bookstores ready to step in and save the day. Bartley’s Books worked hard last week to get extra stock, and you can order online from them! (Plus, a whole bunch of the copies are signed!) Or, if you’re a Barnes & Noble fan, it seems like it’s still possible to get them there.
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- It sold out on Amazon…
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- But there are still books at Bartleby’s
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- And at Barnes & Noble
Then on Wednesday, I woke up to this tweet from the amazing educator Pernille Ripp who runs the Global Read Aloud program. (If you’re not familiar with the GRA program, it was “created in 2010 with a simple goal in mind; one book to connect the world. From its humble beginnings, the GRA has grown to make a truly global connection with more than 4,000,000 students having participated.”)
Needless to say, I spent most Wednesday crying. Even simply being a contender for the GRA means that so many people will read this book and hear Zoey’s voice!
On Thursday, I tried to dial my emotions back to normal, but I couldn’t stop looking at the pictures of other people with my book! It is so very exciting!
And then today, I was walking home after dropping my daughter off at Kindergarten, and I walked passed the middle school bus stop.
A 7th grade boy asked, “When’s the party?”
He was asking ME?
And then I looked and realized that he was in the middle of reading my book!
“Next Friday,” I said.
“Because it’s really good,” he said.
And my day was made.
For those of you in the general vicinity of Brattleboro, VT, you should come to the launch party, too! It’s Friday, September 14th at 5pm at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center. Here’s the Facebook Event. I hope to see you there!
Digging Deeper – With Just One Day to Go!
Tomorrow THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS will launch into the world, and I am overflowing with emotions. 
A good chuck of those emotions are connected to how excited OTHER people are about this book! I’m honored to have been interviewed by high school student, Kester Necum. You can read Kester’s interview here.
I’m also moved by the Emu’s Debuts post created by Christina Uss, Anna Crowley Redding, and Kat Shepard, that includes not only an interview of me, but also a conversation with four awesome educators about the book. Read it HERE. 
Finally, Hayley Barrett celebrates the magnificence of the octopus here.
I am counting down the hours until tomorrow with my many arms, and I will do my best not to explode before we get there.