On Wednesday, March 8, 2012 we had the opportunity to listen to Carol Crane talk about writing her books.  The featured books were T is for Tar Heel ( A North Carolina Alphabet- 2003)  and Wright Numbers (about North Carolina).  She has written several other books about various states and even did one D is for Dancing Dragon(China).  The books have a simple rhyme on one page and a detailed expository text for older children on the opposite page about things in that state.  She has traveled to many places and shared food and traditions with people there.   You can discover America state by state with her alphabet and number books.  She said there was to much to put in 26 letters so she started doing number books too.  She gets her work returned to make revisions from her editor just like students are told by their teachers to make revisions.

Check out her website at…… http://www.carolcrane.org/

The simpler pages begin with the letter and go on to tell in rhyme something about the state.

A is for the Appalachian Mountains, trees, trails, animals…..

C is for the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse….

G is for Grandfather Mountain….

Q – Charlotte , North Carolina is the state’s largest city.  It was named for Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III of England..and so on…… is a sample of text for older children.

She included many state symbols into the pages such as the cardinal our state bird, the honeybee, the Plott hound (state dog).

She said that there were some letters harder to find something for.    Can you think which ones these would be?   If she wrote a book for the place you live what would you suggest she put into the book and what should she call it?

We had our picture made with her.  You can see some of her books displayed behind us.