Robert Young

Okay, so my posts have been a bit sporadic this last month. I have a reason: travel. Colombia, to be exact. My son’s living down there, so I visited him and we did some exploring of the country.

So, what’s this have to do with writing? Plenty! Travel, or for that matter, any type of experience, is fodder for writing. Going places and doing things provide the foundation for finding out more (= research) and/or sharing the experiences through the written word.

There’s lots to write about from my recent trip: the bustling metropolis of Bogota, population eight million; the predawn hike up 1,100 steps to the church atop Monserrate on Easter weekend; a steam train ride to the famous salt mine in Nemocon.

I could write about visiting Medellin, the city of “eternal spring.” That’s an improvement of what it used to be: the home of the country’s most infamous drug lord. I could also write about visiting the small islands located in the Carribbean that we visited: San Andres and Providencia. We had plenty of experiences there: hot humid weather, interesting foods, snorkeling around a sunken ship and coral reefs, and seeing all kinds of wonderful fish, including rays and barracuda. On the smaller island (Providencia) we rented bikes and rode around the island, and had money stolen on an “empty” beach while we swam.

So, while I was having a grand time in new places, I was also gathering information and experiences to write about. I have plenty of notes and lots of pictures to help me when I’m ready to write. It may be weeks, months, or even years.

El Pico on Providencia

Up close with the fish – San Andres

To promote books and reading, our local school invited students to draw the covers of their favorite books. Several chose Moving Targets. What an honor.

While traditional reviewing sources help librarians select books to add to their collections (which is also helpful to authors who want to sell books), I prefer the feedback I get from kids who have read the book.

Here’s some recent examples from fifth graders:

“Moving Targets has good words, great details, and I like how it is kind-of like an everyday life story.”      Kaitlyn

“…and it leaves you thinking what could happen if you become friends with a bully.”           Aidden

“David is a very relatable character that a lot of us can see in ourselves.”   Fisher

“I will give this book to my kids when I have them.”      Dora

Here’s hoping that you will wait awhile, Dora. I appreciate all the comments. Thanks!

Here’s some book background:

Moving Targets, a novel for readers aged 8-11, is a beloved project I have been involved with for many years. The setting – a small town, near a migrating bird sanctuary – was inspired by Hawk Mountain, PA, where I took my seventh graders on field trips while teaching in New Jersey during the 1970s. Over the years, I have returned to Hawk Mt. on several occasions, the last being the fall of 2012 during a cross-country road trip with my son. It’s still an amazing place!

The topic explored in Moving Targets is a universal one: bullying. Bullying happens everywhere and, sadly, is not limited to certain time periods. I experienced it growing up and confronted it during my years as a teacher. It still goes on today, for sure, but it’s reassuring to see the concerted efforts being made to stand up against it (e.g. Project Anti-Bully).

In the book, eleven-year-old David Jennings, moves to a small town (Eagle View, PA) with his mom. He does his best to make friends, but the best he can do is a small group led by the town bully. Paul gets thrills picking on kids and abusing animals. Reluctantly, David follows until events force him to consider actions that could change – or end – his life.

The setting figures heavily in this story, as townspeople debate the future of the sanctuary. Should the town keep it commercial-free, or should they permit businesses to operate there? Finding a balance between commercial interests and nature is a universal theme that is considered in towns and cities throughout the world.

Moving Targets is for sale at Amazon or on my website.

I’ve written about my distain for the term nonfiction over the years. I’ve complained about how ridiculous it is to name something based on what it is not. To make this point with the countless students I’ve met with during author visits, I tell them to imagine a world in which there is no such word as girls; females are called non-boys. And then, to quiet the boys’ laughter and cheers get too loud, I reverse it. No such word as boys; they are non-girls. The kids get it.

Making matters worse is the role that nonfiction plays in our lives. It’s the type of reading and writing we mostly do. Sure, we read fiction, but we also read newspapers, magazines, reports, and e-mails. And, when was the last time you wrote a short story? Fiction is an essential part of living, but so is nonfiction. And so it should be accorded a more appropriate and meaningful name.

I’ve thought about this for a long time. Years. I’ve researched it and talked to anyone who would listen about my concern. Not a single person—not one—has disagreed that nonfiction should be renamed. And so, having not found an alternative term, I’ve created one: faction.

It’s simple and clear, has real meaning, and doesn’t try to upstage fiction in any way (it even has the same number of letters). It’ll be easier to teach as well as remember since fact is at its foundation.

Now, all we have to do is use the word and share it with others. Talk to your friends and neighbors. Tell librarians. If you’re a teacher, let your students and your colleagues know that they never have to use that senseless term again.

Faction is in; nonfiction is out!

A Year Without Christmas?

Christmas is one of America’s most celebrated holidays. It’s hard to imagine a year without it. But that’s what happened back in 1918. Almost.

The United States was at war, World War I – the Great War.  To assist the armed forces, President Woodrow Wilson created The Council of National Defense, made up of six key members of his cabinet. Wilson charged the Council with the essential task of allocating national resources for the war effort. One of the Council’s ideas was to ban the sale of toys for Christmas in 1918.

When U.S. toy manufacturers learned about this, they knew they had to act. Not only was the future of Christmas in jeopardy, but their businesses as well. They decided someone would have to go and plead their case to the Council. The toymakers chose A.C. Gilbert.

Alfred Carlton Gilbert was one of the foremost toy manufacturers of the day. His construction kits, called Erector Sets, had been introduced in 1913, and helped launch the American toy industry. No longer were toys made at home or imported form Europe. Gilbert’s toys had educational value, too.

When Gilbert arrived in Washington to speak to the Council, he had a plan and a sack filled with toys. When it was his turn to speak,

Gilbert told the men about the value of toys and the great influence they have on children. He told them about the role toys play in helping children choose careers that support the nation. And then, he took the toys out of the sack.

The toys transformed the meeting.  Men became boys again as they took to the floor and played with the toys.  Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels took to a toy submarine, Commerce Secretary William Redfield played with a steam engine, all of the men talked and laughed.

The meeting scheduled to last fifteen minutes went on for three hours. At the end, the Council voted against banning toys for Christmas. The next day the Boston Post reported the results of the meeting on its front page, along with a photograph of A.C. The caption read “The Man Who Saved Christmas for the Children.”

A year without Christmas? It’s still hard to imagine what that would have been like. But, thanks to A.C. Gilbert, we don’t have to.

A.C. and Me

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