[stylist] Books & Beyond welcomes author Priscilla Cummings Wednesday May 8

[NJ Lynn]

One of the most profound and best changes in fiction is the serious adult problems teenagers face in novels written just for them.   Whether life changes through   accident, a poor choice, or some other reason, teens are left with issues  many adults would find overwhelming.

After reading Blindsided by Priscilla Cummings, I knew she had to appear as a future guest on Books and beyond. Priscilla writes about a 14 year old girl’s loss of vision with tenderness and sensitivity while at the same time showing a depth of research and knowledge readers seldom see. Tough and afraid, fearful and uncertain, Natalie grapples with change as few her age must. Blindsided is a masterful work written by a writer who got it all just right. I am beyond impressed.

On our next show, join us in meeting Priscilla Cummings. I know she will be a delight. What is independence? Is it okay to be afraid and to hide or take time out from life? How can those who love us help us grow and take those first steps in to a world both frightening and new? 

I am honored to share with all of you an enlightening versatile writer knows you will enjoy as much as I. 

Below is information About Priscilla in her own words followed by the two books you will find by her on the Bard site.  Details follow which furnish you with all you will need to do to attend and participate in this upcoming show. I hope you will join the Books and Beyond team in welcoming her.  

 

After graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in English literature, I became a newspaper reporter. Over the next ten years I worked for four different newspapers in four different states. In 1981, I was honored as UPI's Journalist of the Year for Virginia after researching and writing a series of articles on women in prison. 

 


Working as a newspaper reporter


That same year, I moved to Maryland where I became a magazine writer and editor for three years. I met and married another writer, John Frece, who was then a reporter for the Baltimore Sun. It was in Maryland that I saw my first blue crab. I couldn't believe people actually steamed and ate blue crabs! I began reading about those interesting critters and when I learned that in winter, crabs burrow into the mud at the bottom of the Bay to sleep until spring, I began to wonder: what if there was a crab who didn't want to sleep all winter? What if there was a crab who had Big Dreams? Who wanted to be a star at the aquarium in Baltimore so he wouldn't have to sleep all winter? It was just a silly idea, but that's how it all started. My first book, CHADWICK THE CRAB, was published in 1986, the same year my son, William, was born. My daughter, Hannah, arrived three years later. 

 


Talking with Kindergarten


Over the years, I wrote several more picture books about animals in the Chesapeake Bay. Baron von Heron, Toulouse the Canada Goose, Hector Spector Jellyfish, Orville the Oyster and Bernie the Sea Gull are just a few of the characters that are near and dear to my heart. But I had other stories to tell and I dreamed of writing novels, too. In 1997, my first novel for older children, AUTUMN JOURNEY, was published. Since then, I have written six others: A FACE FIRST, SAVING GRACE, RED KAYAK, WHAT MR. MATTERO DID, BLINDSIDED and THE JOURNEY BACK. Most of these stories were inspired by something in real life that moved me emotionally. When I talk with students about writing, I often explain how many of the skills I learned as a reporter helped me transform the spark of an idea into an entire book. 

Today, my home is in Annapolis, Maryland with my family. We have a small sailboat and a green canoe, but no red kayaks. We have two cats named Mr. Charles Bingley (Mr. B. for short) and Romeo. When I'm not writing or visiting schools I enjoy reading, playing the piano and taking long walks. I think a lot on my walks and, often, I daydream about my days growing up on the farm.

Blindsided DB 71417

Cummings, Priscilla. Reading time: 6 hours, 2 minutes. 

Read by Annie Wauters. 

 

Disability

 

Fourteen-year-old Natalie attends a boarding school for the blind to learn braille, cane use, and self-protection skills. After she and her roommate are attacked by drunks, Natalie must decide whether to retreat to her parents' home or actively claim an independent life. Some violence. For grades 6-9. 2010.

Download Blindsided 

 

Red kayak DB 62764

Cummings, Priscilla. Reading time: 6 hours, 10 minutes. 

Read by Neil Berman. 

 

Friendship Fiction

Growing Up

 

Maryland's Eastern Shore. After a neighbor's kayak accident, thirteen-year-old Brady goes from being hero-of-the-moment to dealing with the worst dilemma of his life. He must choose between being loyal to his best friends, J.T. and Digger, and doing what he knows is right--telling the truth. For grades 6-9. 2004.

Download Red kayak 

 

 

e-Mail: bonnie at accessibleworld.org

Date: Wednesday, May 8, 2013  

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