Debbie Dadey, Children's Author - Debbie Talks to Kids

Monday March 5, 2007

The great state of Alabama here I come! While I won't be close to that area this week, I was so sorry to hear about the tornado in the southern part of the state.

I've been in three tornados and they were no fun. The first one happened when I was a baby, the second one when I lived in Kentucky, and the third time I lived in Texas. The third time was the worst. We heard a roar like a train in the middle of the night and then a loud bang. Our six-foot tall privacy fence was turned into toothpicks. People drove around our neighborhood to see all the destruction, but it was nothing like the terrible storm that destroyed the high school in Enterprise, Alabama. My heart goes out to the families there.

Kevin, thanks for more fun ideas. I particularly liked Ninjas Don't Chop Down Christmas Trees.

Samantha, I was sorry you were sick when I visited your school. I loved the classes who dressed up as Bailey school kids characters. How fun was that! To answer your questions, I was about 27 when I started writing and sold my first book about a year and a half later. You can find out more about me at http://www.debbiedadey.com/About/FAQ/ .

Hannah, my next book will be Pirates DO Ride Scooters. Brand new is Red, White, and Boo! (a Ghostville Elementary book).

Coming soon is The Worst Name in Third Grade. This was already out in the book orders, but it will be in bookstores soon. I would tell you what the worst name is, but it's really bad!

Fred, I like both bananas and pie. Kenna, I can't think of a secret right now, except that I'm moving from Colorado to New Jersey (or Pennslyvania) this summer. Oops, I guess that's not a secret anymore.

Hello back to you Will, Kirby and your cousin. Thanks for your kind words Lane and Jesse.

Medaya, check my last posting for the address you can write to me. I don't usually talk on the phone much.

Elfa and Carlos, when Marcia and I wrote Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots, we thought Mrs. Jeepers was a vampire. Do you? My husband's name is Eric. Have a great week. You are a great person. Everyone is unique and you are the only you there is!

Take care, Debbie

P.S. Check out the new pictures at http://www.debbiedadey.com/About/PhotoAlbum/ . And to Wasim and Chantelle, don't forget that I can't answer student's emails from my the teacher's site. Please write to me on this page and you will get a much faster response. Wasim, the next Bailey School Kids book will be a Christmas special this winter. Chantelle, my youngest son named Shadow after the dog in the book Homeward Bound.

Hi to Mrs. Sillers. No, I'm not a teacher anymore, but I do visit schools to talk about my books and writing. Most Bailey books have 13 chapters.

I'm so glad you like my books, Debbie

Monday February 26, 2007

Welcome to the last week of February. I am very sore right now. I went skiing yesterday in Wyoming and my legs are telling me they are tired. Today, I'm going to get to work though. I have quite a few projects on my desk. This morning I need to work on two articles and a screenplay. I also have a contract to go over and I have a critique meeting at my house at 1:00. I also get to brainstorm for a new Bailey School Kids Christmas special. What shall we call it? Any ideas? This afternoon when I pick up my kids from school, we're going shopping for birthday party stuff. My daughter, Becky, will turn 14 pretty soon. She can hardly wait.

Welcome back Kevin and Kelsey! Kevin (and anyone else) you can write to me at:
Debbie Dadey
Scholastic, Inc.
557 Broadway
New York, NY 10012

Kevin, thanks for the funny ideas. No, I haven't met Mary Pope Osborne, but it would be neat.

Grace, Lynn, and Nicky thanks for writing. Thanks also, to whoever needed information about me, but forgot to leave their name (you only wrote 6). Please check out http://www.debbiedadey.com/About/FAQ/ . Hopefully that has all the answers you need.

Blake and Skyler, you sound like awesome readers! Grace, I'm glad you like my ghost stories. Is that Ghostville Elementary that you're talking about? Yes, Haley I like books alot. Zach, I think you rock too! Elfa, I planned on being a teacher when I was in Elementary School and I did become one! I was also a librarian and now a writer. Hope you guys have a great week. I'm traveling to West Virginia this week, talking to two schools and two teacher's organizations. Maybe I'll be at your school! Take care, Debbie

Monday February 19, 2007

Wow! An historic occasion is on the way. Marcia Thornton Jones, John Steven Gurney, and I will be together for the first time ever. We are visiting schools in Alabama on March 6, 7, and 8. Look out Alabama, here we come!

Thanks to everyone who wrote. It's awesome to hear what great readers you are. Wasim, you totally rock in the reading department. Good luck to Medaya in her story writing contest. I hope you win! Elizabeth, good luck with your writing too. I just finished a book about Easter, but I wrote one a while ago called Ogres Don't Hunt Easter Eggs that was a lot of fun. Wasim, I'm not sure how many more stories I am going to write. I like to write alot, so I hope I get to write many more. Right now, I'm working on a screenplay for a movie. It's hard work. It's very different from writing a story-at least I think so. It's a story about girls at a boarding school. A new girl comes who is VERY different.

Kavya and Kiran, the Bailey School kids characters seem real to me too. They are like good friends. Stacy, I like funny books and I write the words in the books I make. Someone else draws the pictures.

Delaney, Caleb, and NaCole, my first book came out in 1990. I was about 27 years old. I was a librarian at the time and of course, I loved to read. I thought it would be cool to write something that someone else might read. Ahmed, I think Marcia and I have written about 100 books together. I have done others on my own and some with my son Nathan (Slime Wars and Slime Time). Check out this section of my website if you have other questions that I didn't answer, http://www.debbiedadey.com/About/FAQ/

Nicole and Rachel, you might like to click on the link above too. I was born in Kentucky in 1959. My first book was Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots. I have 3 kids and I have two brothers and one very smart husband (he's a scientist).

Vanessa, the idea for Mrs. Jeepers and the Monster Class Trip book came from trips out west to Bryce National Canyon. Marcia and I have both been there. It has these neat rock formations that look like monsters!

Rebecca, did you know my daughter and my mom's names are Rebecca (my daughter spells it differently)? I'm glad you enjoyed Leprechauns Don't Play Basketball. With Saint Patrick's Day coming up, I hope it put you in the mood for leprechaun magic! You might also like to read Leprechauns Don't Play Fetch for more fun. Check it out at http://www.debbiedadey.com/Books/index.php?gid=27

My youngest son Alex wanted me to check with you. Did you have President's Day off from school today? He thought it was totally unfair that he had to go today. Happy President's Day! Debbie

Friday February 9, 2007

Kari, I'm great today. I just finished a book! I just finished a book! I had fun writing a scene where the kids get crazy throwing candy. It will come out next Easter. In fact, that's the book that I planned on dedicating to you Brenton from Australia. I hope you'll like it. Brenton, I loved the idea of the Bailey Journals. I sent the idea to my editor and Marcia to see what they thought.

Yes, Yesenai I do live in Colorado now. It's a pretty place to live.

Jill, Elfa, and Frankie good luck with your writing. Isn't'writing fun? Richard, don't forget the stories I write are for fun. They're all made up! You might like to try my Barkley School for Dog series or my Swamp Monster in Third Grade series. Stephanie, I do love to write. Ahmed, I haven't counted how many books Marcia and I wrote together, but it would be in my books section. Alexis, my first book was Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots. All that and more is in my FAQ section under events. Jami-ann, Vanessa, and Victoria I bet that section would answer all your questions too. Yes, Jami-ann writing is my only job right now.

Jennifer, Kirsten, Victoria, Elizabeth, and all you guys from OLSH, I met your principal. I would love to see her in a Batman costume. Ask her to send me a picture!

Bailey, I love your name! It would be fun to visit your school. Ask your teacher or librarian to check out the events section of this site.

Louis, Eddie is my favorite character too. Ask your librarian to get more of my books. Ashley, I hope you enjoy Whistler's Hollow. You probably know it was based on something that happened to my grandmother.

Megan, sometimes it is hard to be both a mom and writer, but most of the time it's easier than having a regular job. Most of the time I'm home writing like right now. Sometimes I travel to visit schools and that takes me away for a few days. But sometimes my kids go with me. Like the one time Nathan went to Egypt with me on a school visit. It was awesome!

Erica, I'm so happy to hear that you like the new Bailey School Kids Junior Chapter books series. Cupids Do Eat Chocolate Covered Snails is brand new. The next one is Pirates DO Ride Scooters.

I look forward to writing you again next week. Let me know if I missed your name. If I did, it wasn't on purpose (it's because my dogs were barking at someone walking down our snow-covered street). Take care, Debbie

Tuesday January 30, 2007

Anybody ready to head to the beach? It's freezing here so warm weather sounds really nice. I got a taste of it in Las Vegas this last weekend. My daughter had a soccer tournament there (her team had a tough time with two ties and one loss), but we enjoyed the warm weather. We also had time to take in the M and M store. My kids bought four pounds of chocolate M and Ms!

I started a new book yesterday about a vampire and candy, so the M and M store put me in the right mood. Brett, the last time I counted I had about 130 books published. Can you tell I love to write? Ashley, I live in Colorado and you can write to me in care of Scholastic 557 Broadway New York, NY 10012. You can email me at the Kids talk to Debbie section, which I answer at least once a week.

Stephanie, you rock too! Brenton, you are amazing. What a cool idea to make a play for your class. You can get some ideas (or use the play) at http://www.debbiedadey.com/Teachers/Mermaids/. It's a play about Mermaids Don't Run Track. Let me know if you make one up. Would you like the vampire book dedicated to you? Are you the same Brenton from Australia?

Nihal, you sound like an awesome reader. Alexia, when I was in third grade I thought my teacher was soooooo mean! Now, when I look back at it she was probably not so mean, she just had her hands full with me. When I say that I liked to talk, I'm putting it mildly. I should write it this way: WHEN I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL I LOVED TO TALK, TALK, TALK!!!. In fact, I got in trouble for talking ALOT! It probably drove my teachers crazy (Just like Eddie!) Have a fabulous day and try not to drive your teachers nuts, Debbie

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