Kim Kardashian and Me
Does Kim Kardashian get priority parking at Newport Elementary School?
Kim Kardashian and I have something in common.
We are both big-time media celebrities.
To be totally honest, I was not exactly sure what Kim Kardashian had done to earn her status until just now when I checked her blog. Apparently, she sells handbags and fake leather coats. Also, she spends a lot of time wishing friends and family members happy this or that, and being sorry about all the people she hurt when she got married.
Well, shoot! My mama never told me hawking handbags, well-wishes, and apologies could add up to a career, so I’ve had to earn my superstar status racking my brain and callousing my fingertips to produce books for children and young adults.
Luckily, my work is repaid and-how when I visit schools and get the celebrity treatment. Students giggle and whisper and point. The braver ones give me a hug or ask a question like, “Martha Freeman, how did your dog Max escape from the coyote?” or “Martha Freeman, are you going to put us in your next story?”
As much fun as this is for me, it’s even better for the students. Authors who visit schools give all kinds of presentations, highlighting everything from drawing to editing. In essence, though, we are all delivering the message that books are useful, important, life-affirming, and fun. In my own presentations, I emphasize the amazing power of imagination both for reading and for writing.
Besides that, I usually end up telling the story of Max’s escape from the coyote. Paging Kim Kardashian: Did your dog ever do that?