A LETTER FROM TEACHER OF THE YEAR

A LETTER FROM TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Fan mail from a Teacher of the Year?  When I sat down to write the Saltwater Taffy book, I knew I was onto something special in the eyes of teachers, parents and children, but getting a letter like this from an award winning TEACHER OF THE YEAR?  Well, my Taffy Head friends, it is super saweet Saltwater Taffy cool!  Yes, it just makes all the hard work worth it.

This little book is up against some of the biggest publishers in the world and we are happy to report, we are more than holding our own.  We are KICKING some rooty tootie fruity booty!  Here’s the latest letter from our 12th Teacher of the Year!

October 3, 2011

Dear Eric,

I sat down at 10:00 this morning to read Saltwater Taffy.  I intended to read a chapter or two and then do some of the errands that always get delayed until Saturday.  Yet, by page 7, I was hooked.  I didn’t stop when I finished chapter 2; I read until I reached page 252 and that was 4 hours later.

Where was this book when I was a kid?  I would have……loved it.  Though I will soon turn 57 years old, I found myself reliving moments of my childhood when life was a bit confusing at times, but, oh, so much fun.

My son is in graduate school in London, but I wish you had written the book a few years ago.  He would have really enjoyed reading about Jean Lafitte, a pirate that his dad, a native of Louisiana, told him about.  However, he would have been completely captivated by the adventures of Scott and the kids.  He would have enjoyed the book because it is a riveting story.  Every kid loves tales about pirates and hidden treasure, but throw in baseball, and you have truly covered all the bases.  However, my son would not have realized then that hidden among the pages were some really important life lessons, a treasure more valuable than pieces of eight.

I have shared Saltwater Taffy with my school.  The media specialist got a kick out of reading about the librarian.  She has begun the process of procuring a copy of the book for our students.  I shared the bookmarks with kids, and they are eager to check out Saltwater Taffy as soon as it hits the shelves.  Oh, yes, the stickers went well in my husband’s advisory during homecoming week.  Our school colors are black and yellow, and students added another decoration to their homecoming attire.  They thought it was Saweet!

I threatened the media specialist with dire consequences if she didn’t return my copy of Saltwater Taffy. The book won’t gather dust, because I will reread it from time to time in anticipation of sharing it one day with a grandchild.

Thank you for sending me the book, but I have one last question for you.  When does the sequel come out?  I want to learn about the kids as they grow up!  Just don’t include suspension bridges or caves.  My nerves can’t take it!

Sincerely,

Gwen Desselle
Georgia Teacher of the Year 2010
Williams Middle School
950 4^th Street SW
Moultrie, Ga. 31788