February 25, 2010
I was recently in San Angelo, Texas, where it was cold and raining and everyone was very happy about the weather. When you live in a drought-prone area like West Texas, I can understand why rain is a welcome event!
We (my wife Liz Nealon went with me) discovered that although San Angelo is a rather small city, there is a lot to see there. We visited the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, which is a gorgeous building with a permanent ceramics and silver collection that we enjoyed very much. We had lunch in historic San Angelo, at a restaurant called Miss Hattie’s Saloon, which had…let’s call it a "colorful" history in bygone days! And, we visited Fort Concho, where Pecos Bill was once the commander. The fort is a National Historic Landmark because it was the the home of the Buffalo Soldiers who were part of the 10th Cavalry, one of the two all-Black cavalry regiments who protected the Great Plains in the mid-1800s.
I was in San Angelo to speak at the 8th Annual Literacy Conference, held at Angelo State University. While I was there, I also spoke to a number of large groups of kids from the public schools in San Angelo. Here is a picture of me with a group of students from Holiman Elementary.
The kids were all bright, eager, and very smart. I told each group a story that is in one of my early books, THE LONG VIEW INTO SPACE, about the way I started writing my return address when I was their age. Here’s how I did it.
Name
Street Address
City
State
Zip Code
Planet Earth
Solar System
The Milky Way Galaxy
The Universe
Years ago, when this book first came out, I was on my way to visit a school in Ohio. I got a letter from a fifth grade boy who had been looking at this address, and told me that I forgot to put down the zip code for the universe. I asked the kids in San Angelo if they could guess what he thought the zip code for the universe should be. A student came up with the answer in every group I spoke to. They suggested that the zip code for the Universe should be ∞ - the symbol for infinity.
Try writing your complete address. You are truly a citizen of the universe (and make sure to include its zip code).
Posted by: Seymour Simon
February 23, 2010
Seymour Simon recently visited the island of Aruba, which is in the Caribbean Sea. Seymour takes his camera with him everywhere he goes, because you never know when you might find an interesting creature like this iguana.
The iguana is a protected species on the island of Aruba, and once the warm sun rises in late morning, it is not hard to find an iguana. On the tree trunks, in the bushes, or sunning on the warm tiles by the pool, iguanas seem to be everywhere in Aruba!
This is the iguana that Seymour was photographing.
You can see the row of spines along his back and tail - they help to protect him from predators. You might also notice that this iguana has a pouch of skin underneath his chin. This is called a dewlap, and he can make it seem much bigger than it really is, which is very useful when he is trying to ward off predators. Males use the dewlap to intimidate rivals and also to attract females during the mating season.
Some of the other lizards Seymour saw on Aruba are called Pega Pega - a cousin of the Gecko. They they have suction pads on their feet that allow them to climb straight up the side of the buildings!
Posted by: Liz Nealon
December 10, 2009
Check out this great new site, created by committed team of bloggers who love books. In the interest of encouraging people to give books as holiday gifts, they are providing gift suggestions and printable shopping lists and spotlighting independent bookstores. They even have suggestions of fun, inexpensive ways to accessorize your bookish gifts! Their mission statement promises that if you need help finding the perfect book for that hard to shop for person on your list? We’re here as a community to help you find it!
How great is that?
We think this is a great resource. Check it out!
Posted by: Liz Nealon
December 1, 2009
Julia Campbell, the Librarian at Carroll Elementary School in Southlake, Texas sent me these pictures with the following note:
I’m attaching a file of photos from your visit. Also, here is a link from the CES library web page to the comments our students and teachers wrote following your visit. Hope this is helpful.
http://carroll-library.us/frame-top/specialevents/seymoursimon/index.htm
It was a pleasure meeting you. All the best to you and your family this Thanksgiving day.
Thanks, Julia. And a Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers!
Posted by: Seymour Simon
December 1, 2009
FAQS about speaking:
* Honorarium TBA, plus airfare, hotel and meals, three presentations in one school.
* No extra travel charge for schools within 90 minute driving distance.
* Your school can cut the cost in half by inviting another school in your area to share in Seymour’s visit. I’ll then do ONE large assembly program at each school, one school in the morning and another school in the afternoon.
* For schools which include overnight hotel stays, Seymour can add an evening program for the entire community for a small additional fee.
* Contact Seymour directly: simon@seymoursimon.com
or HarperCollins School and Library Promotion: tony.hirt@harpercollins.com
Posted by: Seymour Simon
November 26, 2009
About the Census of Marine Life | Census of Marine Life: "The Census of Marine Life is a global network of researchers in more than 80 nations engaged in a 10-year scientific initiative to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the oceans. The world’s first comprehensive Census of Marine Life - past, present, and future - will be released in 2010."
Posted by: Seymour Simon
November 20, 2009
November 18, 2009
Scientists are not all agreed about how quickly our planet Earth is warming up. But scientists agree that Earth IS warming up and that it’s happening more quickly than in any other recorded time that we know of. Scientists think that much of the warming is caused by the "greenhouse effect." That’s when Earth’s atmosphere acts like a huge greenhouse, letting in rays from the sun but trapping heat from escaping into space. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are given off by burning fossil fuels like oil and coal. The more we use fossil fuels, the more greenhouse gases are going into Earth’s atmosphere.The more we conserve and burn less fuel, the less the amount of greenhouse gases. Another cause of warming is deforestation, cutting down and burning huge numbers of trees. Trees take in carbon dioxide from the air and that alone lessens the greenhouse effect.
You may hear the term "Climate Change" sometimes being used instead of "Global Warming." Climate change is a more general term and refers to long-term shifts in the weather and climate and includes precipitation, such as rain and snow, as well as temperature.
What will happen if Global Warming continues? We’ll talk about that next time.
Posted by: Seymour Simon
November 12, 2009
Have you or your class or family made plans about celebrating Earth Day on April 22? Write and tell me about them. I’ll post the best plans on my blog so we can all get some ideas about how to help our home planet.
Posted by: Seymour Simon
November 11, 2009
Dear Seymour,
Thank you for the spider book!!! I like the cover. I think the book is molting, look at the picture. I love tarantulas. What do black widow’s fangs look like?
Sincerely,
Finian
Posted by: Liz Nealon
