Memorable Letters from Fourth Graders

 JANICE:  Recently I was going through a file of memorable letters from fourth grade children who read my Texas Trilogy. Once again they swept me away, and I want to share excerpts with you. Each paragraph is a separate unedited comment from a different child, different school.
 

 

 

 

 Dear Mrs. Shefelman,

"I know that it is hard for Mina to loose her mother at such a young age because my real father died when I was two. I think that your book should be expose to children because no matter what happen, they can still live their life as a normal kid and better days will come." - Karina

"Thank you for coming to Doss. I liked your hat and your smell. And I also liked "Paradise Called Texas" book." - Nan-Ku

'My favorite part of all three books is when Mina and Amaya first meet in Paradise Called Texas. I like it because it was two very different people meeting and able to understand each other." - Sabrina

"I like the way you put feeling and action into your writing. I can picture whats happening in a part of every one of your books." - Aaron

"I have been inspired deeply by your speeches and encouragement to find our gift. I am deeply interested in armory, art, maritime biology and the military. I have many dreams of being a swordsmith and creating the most beautiful swords, shields, lances and battle axes you can imagine." - Noel

"Have you ever had a moment of grief in your life? I have." - Marshal

"The sad part is that Mama died. I liked Mama so much but she just had to go. The rest of the story wouldn't be the same if she lived. So in a way, I really like Mama's death." - Jackson

I think you shouldn't make your books into movies because it takes away how you imagine what is happening in the book." - Suliana

"My favorite part of A Paradise Called Texas is when Mina put the little wood seagull on Mama's coffin it was so upsetting. I have gone through the same thing as Mina. My dad died this past year in October." - Andrew

 

"My gift is to write and I always thought of it as a long-term contest, to find as many things in the world as you can. It's also like a sport with a mind such as mine running as fast as it can, collecting ideas upon the way." - Paul

"Thank you for coming. I realy injoyed you visit becaus it was intrasting, injoyful and most of all becaus I mist Math and Spelling." - Stephen

Friends, you can't make this up! Never underestimate children's wisdom, dreams, and honesty. I answered them all - the grievers, the dreamers, the wise and the funny ones.