★ Officially love coffee (as long as it’s mostly milk and sugar)
★ Figured out how to be friends with a boy
★ Learned about Internet privacy (and am never EVER posting things online!)
★ Created signature scarf look (I kind of like Mimi’s scarves…I might wear them to school, especially if those jeggings work out)
★ Realized that even Laurel thinks about what she looks like and who she wants to be
Things that are no longer on the list:
★ Wear nail polish…honestly, Sharpie is faster and more fun
★ Pick a signature social cause. Sorry, Em, but that’s way too much pressure. And I like caring about a bunch of things.
★ Rebrand myself as Rae. You know, this was one I was really excited about. But honestly, even if people had remembered, it kind of seems pointless.
Things that will be on the next list:
★ Learn to surf. Hopefully I can do this next summer…maybe even when Travis visits.
And finally…
★ Work on a novel, or at least figure out a good story. I don’t know if I’ll ever figure out the mermaids or selkies, but I have to admit…this trip would make a pretty good story someday.
Anyway, like I said at the beginning, I’m sorry this journal got to be so long. Nothing about this summer went as planned. But maybe that’s okay. Maybe the best stories always turn out that way.
caudex: blockhead
malus nequamque: no-good jerk
Mihi molestus ne sis: don’t bother me
Nisi eos tibi valde adiungere potes, eos vince: If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
nugatory ac nebulo: trashy pipsqueak
Quis est haec simia?: Who is this monkey?
semper audax: always brave
spurcifer: scumbucket
stultissimi: total idiots
I made up a lot of stuff in this book, which is half the fun of writing fiction. I’m an author, so making stuff up is part of my official job, after all. But I didn’t make up everything. (Obviously. I didn’t make up the English language, or the idea of trains. Or sisters.)
But I digress. My point is that in a book like this, there is a lot of made-up stuff, but there are a bunch of facts as well.
To make sure I got the real parts right, I did a lot of research on railroads, learning about travel routes, jobs, and dining cars, among other random subjects. The Crescent, the City of New Orleans, the Southwest Chief, and the Coast Starlight, are all real Amtrak trains. The names alone sound so amazing to me; they take me back to the long-ago time when rail travel was exotic and sophisticated, and really the only way to see the country.
I read a lot of books, such as John Pitt’s USA by Rail and Jim Loomis’s All Aboard: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide. These books offer invaluable information about the specific trains mentioned above. They explore everything from the history of the trains themselves to the landscape beyond the tracks. and I am indebted to their authors. Also useful were Amtrak’s route guides. These guides are free on Amtrak’s website and offer a station-by-station guide to each train’s route and what travelers might see out their windows if they pay attention. Here’s an example of the Crescent line route guide: amtrak.com/ccurl/680/728/Amtrak-Crescent-Train-Route-Guide.pdf. You can look up the others if you’re interested.
All the “Fun Facts” in the book came from the above-mentioned books or the route guides. I’ve done my best to ensure they’re correct, but you should double-check anything you read here before pinkie-swearing that it’s true. Also, if you happen to take one of these train rides and learn something new, please write to me and tell me!
Finally, a word on the Latin. I admit, I don’t actually know Latin insults all that well. But the Internet is a wonderful place to find things, and lo, I found a University of Oklahoma student group that had put together a list of just what I wanted. I then asked my marvelous brother-in-law Paul Ringel, who happens to be a professor of history, if he by chance knows any Latin scholars. Of course he does (because historians are awesome like that), and Professor Jacqueline Arthur-Montagne took a look and ensured me that they were accurate. All that being said, if I messed something up, I’m the malus nequamque, not her!
Happy trails, readers. Hope your next journey is a good one.
OMG, no one told me that when you finish writing a book there’s still approximately a million more pages of writing (okay maybe five, but still), not to mention revising it, and then revising it again, then fixing all the dumb little things that only my English teacher and my moms actually care about. Still, it’s kind of cool when all these awesome people—who have WAY more important things to do than fix my kind of pathetic ramblings—actually take the time to help me. And no one even laughed at me. I mean, not to my face, at least.
Honestly, I can promise you all that this whole thing would still just be a big pile of poo (that’s a metaphor…it was never actually poo. That would be totally disgusting) if not for my writing besties. Seriously, without Jen “I want Root to come to my house for Christmas” Malone, Rachael “First of all: it doesn’t suck” Allen, and Kate “Okay, here’s what I think you mean” Boorman, I would totally give up on life, let alone this book. They write such awesome books, and it’s kind of humiliating that they had to read all about my sisters and Bruce and of course the Reinvention Project (which, now that I’m older, is literally the most embarrassing thing in the world and I cannot BELIEVE people are actually going to read about it. GAH.). But Jen, Rach, and Kate did read it. In some cases *cough cough KATE BOORMAN cough* they read it like five different times, which is the kind of thing that might be used for torture in less enlightened countries. (I should ask Laurel about that. Now that she’s working with Amnesty International, she knows these things).
Anyway, I’m not quite sure how these acknowledgments are supposed to go, but I DO know that I’m TOTALLY lucky to have Krista Vitola, Beverly Horowitz, and everyone at Delacorte Press/Penguin Random House working on this book. I mean, not every editor or publisher would think a book about my totally lame family was a good idea. (Honestly, it’s possible it wasn’t a good idea, but they are seriously smart and publish awesome books, so I’m just going with it).
And OBVIOUSLY Marietta “What about Sara Choo Choo?” Zacker and the team at Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency are total superstars. I mean, with title suggestions like Sara Choo Choo, I don’t think anyone needs more convincing that we’re talking genius-level business savvy. I’m so seriously lucky…you guys don’t even know.
Okay, I think that’s it. Is that it? Am I supposed to write something else? This whole writing thing was WAY harder than I thought it would be….
I think Sara pretty much nailed it.
But I have to add in big love to the usual suspects, both online and “in real live life.” as my daughter used to say.
First, a HUGE thank you to all readers of the Family Fletcher books! Parents, teachers, librarians, and most of all—kids! Your emails and letters and comments at school visits make my writing days so much brighter. I hope you enjoy Sara’s story. I wrote it especially for all the readers who asked why I don’t write more girls. This one’s for you.
Second, a shout-out to my writer-peeps on Twitter, FB, LBs, and the various secret writing lairs where I can be found skulking. The online community is rich in camaraderie and smart, savvy folks who make me a better writer and a better person. I so appreciate it, especially those of you who work tirelessly to diversify children’s literature. You are my heroes.
Third, as Sara said, the Delacorte and Gallt & Zacker folks are pretty much the best in the business, and I’m grateful I wound up in such capable hands. Thank you for keeping Sara’s train trip on track. (SORRY! I couldn’t resist).
And finally, to my family, Patrick, Noah, and Isabel, who are every bit as weird and wacky as the Johnston-Fischers. From Paris with narwhals to Ireland with Dermot the fisherman and Delaney the cow, I wouldn’t w
ant to be on this journey with anyone else.
Dana Alison Levy was raised by pirates but escaped at a young age and went on to earn a degree in aeronautics and puppetry. Actually, that’s not true—she just likes to make things up. That’s why she has always wanted to write books. Her previous books about the Family Fletcher have garnered starred reviews, been named to multiple Best Of lists, and are Junior Library Guild selections. Also, her kids like them.
Dana was last seen romping with her family in Massachusetts. If you need to report her for excessive romping or if you want to know more, head to her website, danaalisonlevy.com.
What’s next on
your reading list?
Discover your next
great read!
* * *
Get personalized book picks and up-to-date news about this author.
Sign up now.
This Would Make a Good Story Someday Page 18