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Anchors aweigh
Mabel's newest adventure
BY CAROLINE KERAS CKERAS@FITCHBURGPRIDE.COM
Fitchburg Pride 4/10/2009
Along Orange Lake in Maine, you will find wood ducks, moose, red-eared slider
turtles and a dog named Mabel in local children's author Emily Chetkowski's
newest book, "Mabel Takes a Paddle."
Chetkowski previewed the book for students from the 21st Century after school
program at B.F. Brown Arts Vision School during a reading at the Rabbit Hole
bookstore last week.
"I was very surprised that it was a true story," said Tiana Perez, a sixth grader
at B.F. Brown.
Chetkowski was inspired for the latest adventure based on a kayaking trip she
took with her 8-year-old Tibetan terrier Mabel.
"I hadn't written a Mabel book in a while. I was sick of staring at my computer
screen so I thought, 'The heck with this, I am going kayaking,'" she said.
Mabel followed her to the edge of the lake, jumped in the hole of the kayak with
Chetkowski, and the rest is history.
"The two of us made wonderful ballasts in the boat," said Chetkowski.
In the story, Mabel takes a kayak trip around the lake with her family, and tries
to warn them of an impending thunderstorm when they do not see the graying
skies. There to greet Mabel when she returns to the house is her bird friend
Bert, a yellow Indian Ringneck.
Lori Vander Hamm, Samantha Marion, Tiana Perez, Mariangelie Diaz, students at
B.F. Brown Arts Vision School, sit with Mabel during Emily Chetkowski's
reading of her latest book, "Mabel Takes a Paddle,"; at the Rabbit Hole bookstore
last Thursday. PRIDE PHOTO/CAROLINE KERAS
"I liked when they came home and the bird asked all sorts of questions," said
Samantha Marion, also in sixth grade at B.F. Brown.
Mabel and Bert became fast friends in real life after Chetkowski brought the
bird home.
"He is very fascinated with Mabel. He is always calling her," said Chetkowski.
Both animals often accompany Chetkowski on her readings and love to see the
children, especially Bert.
"He is very sweet, especially with the kids," said Chetkowski.
In order to help her young readers learn about different themes in her
stories, Chetkowski often includes extra guides in the back of her books.
"In the back, I have what's called 'back matter' — some stuff about the flora
and fauna in the book," said Chetkowski. "There are some very rare animals up
there. Loons are close to becoming endangered from ingesting the lead weights
for fishing."
Exposing kids to a unique opportunity to learn was one of the reasons the
leaders from the 21st Century program brought students to the reading.
"The kids were so excited to meet someone who had written a book, and the
animals," said Cynthia Dargin, a special education teacher at B.F. Brown.
The after-school program allows kids a place to do their homework and spend time
with their friends while parents are working.
"It gives me something to do after school and I get to hang out with my friends,"
said Lori Vander Hamm, a fifth grade student.
Every so often, the program gives the kids a free day where they can choose
an activity to participate in from a number of events going on around Fitchburg.
"I chose this one because I wanted to see what the book was about," said
Vander Hamm.
Mariangelie Diaz, who is also in the fifth grade, wanted to hear the reading
and look at all of the books at the Rabbit Hole, since she has never been there
before and loves to read.
"With reading, you don't realize that you are learning but you are," she said.
After hearing the newest installment in the Mabel series, Diaz cannot wait to
read the previous two books.
"The other books now sound interesting," she said.
For more information about Chetkowski, the Mabel books, or to enter to win
a kayak from Old Town Canoe, like the one Mabel used in the book, log on
to www.emilychetkowski.com. |
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