remembering 2009

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Happy New Year, y'all! Here's a look at 2009 from the One Pom archives with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. You can open a dedicated window here as well.

I can't wade into the new year without saying thanks to all those I partnered with this year in learning and teaching; thank you for your students and for the instructional time. Many of you will find yourselves or your students in these photos. What good work we did together!

Thanks to those who welcomed me home when each journey was over. Thank you, family. Thank you, friends. As you can see, homecoming was always so sweet. I spent time in the garden, the kitchen, and at the page. You could find me near water, and near music. What comes home to me as I look at these photos is the juxtaposition between home and away, and how each feeds the other; how each holds its gifts. I'm so glad for that.

Thanks to booksellers who opened their arms to me, literally, in 2009, especially during the Shoestring Tour, and who continue to shepherd my books so lovingly. Thanks to publishers who support my work, and to readers everywhere who make it possible for me to keep writing. Thanks to Scholastic for providing me a platform from which to tell three stories of the 1960s for young readers. I'm looking forward to publishing COUNTDOWN with you in May!

Thanks ever-so-much to all of you for making 2009 a truly remarkable year. Thank you for hanging out with me in this online space as well, and for sharing your thoughts, your encouragement, your hearts, and your stories. What an inspiration you are to me.

My love to you,
Debbie