Revolutionary Saturday: A Celebration!

Let this first Revolutionary Saturday of 2012 be about celebration!

First, I want to celebrate my upcoming picture book, Alliance! It’s about the incredible friendship between Washington and Lafayette.

I had the privilege of seeing the artist’s sketches last week. How magical to see what my words inspired! This will be my third picture book, but the excitement is still palpable.

Second, I want to celebrate curious minds. This book sprang from the question I kept asking myself while doing research for my first two Revolutionary War books: Why is this French guy always hanging around?

In the primary sources I consulted, Lafayette was often mentioned as being present, but no one really explained how he got there or what he was up to.

From that question came the essential question of the book: How did two such different people form such an attachment?

To me, exploring relationships is a paramount part of writing, whether the setting is the Revolutionary War, or this afternoon.

Third, I want to celebrate revolutionary people: then and now.

Lafayette left his cozy and safe aristocratic lifestyle in France to help us fight for freedom.

You know by now how I feel about Washington: without his brilliance – and his ability to see past his disadvantages – we wouldn’t be a country.

Lafayette and Washington deserve a celebration. And so do all the revolutionary people in the world today: The people who refuse to be told how to think and feel. The people who create, add beauty and defend truth. You know who you are. And if you aren’t one of those people yet, it’s not too late. Celebrate life by sharing yourself with the world in your unique way. Be revolutionary!!!