I never met Paula Danziger face to face, but she touched my daughter and me with her books. I am especially grateful for “P.S. Longer Letter Later” and “Snail Mail No More” because they turned my daughter on to young adult fiction at a time when most everything else that was recommended was beneath her reading level. So imagine my glee when I received an email from Ms. Danziger, and learned that she was a subscriber to my newsletter and a fan! When I didn’t get a response to my reply, I thought perhaps I said something rude, but then I learned she suffered a heart attack just days after our correspondence. Although Ms. Danziger is gone, her characters, such as the spunky Amber Brown and the exuberant Tara*Starr, will live on.
Hi There
I was doing some searching on some of the teachers I had in high and jr high school, I was saddened to see that Paula had passed. I had Paula for eighth grade English (I think) and I have great memories of her and I staying after class talking and telling stories. Paula constanly pushed me to write, and we would laugh while she read some of the goofy things I wrote to the class or after class. I remember when she brought in John Ciardi’s daughter to play guitar for the class and I brought in my older sister and we all stayed after she played and talked and told stories. The last time I saw Paula it was at a book signing in Metuchen and I had not seen her since Jr. High. She told me she used some stories we told to each other in the book, we talked after the book signing for a little and that was it. She was a wonderful teacher and a great person and I will never forget her.
-es
Paula Danziger was the only author I’d read for my entire 4th and 5th grade classes…I had an obsession after she released the Amber Brown books.
Yes. The 2004 Athens Olympics will be my next topic. Look for it in your newsletter and on the site on Wednesday Aug 11.
Are you planning to do anything on the Olympics?
Your article/promo on Kid safe email made my site. I want to thank you.
http://www.kidsearch.us
Thanks for the information about Paula Danziger. My class and children enjoy her books also. I heard her speak on a panel at the Texas Book Festival a couple of years ago about writing children’s book in a series. I missed her at the book signing session. She will be missed.