1. Author Study Priscilla Cummings By: Erin Moyer EDUC 717 Spring 2012

2. Background- Childhood  Middle of 3 in Western Massachusetts.  Farms, animals and nature.  Mountain climbing and camping.

3. Background- Childhood  Reading and Writing  Nancy Drew and horses  Charlotte’s Web

4. Background- Becoming an Author She looked up to her dad She looked up to her dad University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Newspaper reporter. Newspaper reporter. Four different newspapers in four different states. Four different newspapers in four different states. In 1981 she was honored as UPI's Journalist of the Year for Virginia In 1981 she was honored as UPI's Journalist of the Year for Virginia

5. Background- Becoming an Author  1981, moved to Maryland.  Married another writer.  Saw her first blue crab and couldn't believe people actually steamed and ate blue crabs!  She began reading about those interesting critters.  CHADWICK THE CRAB, was published in 1986.

6. The release of Priscilla Cumming’s first book- Chadwick the Crab 1986- The year I was born! I was born!

7. Background- Today  Other animals in the Chesapeake  Novels  Autumn Journey (1997)  6 total  All inspired by things from “real life”

8. Picture Books

9. Chadwick the Crab  Illustrated by A.R. Cohen  Ages 5 and up  Chadwick is a happy Chesapeake Bay blue crab who enjoys a wide circle of friends – quiet Orville Oyster, Matilda (a fussy, near-sighted egret), Toulouse the Canada Goose, Bernie the Sea Gull and especially Esmerelda, the prettiest girl crab in the entire bay. But Chadwick yearns for adventure and decides that more than anything else he wants to be a star at the aquarium in Baltimore. This is the story of how one little crab realizes a very big dream.

10. Chadwick Forever  Illustrated by A.R. Cohen  Ages 5 and up  Chadwick the Crab and Bernie the Sea Gull are worried they’re going to lose a good friend forever. Hester, the Delmarva fox squirrel, has discovered a book telling her she’s on the endangered species list. Not only that, but there’s a mysterious monster lurking around Shady Creek. And all this happens just when Chadwick and Esmerelda are getting ready to welcome their big little family home.

11. Meet Chadwick and his Chesapeake Bay Friends  Illustrated by A.R. Cohen  Ages 2 and up  Especially for the picture-book audience, Meet Chadwick introduces Chadwick, the Chesapeake Bay blue crab, and his many friends including Bernie the Sea Gull, Toulouse the Canada Goose, Matilda Egret, Hector Spector the Jellyfish and Orville Oyster.  Illustrated by David Aiken  Ages 2 and up  A is for anchor, B for boat and bay. Come and learn the alphabet. Have fun – the Chesapeake way! Chesapeake ABC

12. Beddy Bye in the Bay  Illustrated by Marcy Dunn Ramsey  Ages 6 and under  The creatures of the Chesapeake Bay come to life in this delightful, informative story about how and where they sleep. Herons, crabs, clams, turtles and fish each find a different place to rest in the water and along the shore.  Illustrated by Marcy Dunn Ramsey  All ages  Beneath the back steps, by a rock in the shade, Beetle Boddiker lives in the house that he made... A cautious old beetle, he rarely leaves home. "The backyard is a jungle," he says. "I won't roam." But one day Beetle Boddiker finds the courage to cross the backyard to see his brother and the adventures begin. Beetle Boddiker

13. Chapter Books

14. Red Kayak  Ages 10 and up  Living near the water on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, thirteen-year-old Brady and his best friends, J.T. and Digger, become entangled in a tragedy that tests their friendship and their ideas about right and wrong.

15. What Mr. Mattero Did  Ages 10 and up  Three seventh grade girls accuse their music teacher, Mr. Mattero, of touching them inappropriately.The story is told from two points of view: one of the accusing girls and also Mr. Mattero’s daughter, who happens to be an eighth grader in the samemiddle school.

16. Blindsided  When 14-year-old Natalie learns she will lose her sight she reluctantly enters a school for the blind. While she does as she's told, inwardly she hopes for the miracle that will save her sight. Ultimately, Natalie must decide how to go on when her future is not what she expected.

17. Honors  Journalism awards from United Press International (UPI) News Editors of New England, National Federation of Press Women, and Virginia Press Association  Virginia Journalist of the Year, UPI, 1980  Pick of the List, American Booksellers Association, 1997, and Maryland Black-eyed Susan Book List, 1999–2000, both for Autumn Journey;  Arthur J. Blaney Award, 1982  International Literacy Award, Metro-Washington Association for Childhood Education, 2001, for "Chadwick the Crab" books  Notable Children's Book selection, American Library Association (ALA), 2002, for A Face First

18. Honors for “Red Kayak”  Children’s Choice designation  Children's Book Council/International Reading Association  New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age designation  Both 2005 ALA Best Books for Young Adults designation

19. Interesting Information Author Priscilla Cummings visits Author Priscilla Cummings visits – schools grades K through 9th grade. – Libraries – other youth and adult groups. Book talks at elementary schools Book talks at elementary schools – 45 minutes long. – talks about how she came up with the ideas for her stories, how she created and named her characters, and then takes students through her writing process and shows them how a book is made. – With fourth and fifth graders, she also pulls in information about researching and writing her novels. Book talks for middle school Book talks for middle school – generally an hour long – talks about how she turns the spark of a good idea into an entire novel, weaving in information about plot, characterization and theme – talks about how she turns the spark of a good idea into an entire novel, weaving in information about plot, characterization and theme.

20. Interesting Information Elementary school visits  $750 for two, back-to-back sessions  three talks for $850  $1200 for a full day at school, which includes four talks and a reading for pre-K and/or K. Middle School visits  $850 for two, one-hour sessions  $1,200 for a full day. Autographed books:  She offers her books to schools at a small discount and is happy to personalize these books  She offers her books to schools at a small discount and is happy to personalize these books.

21. Author Website

22. Bibliography Authors Unleashed – http://authorsunleashed.blogspot.com/2010/09/interview -with-priscilla-cummings.html http://authorsunleashed.blogspot.com/2010/09/interview -with-priscilla-cummings.html Priscilla Cummings Biography – http://biography.jrank.org/pages/2264/Cummings- Priscilla-1951.html http://biography.jrank.org/pages/2264/Cummings- Priscilla-1951.html Red Kayak Article – http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2006-03- 08/news/0603080111_1_priscilla-cummings-red-kayak- novel http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2006-03- 08/news/0603080111_1_priscilla-cummings-red-kayak- novel Priscilla Cummings Official Website – http://www.priscillacummings.com/index.html http://www.priscillacummings.com/index.html