In Fair Lawn, N.J. I spoke to the children at Radburn School. In all of our school visits the P.T.O. played an important part in organizing and helping with the hundreds of books that needed to be signed and the lunches and breakfasts that were provided.
    At the Tisdale School the students sang the Crinkleroot song for us. The walls were decorated with many projects inspired by my books. There were owls on the bulletin board and colorful autumn leaves. A school’s preparation for an author’s visit is one of the most valuable parts of the whole experience. And Tisdale did a great job. Again the PTO played a big part in organizing such a full day. After school hours I spoke to the Bergen/Passaic Educational Media Association.
    The kindergarten through third grade at Dater Elementary in Ramsey, NJ. Sang the Crinkleroot song also. There bulletin boards had turtles and scenes from my book Beachcombing.
   The teachers, librarians, parents and students told us about a nearby wildlife park named the Celery Farm. One morning Deanna and I went to spend some time there. It was a quiet, peaceful morning in a beautiful place. We watched and photographed the waterbirds and plants and found the carved wooden snakes along the trail. New Jersey has so many beautiful wild places. When we lived in nearby Pennsylvania, Deanna and I spent whole days at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, the Delaware Water Gap, and weekends at the Jersey shore. The Celery Farm was a watery place with woods all around and the sounds of birds in the air. Deanna’s photos show some of the highlights of our day.
    We wish we could have spent more time in the Garden State. This book tour was divided between two states and we had to bid farewell to all our new friends and readers in Northern New Jersey and head west to Central Pennsylvania.