You can never underestimate how thrilling it is for a children's author to see creative responses to her stories. I was amazed and moved by the thinking and care that these sixth graders from Beacon School in Manila put into their creations responding to my novel Tall Story. Thank you, children - you are AMAZING. And thank you teachers, for inspiring and enabling them to read my book. With thanks to Trixie Heredia Madamba who shared these images with me. Read my blog post on http://www.candygourlay.com/2014/11/postcards-to-spike-sixth-graders-of.html

1. THINKING
OUTSIDE
THE BOOK
Featuring the
awesome work
of sixth graders
from beacon school
Manila (2014)

2. Book
cover
–
the
back
cover
reviews
are
wri1en
by
classmates!

3. I
AM
THE
BLAME
A
comic
based
on
Tall
Story

4. ‘Something
happens
and
we
take
responsibility
for
it
…
Bernardo
learned
to
let
go
of
his
burden.’

5. ‘I
don’t
have
to
take
the
blame.’

6. ‘And
the
truth
is,
even
though
I
didn’t
know
him,
I
have
missed
him
just
as
much
as
he
missed
me.’

7. ‘You
can
count
on
me.
I
am
your
brother.
And
I’ve
loved
you
forever
and
ever.’

8. ‘Bernardo
was
a
blessing
and
they
came
to
realize
that
they
needed
him.’

9. ‘I
was
glad
because
I
like
Bernardo
exactly
the
way
he
is.’

10. ‘Being
apart
from
his
family
made
Bernardo
feel
incomplete.’

11. ‘Stone,
let
this
pipsqueak
turn
into
a
Bernardo
Carpio.’

12. ‘Did
magic
really
cause
me
to
grow
tall?’

13. The
wishing
stone:
Be
careful
what
you
wish
for.

14. ‘It
felt
like
I
was
carrying
the
weight
of
the
world.’

15. ‘Suddenly
it
was
as
if
Terminal
3
had
turned
into
a
sea
of
eyeballs.’

16. With
thanks
to
Trixie
Heredia
Madamba
for
showing
me
this
work.
I
LOVE
THEM
ALL!
Candy
Gourlay
candygourlay.com