“I loved working with the girls at Gardner Betts Juvenile Detention Center. 2nd Chance Books has clearly opened them to the power of words and storytelling, and that is just a short step away from writing some stories of their own. I found them eager to write, and eager to read their work aloud, and what what they wrote with the slightest direction from me was nothing short of inspiring. Thank you for this opportunity to work with them.”
“The kids at Gardner Betts come from difficult circumstances and are going through a very hard time right now, but their questions revealed that despite their past and present, they are thinking about their future. One of the best things about writing for children is visiting schools and giving the kids new ideas to think about, but these teens gave me a lot to think about in return. I’m glad I had the opportunity to participate in the 2nd Chance Books program.”
“I wrote Kid B hoping that it would connect with “reluctant young readers” in a way that would make them more likely to read other novels in the future. The young people at Gardner Betts engaged with Kid B in a way that left me feeling inspired, and with the impression that the book had impacted their lives in a positive way. It’s a good feeling to have as a writer.”
“Last week I had the privilege of speaking to about 75 teens at the Gardner Betts Juvenile Detention Center. The kids - ages 12-17 - have a lot of time to read without the distraction of TV and video games and they were a great audience. One boy said, “My friend was dissing me for reading your book because it’s pink, but I told him ‘I don’t care! It’s about the mob and I like it!’” Another boy said, “Dude, just take off the cover. That’s what I did.” Devo Carpenter is the librarian who created this award winning program called 2nd chance Books and she is my new hero. The kids have great books to read because of her.”
“What a great experience! Amidst the craziness of our daily routines, it
felt really good to have the chance to (possibly? hopefully?) make a
positive impact on these girls' lives. And what sweet, interesting,
engaged girls they were. Visiting Gardner Betts was definitely one of
the most satisfying "author appearances" I've done!
” - Lauren Myracle
Funded in whole or in part by a Loan Star Libraries Grant authorized by the Texas Legislature and awarded by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission to the Austin Public Library.
