JuKa visits Washington Woods Elementary

JuKa made a special visit to Washington Woods on Thursday, teaming up with HCASG for Autism Awareness Month. For those of you who don't know, 'Howard the Fish' was written with autism in mind. Julie and I are as passionate about autism as we are about Howard. What's great about taking our cause to the schools is how incredibly receptive kids are to talking about autism. They never cease to amaze me, every visit we make. What surprised me most at Washington Woods was how many of the students knew the word autism, knew kids with autism, knew information about autism, all before we even started into the lesson. At the beginning, when Julie asked our first group who had heard the word autism, nearly every hand in the room went up. Not only that, a lot of them knew their facts! It was such a wonderful and positive experience. A big thank you to the students and staff of Washington Woods for having us out.

Howard goes to Cherry Tree Elementary

Julie and I teamed up with another author-illustrator pair, Anne Paluszny and Lori McDonough, for The not-so-young Authors' Book Signing Event at Cherry Tree Elementary on Wednesday. What a great way to kick off the busy week ahead! It was nice to be at our home school for a change of pace. The staff and students of Cherry Tree were very welcoming. A big bonus of being at our own school was that our children got to be celebrities (or children of) for the day. My daughter Nina (our second in line) proudly brought her class by to meet her mom the illustrator.

We filled out our busy week with a book reading and autism lesson for the students of Washington Woods Elementary today, which we will post on soon. On Saturday we are off to Mudsock Books in Fishers for a joint event with the Hamilton County Autism Support Group. So stay tuned for updates!

Article from The Indy Star

JuKa Books to read for Autism Awareness Month
April 17, 2009

Carmel-based JuKa Books and the Hamilton County Autism Support Group have joined forces to honor National Autism Awareness Month this month. JuKa Books created their children's picture book, "Howard the Fish," especially for children with autism spectrum disorders. Their book is the springboard for April's events.

Mudsock Books and Curiosity Shoppe, 11631 Fishers Station Dr., Fishers, will host JuKa and the Hamilton County Autism Support Group (HCASG) for "Autism Stories." The event is for children and adults at 10:30 a.m. April 25.

"Howard the Fish" author and illustrator, Julie Shore and Kate Jones, will read and engage in a craft with the younger audience. At the same time, HCASG Executive Officers, Jane Grimes, Beth Schweigel, and Stacey Halvorsen are conducting an informal coffee and discussing their personal stories as mothers of children with autism with the parents, caregivers, and the professionals who attend.

"HCASG President Jane Grimes and I have planned several events for the month of April," Shore said. "We are excited about our event at Mudsock Books, as it includes something for both adults and children."

HCASG and JuKa Books recently collaborated at the Indiana Autism Expo.

"Jane is an amazing, non-stop woman whose passion for the cause knows no bounds. The explosive growth of her organization speaks for itself," Shore said.

JuKa is donating its profits from this event to the Hamilton County Autism Support Group.

Howard the Fish at The Rice School/La Escuela Rice

Today was a blast! It is nearly impossible for me to capture the energy of my visit to The Rice School/La Escuela Rice today. I shared Howard the Fish with kindergarten through third grades, and each group was more incredible than the next. Everyone was engaged, learning, and having a great time. The teachers in that building are obviously doing a marvelous job, and have created a community of respectful and enthusiastic learners. We talked of differences, of similiarities, of autism, of likes and dislikes, and of our fears. We laughed and we learned.

A special thank you to Patty Henry for inviting me and making my trip to Houston a reality. And to Becky Ingalls for her patience and hospitality, and also for giving me those great introductions that tuned every student in from the beginning. The teachers made my job today both easy and enjoyable. Most of all I'd like to thank every single student who I visited today---each one of you did your part in making today a very special day for me.

Special Note: As I am blogging, Kate (remember--Kate is the illustrator) is on our website slashing prices for a special discount for The Rice School/La Escuela Rice. We'll leave these discounted prices up until next Friday. It's a great time to order!

Autism Awareness at Shamrock Springs

Wow. Days like today are what it's all about. Kate and I were at Shamrock Springs Elementary this morning. We owe a big THANK YOU to Teacher Extraordinaire, Betty Smock, who let us debut our Autism Awareness Lesson with her class of third graders. Kate and I have been fine-tuning this particular lesson for weeks, gearing up for April, Autism Awareness Month. The kids were open and enthusiastic as they learned about autism, themselves, and each other. Kate and I always go back to the mantra that people are more alike than they are different. With kids, that's always so easy to illustrate. I just love the beauty of their receptiveness!

Kate and I were thrilled to get some terrific feedback from Betty, Mr. Hartley (principal), Mrs. Meyer (Special Ed) and Mrs. Smith (Special Ed). And what a joy to see a school principal sitting on the floor, right in the mix with his students, participating right alongside them. Very cool. The students were obviously reflecting the quality of education that they are receiving at Shamrock. What an amazing group of educators! Thank you for taking the time to spend your morning with us!

Heroes Among Us

Kate and I have often told you stories of the amazing people we have met on our journey. Jane Mills is one of those people. She owns a children's bookstore in Noblesville, Indiana---The Wild. She was the first in the business to listen to Kate and I, the first to host a reading/signing for us. Somewhere in this blog, there are pictures. If you live anywhere near Noblesville and haven't been to The Wild, you are truly missing out. But I digress...

Jane is awesome. Her store is awesome because of her, as it reflects the woman behind the counter. On the counter there is an unobtusive jar, collecting stray coins for CF (Cystic Fibrosis). There is a picture of a boy with CF on the jar, whose name is Fritz. On the walls, artwork from various artists is jammed onto any vacancy. Much of it has been created by a boy named Fritz. Some days, a boy is sitting behind the counter with Jane. His name is Fritz. He is Jane's son.

I'd like you to watch the following video. Ernie (Jane's husband) made it so others might understand. Definitions are great---video is infinitely better. I definitely learned about CF by watching it. But this video also reminded me that heroes are everywhere. They are behind the counter, holding a door for you, exercising alongside you, or sitting in the seat next to yours. They are short, tall, young, and old. You might know them well, vaguely, or not at all. We do not know what each other has going in on in our lives, on the day to day, in the privacy of our own four walls. But rest assured: there are those among us who are doing the heroic. Every single day.

JuKa and HCASG Join Forces for Autism Awareness

HCASG is the Hamilton County Autism Support Group. Kate and I have worked with them in the past, and are about to start up a new venture. I don't want to get ahead of myself, since details are yet to be worked out. However, I must say that I am completely pumped. We are getting together some awesome events for Austism Awareness Month.

I would be remiss in mentioning HCASG if I didn't mention its President, Jane Grimes. Jane is one of those intense, type-A women who overflows with energy and leaves no stone unturned. Today, I had the pleasure of not only meeting with Jane, but also Beth Schweigel (Secretary), and Stacey Halvorsen (Treasurer). One word sums it up: WOW! It's no wonder that HCASG has evolved into such a powerhouse---these three women are nothing short of amazing. Stay tuned for what's to come...