| Cate Hanson |
Hello Sara Pennypacker,
We are a group of 4th grade students. We are reading your book, Clementine, for our class book club and we have a few questions for you.
We thought your book was funny and interesting. What we liked about the book was the character Clementine and the other characters as well. We thought the Great Pigeon War was funny and we liked how Clementine helped the win the war. And we liked that Clementine cleaned the lion and it was shiny and clean. We loved that Clementine got a new cat and that her animal names are from items found in the bathroom. We also thought it was funny that Clementine called her brother vegetable names.
Speaking of vegetable names, we also have some questions about the book! Our first question is what is Clementine’s brother’s real name? Also, are any parts of the story real or is the character Clementine based on a real person? Have you ever tried eating lentils with a toothbrush, and if yes, did you like it? And lastly, how did you come up with the idea for the book and the character Clementine? What is it like to be an author? At what age did you first become an author?
We hope you keep making more books about Clementine because we plan to read the others and hope there are even more in the future. We know you are very busy writing books and we hope you have time to write back to us.
Sincerely,
Clementine Book club
P.S. We really like your other series Flat Stanley and Pax |
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| charleigh |
Dear sara penny packer
I love your book Clementine.I read your book as a independant book.Here are some facts about me I am in 5th grade and I do lacrosse thats it byeeeeeeeeeee |
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| Jai |
Oct. 31. 2022
Dear Sara Pennypacker.
Hello! Ms. Pennypacker, Greetings from all the way in Beijing! I think it’s cool you have readers from all around the world including China! I recently finished Here in the Real and WOW, I found it awesome! I had my head dug up in that book for hours. The book imbued so much emotion and opened my eyes to today’s world where someone cannot always get their way but kept a bittersweet feeling in the end when they lost the church.
While I had myself stuck in the trance of the book, I could not help but notice a flaw about Ware from this quote; “All summer I’ve been telling myself that I want to turn into someone else. But that’s not what I want at all. What I really want is for it to be okay that I’m not someone else.” I’ve been stuck at that quote for a while. Is it a thing to be yourself, too much? I feel that when I was reading Here in the Real World I was always stuck at that question. Although Ware was not listening to his parents, skipping summer camp to go work on a castle that belongs to someone else, he managed to act like a hero. Is he in the right or the wrong? Although the story ends with him being heroic, letting Jolene work in his garden. He still did not listen to his parents, skipped his summer camp to go wander off into a church where he wanted to be reborn. If his parents found out sooner this would stop at once.
To me, Ware is always swimming in deep water, he just keeps going down and down, making promises he cannot keep, doing things that he cannot achieve. He just keeps swimming deeper and deeper until he starts to run out of breath, he gets lost in the water. What's up or down anymore? Is he doing the right or wrong? He eventually gets stuck in a situation he can't escape; he denies help and keeps swimming helplessly under the water.
I had myself lost at the thought of Jolene, she hides her backstory throughout the story and even when she revealed her past, we still did not learn a lot, I want to know what really happened between Jolene and her parents. I spent long nights thinking about it and found Jolene is like a papaya, a hard outside which stands for her tough, brave personality but soft on the inside, sensitive, caring and kind. I feel that Here in the Real World had so much wasted potential and has not revealed enough throughout the story and desperately needs a sequel as there are so many unanswered questions and as an avid reader, I wouldn’t mind another great series to read.
I hope you can understand where I'm coming from, but I loved your book, and it was one of the best reads I've ever read.
Kind Regards,
Jai Chatterjee
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| Panni |
Dear Ms. Pennypacker,
I have been reading your book, Here in the Real World. In the book, Ware was having trouble fitting in at rec, even when he was little. I can very much relate to that! I’m always the odd one out, but there’s always someone with me as the odd one out!
My middle school life is honestly not as bad as I thought! I just came to a new school a few weeks ago. I think middle school is a LOT better than elementary school! First off, you get more choices and freedom during lunch time, not having to wait for everyone to finish lunch. Second, the lunch here is a lot better than the ones in elementary school. In case you’re wondering, I go to an international school in Beijing. And finally, I love the classes here! They are seriously a LOT better than the ones in elementary school! My favorite class is probably languages or English. I’m currently studying Spanish, which is difficult for me, even though I also studied it at my old school for five whole years. I feel like those five years were wasted, mostly because I was either doodling in my notebook during Spanish or thinking about what to eat for dinner.
Now I have a few questions for you! Starting with the most important one. How are you right now when you are looking at this letter? What made you want to be an author, who inspired you? Who was your favorite author when you were little? Is it the same author that is your favorite now? How do you find character names, do they just pop up in your head? Lastly, what are some writing tips you would recommend to people my age?
Sincerely, Panni
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| Aubrey |
Mrs. Pennypacker,
I am a very big fan of your books. My fifth grade teacher introduced me to Pax, then Here in the Real World. The release of Pax, Journey Home, gave me the perfect chance to give a signed copy to that very teacher. Even as a 7th grader, I am in love with your books. Will you be writing any more?
Sincerely your fan,
Aubrey |
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| Wayne Peterson, Durango CO |
DearSara, our granddaughter Jordyn just received an award for a bookmark based on Pax. This was through our local library, including a large poster copy of her bookmark and recognition from the City Council last week. If you send us an address we can send one to you. Both my wife and myself thoroughly enjoyed Pax1 and look forward to reading the sequel. Thanks so much for enriching all of our lives. Most sincerely, Wayne and Barb |
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| River |
Dear Ms. Pennypacker,
I am one of your fans! The first time I ever read one of your books I was in the car listening to Pax and enjoying the best book ever in the universe. I love to read that book over and over again and again. I hope someday you will come out with a movie about it.
What is the next book idea you might come up with? I thought maybe it could be about pax kids coming back to the kid. That's all if you do respond thank you.
From River
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| Paige |
Dear Sara Pennypacker,
My name is Paige. I am a 11-year-old in fallcreek. I'm writing to you because you're my favorite author. My teacher Mr. Ross said to pick an author to write to so I picked you.
I was really sad to see I couldn't send you an in-person written message but, at least I can write to you. I love your books but, I especially love Pax and Pax Journey Home. I love those books because foxes are my favorite animal and you're my favorite author. I remember when Pax saw Peter and when Peter saw Pax. It's like the time I first saw Xander (my friend.)
Right now I’m actually doing a book report on Pax Journey Home. I also remember the part when Pax goes to scout out the river but his kit follows him in and they both get sucked down toward the waterfall. Now, at home, I’m making a hot glue waterfall for my book report to show how Pax is a loving father and tried to save his kit.
Yesterday, I was wondering if there was going to be a Pax 3.
When I found out there wasn’t though I was so sad.
I appreciate you writing your books there awesome and I hope you keep writing Maybe you’ll even write another fox book. I hope you can get back to me.
Sincerely,
Paige
Paige A.
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| Grace |
Hi Mrs. Pennypacker! I am a huge fan of your book Pax. I am doing a book project on it and I just wanted to ask you how you came up with the idea and what was your inspiration for Pax. Thank you! |
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| Candace |
Dear Ms. Pennypacker:
After reading Pax in one sitting, I had a sudden craving for peanut butter 😊 You have a unique connection to the universe and a gift for sharing it. Thank you for doing so with such grace and sincerity. Candace
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