Showing posts with label Heroes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heroes. Show all posts

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Davy, Davy Crockett...

Yee-haa!!! I'm Carl, the greatest blogger that ever sat in front of a computer screen! I'm half-horse, half- alligator, with just a touch of snappin' turtle! I can ride a streak of lightning, outgrin a hailstorm, shoot a rifle ball through the moon, and whip my weight in wildcats!!!

Well, do you really think I can do all that? Maybe not, but there was one American who said he could--the great Davy Crockett! He was the one who said all that (except the blogging part!) and, tarnation, I believe he could have done it! I'm writing about Davy today because I did a Heroes program about this true-life hero last Tuesday. He told a lot of tall tales about himself, which made him famous, but his real life was as great an adventure as any of his stories. He was born in 1796 to a poor backwoods family, had only 100 days of formal education in his whole life, and failed at every business he ever attempted, including farming. Yet this poor backwoodsman was elected to Congress three times, became a national celebrity, had magazines named after him, plays written about him, and he finally died a hero's death at the Alamo. The library has several copies of a book, Davy Crockett: Defender of the Alamo by William Sanford and Carl R. Green, that you ought to check out. Good information about the man behind the legend--and he really did live a larger-than-life story.

Davy told some very funny stories, especially about those about his being able to grin animals out of trees. His grin was so big and bright that critters, like raccoons, would just fall down dead into his sack--or his pot. Here's a picture of me as Davy and some kids from the program doing our best Davy Crockett grins.


Here's something new--a video! Here's Fess Parker, who played Davy in the great old Disney series, singing the famous theme song. (whole generations grew up singing this):



Click here to see a very funny video of the Kentucky Headhunters singing the same song.

OK, my friend Alan Silberberg, the Pond Scum author, wrote me a couple of weeks ago and asked me (and Bill) to write 5 things about ourselves. Well, you've heard one today--I think Davy Crockett was one of the greatest Americans who ever lived.

PS--Bill is back. We'll tally the votes and hope to post them soon.


Friday, January 4, 2008

Don't Forget Our Contest!

It's Carl, reminding you of a few things:

Don't forget our contest to win a free T-shirt from Rick Riordan, the Percy Jackson man. It will go to the boy who sends the most comments about books by January 21. Here's what the shirt looks like:
Pretty cool, huh? It could be yours! Write to us! And if you live in the Charlotte area, come and pick up at Imaginon at our Get to Know Heroes and Villians Festival on January 22. It will be great--lots of activities, games, crafts, and more. Lots of fun! (and it's on a teacher workday)

Also, if you get the chance, Bill and I are doing a couple of Get to Know...Heroes programs. I'm going to do one on Bellerophon and the Pegasus this Tuesday (January 8) at 2 pm. Bill will do one on Beowulf on Tuesday, January 15 at the same time. Call 704-973-2720 to register. You have to be 7-11 years old to come to these two programs, but you can be any age to come to the festival.

I've noticed that the list of posts from 2007 doesn't come down month by month like it did before 2008, but, if you want to read what we and your fellow boys have written last year, cllick on the triangle next to 2007 and the months will drop down and you can go back and see.
OK? Have a good weekend and let us hear from you!

Monday, December 31, 2007

Happy New Year!

Best wishes to one and all for a Happy New Year from Bill and me. Darth Bill is not here today; he's probably on some distant planet on the galactic rim, undergoing sith training for when he has to face all these heroes who'll come the Get To Know...Heroes programs and festival in January. Anyway, we have a new year starting tomorrow and a new comment from a new friend today. His name is Cab. He's 6 and I think he needed some help.

OK, We are new to this! My six year old son was trying to post a comment about the book Dinotopia. I think we actually created a blog on Dinotopia. Whew, this would have been easier! Anyway, here is his review:
Bix was a dinosaur. They were at a beach. The sand was yellow. The name of the book is Dinotopia. Cab, Age 6

Thanks, Cab! Good work! Come in and get your free book! I've always wanted to read a Dinotopia book. Maybe I wll now. Have any of you other guys read any of them?
Have a good 2008!
Carl

PS--It's still not too late to tell us about your favorite books of 2007!
PPS--You are the first one to be entered in our free T-shirt contest!. The boy who writes the most comments about books will win a free T-shirt like the one on our December 28 psot.