We are beyond excited for 2020 to celebrate The Adirondack Kids® 20th Anniversary with the release of our 20th book in 20 years AND with a special, expanded 20th Anniversary Edition of The Adirondack Kids® #1!
For about five years we have known what we hoped our twentieth book would be about, and for months had been reading books and lining up contacts all in preparation for a trip to do our ‘live’ research. We know not only what the Adirondacks look like, but what the Park sounds like, smells like, feels like and tastes like. But we were about to enter what for us would be some brand new territory.
Hurricane Dorian suddenly disrupted and changed our initial plans, but this was nothing compared to how the hurricane radically changed the plans and very lives of hundreds of residents and business owners at what was our original choice of setting: Ocracoke Island of North Carolina’s Outer Banks!
With rigid deadlines for writing and illustrating the new book we decided to set the story just north of Ocracoke on Hatteras Island of the Outer Banks. While Dorian left its mark on that island as well, there was still access. And that is where Carol and I (Gary) spent an amazing nine days exploring and photographing the land and seascape while interviewing the local people (birders, fishermen, gallery and restaurant owners, a bookstore owner and author of a regional series called, The Lighthouse Kids!) all of whom were so generous with their thoughts and time. (The pirates were a bit less cooperative)
A real highlight was the opportunity to interview a number of 4th and 5th grade students at the Cape Hatteras Elementary School! It was critical to our research to hear from children who lived on the island. This was a last-minute connection, and everyone we met at the school was so open and accommodating. It was a great and informative time and we will be scheduling a Skype visit with them soon. We can’t thank the staff and students at the home of the Tropical Storm enough!
So, what do Ocracoke and Hatteras Islands have to do with The Adirondack Kids®? Stay tuned during the weeks and months ahead!
Meanwhile, here are a few more photographs of our working vacation along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on Hatteras Island this mid-October including some possible reference shots for our illustrators (Carol VanRiper & Susan Loeffler).
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© 2019 Adirondack Kid Press, Ltd.
