Boy-with-book

Hurricane Katrina is more than a decade behind us, but Katrina  is ever present in New Orleans. Homes are still ragged and unlivable. Families are still displaced. Landscape is forever changed. Since Katrina, natural disasters have struck across the country (and the world) again and again. In fact, my family and home were at the center of the destruction of Tropical Storm Irene in Vermont in 2011.

How do we explain these disasters to children? How do we help them develop the empathy for people they see in need on the news? Can Another Kind of Hurricane inspire readers to help heal such a community? Oh, I hope so. I hope so with all my heart.

Projects

Reading fiction builds empathy.
How can we turn that empathy into action?
Here are some projects that I hope build connections between readers and communities:

Blue Jeans Drive: (Community Service Project)

bluejeans

Inspired by the characters' connection in Another Kind of Hurricane, this project encourages a school or other group to identify a sister classroom or group in an affected community and hold a blue jeans drive for that community. Families are asked to donate a pair of new or used jeans and leave something in the pocket (like a marble or letter) as a community-to-community connection.

Explore the project in this free guide.


Magic Marbles: (Art & Writing Project)

artmarble

The art and writing project asks readers to explore the ideas of Passion, Grit, Self-Discipline, and Curiosity, and finally how they come together to make Perseverance. That exploration in words and ideas is collaged into a plastic ball to make one’s own marble.

Explore the project in this free guide.


Books for Big Class: (donation project)

Readers all over the country are donating copies of Another Kind of Hurricane—as well as other vital books—to Big Class, getting meaningful stories directly into the hands of the children they represent. Big Class is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating and supporting the voices of New Orleans’ writers ages 6-18 through creative collaborations with schools and communities. Big Class offers a variety of free, innovative programs that provide under-resourced students with opportunities to explore their creativity and improve their writing skills.

What you can do: Readers all over the country are donating copies of Another Kind of Hurricane—as well as other vital books—to Big Class, getting meaningful stories directly into the hands of the children they represent. Learn more here.

If you’d like to help, HERE and HERE  are lists of wonderful diverse books. Choose one of these books or choose Another Kind of Hurricane. NOTE: When you buy a copy of Another Kind of Hurricane, you help New Orleans twice. With every copy of my book sold, a donation is made to lowernine.org.

Ship donated books to:
Big Class
attn: Kortney Morro
532 Louisa St.
New Orleans, LA 70117

Thank you!