violet

March 8, 2009

yr books r grat, the werewolf club meets dorkula

– That’s all that Violet, who is 6, had the patience to type herself. We are reading The Werewolf Club to her, and as you could guess, we are on the third volume. She also especially likes Irving and Muktuk and Henrietta the giant chicken. Several years ago, we were very fortunate to find a copy of Rainy Morning. I think we have read it ten thousand times out loud. Violet brings the Artsy Smartsy Club to Kindergarten so that her teachers can read it out loud to her and her friends. And this is after hearing it as a bedtime story a large number of times.

Thank you for writing so many oddly compelling stories.

Violet’s parents

Fabius

February 26, 2009

Dearest Amadeus,

Been a long time. I have finally located Stupar & Klein and will be in touch shortly. I have been saving up for a trek back east for another visit with your houseboy Wally and his lovely wife. Our last meeting was far too short. Nice people.

Have also recently completed reading Yggyssey. I must say things sound awfully familiar. I am currently living just a few blocks from the old Hermione. Would you like a picture? She still looks pretty good. Billy still comes around occasionally and complains about missing all the action from the old days. Gower Gulch still looks as rundown as ever but the donut shoppe on Vine has been taken over by Koreans. They’ve added kimchee to the menu.

Time to go. You stay well, please.

Fab Fab

Jadon

February 25, 2009

Dear Mr. Pinkwater-

I just got to read Young Larry, Bongo Larry and Ice Cream Larry tonight for the first time- we got them from the library. I thought they were good.

I have never seen a Lego Polar Bear but I would like to try to make one and name it Larry!

Jadon

Bill Jones

February 24, 2009

I wanted to let you know that you helped me out with a new dog I picked up at the shelter 8 years ago.

She was a Chocolate Lab who was on death row, on day 20 of a stay that was 21 days maximum.

I was looking for a dog to replace my first real dog, a runt Rotweiller mix I adopted as a pup who lived 12 years. I watched him waste away from cancer, and on the rebound I decided another dog was necessary.

This year old girl was absolutely the most beautiful and spirited creature I had ever seen. The staff at the shelter were pretty much afraid of her, and were amazed that she behaved with me. I did have to go back three times to finalize the adoption, they wanted to make sure I was ready to commit to what she needed.

When I got her home, I found out that she was impossible. She would stand in front of me barking and snarling and clicking her teeth at me. It seemed that her previous masters had never talked to her. When she would be bellowing at me for no reason, looking into her eyes reminded me of looking into the eyes of a lizard.

I despaired for weeks, feeling totally out of control of Koko.

There were some interesting facets of this dog. I wasn’t able to walk her for the first couple of weeks because she was recovering from kennel cough. The first time I took her out for a fast one mile walk, she heeled perfectly. I thought, whoever had this girl had her professionally trained. That was a guess. What I can know for certain based on reality is that after that first walk, she has never healed again.

All my friends who loved my old dog were either afraid of Koko, or concerned about my judgement

in keeping her. I despaired of ever having her under control, I ruined my knees trying to outmaneuver her on our walks, she was a terror.

About this time I heard you on Morning Edition telling the story of your husky girl. I figured that there was hope for my dog. I waited 3 months to get into classes a good school, and with their help, learned how to live with my girl. The most encouraging turn of the deadlock came when one of the teachers pointed out that Koko always looked to me for direction whenever we went through an excersize. Even though she has never been ideally behaved, and runs for hours through the streets of my semi suburban neighborhood with her adopted sister if the gate is left open, I love her more than any animal I’ve ever had. It helped that just when I was the most miserable with this idiotic choice I had made, I heard a voice of reason. She is the most fearless, energetic, and alive animal I’ve ever seen, and she is just now starting to slow down. It is such an ironic beauty that the arc of time that man’s best friend walks with us is so short. It would be cowardly not to invest a few years with such fine spirits, even though moments of heartbreak is the end. All our dogs live in our hearts forever, no matter how much time has passed since they lived.

Thanks for sharing your story with me.

Steve Crandall

February 24, 2009

Hello Daniel

I’m still trying to recover from your recent call to Car Talk. My people come from Montana and similar tricks are often used. Winter clothing and the preference towards very large Ford pickups present additional challenges.

A friend is at the other end of the scale and you might be interested in her plight. Young, thin, blonde, extremely athletic – oh … and she happens to be just under 6’7″ with a 40″ barefoot inseam.

Getting her in anything is a challenge. Her head hits door frames, plane seats don’t work — cars are … well.

I drive an Audi TT and she can fold into the passenger seat, but just barely. Driving it would be out of the question without a repair person to detach and reattach the steering wheel for entry and exit.

Colleen is a serious dog lover — here is her blog

(she’s over 6’6″ but rounds down … I guess that is less intimidating)

Keep up your wonderful work! My breathing has returned to normal.

best

Steve

mike popovic

February 24, 2009

In response to Linda L Carter’s message on January 17th, the story she is looking for is called “The Square World” and it can be found in the 1944 book “Walt Disney’s Surprise Package”. It looks pretty interesting!

www.2719hyperion.com/2007/06/walt-disneys-surprise-package-happy.html

I don’t know how I missed your books growing up, but my daughter and I are enjoying discovering them together.

Boa Olivia Pinkwater aka Zephyr Ava

February 23, 2009

I belong to a book club and I was the book choser this month. I chose The Neddiad so we could indoctrinate a future new member – Milla – age 10 (IQ 426). I read my first Pinkwater way back when I was still an old gal. It was Lizard Music – one of the best books of all time past, present and, of course, future. Now I’m a much, MUCH older gal and I still read your books.

BTW – those names above are fake. I don’t know if you could tell that or not. After we read Lizard Music we started our very own Pinkwater Society. As a member we had to take Pinkwater as our own. I think Boa Olivia Pinkwater was quite clever since it also had a reptilian reference. And the acronym was BOP. Although I must say that Avaritious suits me a little better (and you’d say the same if you ever met me).

Anyway, in closing and in conclusion, I just wanted to let you know that a bunch of long-timers were reading your book for our book club. And there was much excitement about getting to read a book by you. Book club tonight. I’m making Brown Derby Grapefruit Cake….

kathy

Mike Sweetman

February 22, 2009

Wow, I was driving home and cought car talk on NPR. I heard them mention DP and it brought back memories of grade school in Hoboken Nj and sending pennies for WHITE CASTLE burgers to DP. Im 36 now and live upstate. I never knew what you did with all those pennies. Im trying to remeber the teachers name but I cant. Anyway, jusat thought I would comment and see if you remeber anything about that. It had to be in the early 80s..Glad you found a car to fit into..Mike

Jadon

February 17, 2009

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

My name is Jadon and I will be 7 years old this Friday!! I like your books about Larry the Polar Bear. In the book “At the Hotel Larry”, why does Roy have a name and Bear #1 and Bear #3 do not?

I also love Legos!

Stephanie Wittcoff

February 8, 2009

Dear Mr. Pinkwater,

I am a 52 yar old child, and I love your books. My teenage sons and I discovered them in a diferent century, and we still refer to them when discussing favorite memories of nights gone by.

I am a teacher at the Bucks County Montessori Charter School, and my students also love your books. We are having way too much fun for school, reading “Blue Moose” aloud loudly. “I am not a tame moose,” is best when read aloudly.

I want to thank you for all the enjoyment you have given to me and the children I love.

Sincerly,

Stephanie Wittcoff

Walt Owen

February 4, 2009

Mr. Pinkwater,

I am a Science teacher. Every year each teacher has a class called “Silent Reading”. Since I think that students should be read to, regardless of grade, I make it a point to read at least three novels to my 8th-graders over the course of the school year. At least one of them will be a bok you wrote. “Alan Mendelson, the Boy From Mars” and “The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death” are perennial favorites.

Right now I’m reading them “The Neddiad”. They are really getting into it. One funny thing has happened during the course of the story. I was lucky enough to grow up near a theater that still did the kid’s Saturday Matinee, complete with a Republic Serial. I was able to relate my experiences to my students, to help them better understand what Neddie experienced.

About the fifth day of reading the story, the bell rang ending the class as usual and a student called out from the back of the room “Come back next week, for the next exciting chapter of… THE NEDDIAD!”

Thanks for making my days, and the days of my students, a little bit brighter.

Patricia Lundstrom

February 3, 2009

Mr. Pinkwater:

I just recently discovered Hoboken C.E. for my 8 y.o. son. It was a wonderful book, and, possibly based on the title alone, I went on to order 4 Novels and 5 Novels. I have simply buried my child in Pinkwater and am enjoying myself immensely. I mean, he can’t read them ALL at the same time, so we’re rotating the stock between us. Your vocabulary and rhythms are also a joy to read out loud.

The thing you do best, I think, is to set up the abnormal (or super-normal?) as normal and then take the story from there. You didn’t go into much detail about how odd and unbelievable it was that there was a 266 pound chicken walking around. It simply WAS, and you went on with the story. No time wasted on explaining Uncle Borgel’s time travel. That part wasn’t the story, it was simply a ground zero on which to start the adventure.

This is very sneaky, because as the reader, I am forced to come up with my own back story about why the professor was breeding super-fowl in his apartment. It doesn’t help the narrative, but it is an entertaining thought. Thus, you actually served up TWO stories for the price of one – and I had to write one of them in my head, although I gave you all the credit.

I am betting dollars to donuts that my son is not constructing a back story, but is using his extra time hoping against all hope that he will actually someday meet a 266 pound chicken.

Well done, and thank you.

Yours, Patricia Lundstrom and her fearless, book-mad son Nicholas

Kevin

February 3, 2009

Dear Daniel,

It is at least partially your fault: My daughter (who is fourth grader and has just turned ten) has been going around asking everyone to get her a “blue, smiling, Italian, mango-eating moose.” The blue adjective and the choice of herbivore are obvious. The mango-eating part probably comes from the basic fact that Mangoes are Good. Not sure where the Italian qualifier comes from; none of us speak Italian and we don’t drive Italian cars, though we do eat a significant amount of pasta. One thing, however, is apparent: My choice of reading material for my family has permanently warped my child’s sensibilities. I thank you for it.

-Kevin

lakshman joseph de saram

January 28, 2009

Dear Daniel,

I am Rohan Joseph’s younger brother Lakshman. I remember numerous times him talking nostalgically about the days you all spent together in NYC. I am glad I found you on the net today, because I have been looking far and wide for a book he gave me written by you in’81 titled the Wuggie Norple story. If i remember right, you had dedicated it to him. I am looking to buy that book now for my kids, any idea how I might go about it? Thank you, Lakshman.

pete frey

January 19, 2009

Hello Daniel,

I’ve often wondered why you are not credited as the narator of the movie “A Christmas Story” . One of the best aspects of this film is your signature voice.

Thanks so much for your reply,

Pete