Friday night I got to hear Nicholas Sparks speak at North Central High School in Indianapolis.  I was looking forward to hearing him because I am a fan of his books, but I was impressed with him as a speaker and person as well as a writer.  He was very entertaining and funny as he told his story about how he became a writer.  No, he did not dream of being a writer as a kid.  Instead he dreamed of running track in the Olympics.  After running track in high school, he won a full athletic scholarship to Notre Dame and set the school record (that still stands today) as part of the 4 by 800 relay team.  An injury his freshman year ended his track dreams.  He wrote a novel that summer because his mother was tired of him moping around.  That one didn’t go anywhere.

     He majored in business and bounced around in different jobs after graduating.  One day he woke up and realized that he had lived the past twelve years without working toward any dreams.  He decided to seriously pursue writing a novel.  He wrote a story inspired by his wife’s grandparents–it became The Notebook.  He’s been writing ever since–not romances, but love stories. 

     I was even more impressed by how he gives of himself.  With so many best-selling novels and movie adaptations, he could live a life of luxury.  Instead he coaches track at a public high school in New Bern, NC.  The track team he coaches brought home four individual championships at the last national track meet.  He enourages the boys he coaches to pursue their dreams and helps make it possible.  He has even had some of the boys move in with him and his family when they had nowhere else to go.  Many of the track team members go on to college with scholarships.  He and his wife also started a private Christian school in New Bern.  I wonder if I could teach there?

     I wish many of you could have been there to hear him.  I did learn, though, that the Marion County Public Library sponsers a writer to speak every year.  Past speakers have included Eric Carle, Gary Paulsen, E.L. Konigsburg, and many others.  I plan on keeping my eyes open for next year’s guest writer.  Maybe I’ll find out about it early enough to plan a field trip.

Last night I went to hear Wally Glover speak at the library about his trip to hike to Base Camp on Mount Everest.  It seemed fitting since several books about climbing Everest have come across my path this year.  The first one is John Krakauer’s Into Thin Air.  Krakauer was on Everest in May of 1996, one of the deadliest days in Everest’s history.  Ten people died on the mountain during a huge storm, including two expedition guides.  As a journalist, Kraukauer gives him impressions of what decisions may have lead to the tragedy.  It is an exciting description of the courage and strength that mountain climbers must possess to survive the trek through the dead zone at the top of the mountain–5 1/2 miles above sea level. 

The second book is Mark Pfetzer’s My Everest Story.  Pfetzer was the youngest person, age 16, to attempt to summit Mt. Everest.  His first attempt was in May of 1996.  The storm that killed ten climbers kept him in Base Camp 4 and prevented him from climbing the summit.  He tried again next year, but had to turn around short of the summit.  Even though he didn’t make it to the top of the world, he holds the records for being the youngest to summit several other challening mountains.  His story shows what you can accomplish with enough determination. 

I have both books in my room.  I highly recommend them for incredible, real life adventure.