Ann Martin Bowler

Travels in Asia,

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:12:00 +0000

My granddaughter, Alma, is one of the happiest people
I know. She particulary enjoys playing with balls.

Nazla's first time behind the wheel.

I recently returned from two wonderful weeks in Indonesia. Trip highlights were playing soccer, reading and hanging out with my grand kids, taking Nazla on her first spin behind the wheel and other perfectly delightful grandmotherly duties and helping my son and daughter-in law at their farm. I found a way to pack in numerous rewarding book ventures and I even found time to do a bit of writing. No wonder I was tired when I got home!

My grandson, Howi, is quite a lively fellow.
He always has something going on.

What did I write? I put the finishing touches on my next book, King of the Jungle. I’m not going to give the plot away just yet but it’s sufficient to say that it’s my most kid-pleasing book to date and I am delighted about that. The 3rd-5th grade students from Global Jaya International School in Jakarta were astonishingly enthusiastic about the story, especially since it was sans pictures; this eager group of kids was kind enough to give me some valuable feedback about the tale’s ending. Thank you, kids! What’s more, King of the Jungle quickly became my grandson Howi’s favorite book, despite the lack of illustrations and his fairly typical 4-year-old attention span. I can’t wait to see this book in print!

It was extra special to be there for Nazla's 11th birthday
celebration!

Another highlight: Watching my son Jocean teach his kids the
same things we taught him.

I very much enjoyed telling stories to the children at the YAT
community center!

I so enjoyed doing presentations at this year’s Ubud Writers Festival. What I enjoyed most was the fact that for the first time, public school, not just children who attend private schools, came from great distances to attend the festival.

Story reading fun!

These students traveled from West Java to attend the conference.

These students and their teachers were delighted, no ecstatic, to be at the festival attending workshops on books. For, you see, it was the first time many of these kids had traveled by airplane anywhere as well as the first time they atteneded a book festival.

It warms my heart to see these kids enthusiasm for
books- and for life.

One classroom's library.

I got the sense that these students were absorbing everything they could from the festival. I gave one of their teachers a copy my book- you would have thought I had given him gold.

Why was that teacher so excited? These photos might give you a good idea. They were taken in the village school in Chimaliti, just down the hill from my son’s farm located 1 ½ hours south of Jakarta. The photo shows one classroom’s entire collection of books. This school has no library, and sad to say, neither does Chimilati or the larger town nearby. For you see, Indonesia has no public library system. This small shelf of books (and there were no great reads in the stack, I promise) are pretty much the only books available for the students in this classroom.

Can you imagine? It’s why I am such a fan of Room to Read which has built 12,074 libraries and distributed 9.4 million books in developing Asian and African nations. I encourage you to check out their work!

The school in Chimalati

The students from Global Jaya School offered great feedback on my new book.

I also enjoyed spending time at Global Jaya International School during their book week. The week’s theme was “One World, Many Stories;” one day everyone dressed up in clothing from other lands which created quite a colorful display of cultures. They had four authors visiting for the week and all kind of special book-related activities. Thanks to Librarian, Deborah Cholesy, who created quite a motivating week for Global Jaya students!

Librarian, Deborah Clohesy, put together an amazing book week for the students of Global Jaya International School.

And finally, I was delighted to see the progress that’s been made at my son Jocean's organic farm, Lodges Ekologika, which is slowing being developed into a farmstay and a place to host workshops on the environment. What makes this farm so special is that everything being used to build the farm’s buildings has been produced locally or is from reused materials.

The entry hallway.

This includes the Javanese teak buildings that have become the guest cottages, the gorgeous antique teak furniture they’ve refurbished and even the plumbing fixtures. Jocean and his wife Ayu are developing a unique and beautiful farm stay that destined to become a popular destination, especially because it’s located up the side of a mountain where it is cool and quiet.

Furniture in the process of being restored.

I read The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, a Memoir by Bill Bryson during my trip. Bryson is a fine storyteller; his stories always make me laugh, but this book, a memoir about his childhood growing up in the 1950’s in Iowa, hit a special cord with me. He wrote about how simple life was in America during the 1950’s, and about how happy people were during this time period. He lamented that in America today, we have more, we expect more, but we aren’t necessarily any happier for all our possessions.

And so, as I traveled in Indonesia, I studied life in this swiftly growing economy and this crowded equatorial nation. There’s was much food for thought. First of all, Indonesian food is delicious and abundant; I am a special fan of their fresh fruits- you’ve never tasted anything as good as a tree-ripened Indonesian mango. And their jungle landscape is stunningly different from California’s dry environs - it’s so lush that plants literally grown out of the walls. This lushness allows many people to gather wonderful foods, stunning flowers and other items that make their lives simple and rich. But it’s the Indonesian people that I am endeared to and fascinated by most.

They are surprisingly kind; they seemed to be filled with such a relaxed, contented energy, even when there are few books in their classroom or other challenges that we would squawk mightily and justifiably about.

I’ll give you an example- The people in Jakarta squeeze their cars into crazy small spaces as they try to make headway in their sometimes horrible traffic jams.

But they make room for others and they rarely get peeved even when someone cuts them off. Indonesians may break many of our traffic regulations but they do it with gracefulness and with patience, that it’s always a shock to return to California highways. Inevitably, on one of my first days back in California, I’ll make a small, jet-lag induced, traffic error and it never fails, horns blare for the longest of time. I want to tell these short-tempered Californians, “Listen buddy, why don’t you visit Jakarta? You’ll see you’ve got little to complain about here.”

Reading Bryson’s book, I couldn’t help but draw comparisons between life in the 50’s in the U.S. and life in today’s Indonesia. Many Indonesians honestly don’t have that much and until recently, they didn’t expect to have much. But Indonesia’s economy is growing and as it grows, more Indonesians are gaining the ability to buy goods and become a part of the consumer world. This is obviously a good thing in many ways but I just hope that Indonesian will able to retain the relaxed, contented energy that I admire so much.

A few more family highlights inclded going to the Bali Safari Park with
Jocean, Ayu, Howi and the gang and some airport antics.

Strong press for All About Korea, Stories, Songs, Crafts and More!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 21:02:00 +0000

My latest book, All About Korea, Stories, Songs, Crafts and More is receiving lots of postive press. Below and to the left are links to a few of the articles. I hope you enjoy them!

Naver, Korea's largest news portal

Choson Daily, Korea's largest newspaper

Loomis News

Granite Bay View

KAAN Conference - A Letter to an Adoption Nation

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 16:24:00 +0000

I attended the KAAN ( Korean American Adoptee Adoptive Family Network) conference, held last weekend in Atlanta, Georgia. KAAN was founded by my dear friend, Chris Winston. I've heard about the conference for many years but I've never been able to attend. I am grateful I was finally able to participate in the conference.

The conference was amazing! I enjoyed sharing my new book All About Korea and what I know about how adoptees and their families can "Create Authentic Connections to the Korean Culture." But even more, I was honored to be able to get to know many wonderful adoptees, their parents and siblings. I found the experience to be educational, thought-provoking and moving.

Next year’s conference will be held in Albany N.Y. on July 27th-29th. You can learn more about KAAN and their annual conference at www.KAANet.org or an facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kaanet?sk=wall. Check it out!

The poem below was written by a very talented young man, Stephen Johnson. It tells of the complexity, power and potential surrounding adoption. Stephen wrote the poem during the conference and we were fortunate that he was willing to share it with all conference attendees. It is well worth the read!

Letter to an Adoption Nation

By Stephen Johnson

Let me begin
With all my adoptee friends here
I think its funny that we barely knew each other
But it feels like we have the same exact mother
Blood brothers, join hands
And support one another
Blood sisters, join hands
And hold up each other
Let’s start a revolution of love
Because we know what its like
To be lost in the night

So, all who are able
Lets join hands with others
Who have no mothers
Brothers who have no others
And those who live at the margins
Because we’ve been there too
Sittin on the side of hurt avenue

This one goes out to all those birthmothers
You’re not alone, even though stones get thrown
And you never feel known
Because of some militarized zone that you feel in your bones
You aren’t perfect
I know you’ve been wrong
But who hasn’t?
You are strong
A survivor of systems stacked against you
Structures in place to displace
The only face you can’t forget
And I know you remember

And to the adopted parents out there
I know we sound angry at times, and I’m sorry
Just don’t give up on us
Even though we fuss and never shut up
About taking your kids to culture camp
You need us
And we need you
To be allies in a world
That defiles and lies
I’m on your side

To all those real Koreans out there
It may be news to a few
But I’m a real Korean too
I love gimbap, dolsot bimbimbap
I’ve even worn a hanbok
But more than that

We’re family

We’re all family
We’ve all got pain the size of a peninsula
Sometimes we keep moving just to move
But please don’t give up.
Even though the ground is dry and the grass is dead
There’s hope on the other side

So let’s start a revolution
Breaking down barriers
Of injustice, oppression, dejection,
And all those ‘ism’s that divide like prisms
Racism, ageism, sexism, narcissism

Let’s join hands and show the world
What their dreams can look like
And if the world tells you that you’re too small
That we can’t make a difference
Trust me seven billion people CAN be wrong

TV Interview/ Come on out to the Pacific Rim Festival!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Tue, 17 May 2011 03:59:00 +0000

Below is my recent TV interview on ABC. I talked with Sacramento and Company's Guy Farris about my latest book, All About Korea, Stories, Songs, Crafts and More. I hope you enjoy my TV debut!

http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=137346

Come on out to the awesome celebration of Asian cultures, the Pacific Rim Festival! It will be held on Sunday, May 22nd from 10:00 am to 5:00pm in Old Town Sacramento.

I will be there signing All About Korea and my other books. I hope to see you there!

TV interview!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Tue, 10 May 2011 04:01:00 +0000

I'm going to be interviewed on TV on Wednesday, May 11th between 9:00 and 10:00 am. I will be talking about my new book, All About Korea. Tune in if you can! The interview will be on Channel 10, Sacramento and Company, Sacramento/Stockton

For you out of towners, you can watch the show LIVE from your computer. It will be streaming online at www.sacandco.net. Just click “Watch Live.”

Or... you can watch the interview by searching the archives at www.sacandco.net. Look for the "All About Korea" segment aired on May 11th.

Tune in, then let me know what you think!

Book Launch for All About Korea, Stories, Songs, Crafts & More

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:13:00 +0000

My new book, All About Korea, Stories, Songs, Crafts & More is now available. Will you help me launch my new book? I will be doing a fun, interactive storytelling of a silly yet thoughtful Korean tale. If you’re game, you’ll get to read the role of the naughty frogs or the ever loving mother frog! Kids will play a variety of frog instruments and we'll all become croakers. (You never know where life's going to take you!)

Here’s the details:
Thursday April 28th at 7:00 pm.
at Barnes and Noble
Eastridge Shopping Center
2200 Eastridge Loop Space #1420
San Jose CA 95122

And if you are attending the amazing LA Times book festival this weekend, I’ll be signing books there both days. I’ll be signing in Asian American Curriculum Project’s booth (#112) from 1-2:30 and Kinokuniya’s booth (#190) from 2:30-4:00 on both Saturday and Sunday. Stop by and see me; I’d love to see you!

A New Book's Coming, Lovely School Visits and Favorite Books!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 21:36:00 +0000

I am delighted to announce that my latest book, All About Korea, Stories, Songs, Crafts and More, will be released in the U.S. in mid-March. All About Korea takes you to meet Korea's people, places, and traditions. With dozens of stories, games, recipes and activities, readers will learn the most fun and fascinating things about Korea, from the countryside to the busy city like Seoul.

My two youngest children, Sarah and Jacob, were adopted from Korea. I believe it’s important for each of us to know our about cultural heritage, but it's especially important for those who were adopted from another country. Thus our family has gone out of our way to make Korean friends and to learn about the Korea and its culture. Writing this book was extra special for me; Korea became our dinnertime conversation, Jake helped with the development of the book’s crafts and Sarah helped with the recipes.

Educators and librarians, take note! During my lively, interactive All About Korea assembly, students will learn about Korea’s daring favorite games, unique holiday traditions and participate in the reading of a silly yet thoughtful Korean tale. But the All About Korea assembly doesn’t just celebrate the wonderful Korean culture, it celebrates all cultures of the world. Thus this delightful assembly meets the #1 National Social Studies Standard: Cultural Understanding! Contact me at abowler@surewest.net to schedule a visit your school or library.

To learn about my other story readings and workshops, visit http://www.annmartinbowler.com/. Learn more about All About Korea at: https://peripluspublishinggroup.com/tuttle/shopping/product_details.php?id=9780804840125

The next school I visited was anything but small! My days at the Taipei European School were absolutely fascinating! Located in the heart of Taipei, Taiwan's bustling capitol city, the Taipei European School, better known as "TES," has more than 1,100 students from over 50 countries. TES offers instruction in English, French and German, though many other languages are spoken on the campus. The TES students that I polled speak an average of three languages a piece! Talk about a multicultural education!

Below are photos, letters and even a newspaper created by TES students about my school visits.

Whenever I visit schools, I ask children, "What is your favorite book?" Some hands shoot up but others don't seem to have a favorite. So I always tell kids, "Find a book that you love! There is a book for everyone. Keep searching until you find that favorite type of book because books can take you anywhere you want to go!" My grandchildren, not surprisingly, are turning into reading nuts. I've put photos of them and their favorite books at the bottom of the page. I hope you enjoy my blog!

The primary students from Garden Valley School very much enjoyed participating in the Gecko's Complaint story reading.

My friend Susan came dressed for the occasion. She made a fine Emperor!

The middle grade students at Garden Valley School studied explorers, which is what prompted my visit. They knew an impressive amount about the Treasure Fleet voyages and they asked many great questions.

Thanks to the students from Garden Valley School for their wonderful letters. Here are a few of them:

Dear Annie Bowler,
I really loved the story of the Adventures of the Treasure Fleet. It was stupendous! I really liked the funny and weird instruments.
Sincerely,
Zacheriali J.

Dear Annie Bowler,
Thank you for coming to our class to talk to us and read to us. I loved how you let us play the instruments and how you found the diaries from people 600 years ago. Thank the illustrator for her nice drawings.
Sincerely,
Rachel S.

Dear Annie,
Thank you so much for coming to our class. The instruments were interesting. I've never seen anything like them. It's also interesting that you travel a lot. The book, Adventures of the Treasure Fleet was well written. I hope I can read, All About Korea when it comes out. I am so glad you came!
Sincerely,
Larissa

Students from 50 different nations attend TES.

A happy group of successful performers. T.E.S. teacher, Mr. Michael Smith, did a particularly fine job playing the bull roarer!

Just like anywhere, the parents at Taipei European School want their children to be successful in school. Many parents came out to hear my thoughts on how to help your children be successful in school.

Interestingly, the sixth grade students at TES were also studying explorers, which is what prompted my visit. They too asked many wonderful questions, wanting to clearly understand the details of that went on 600 years ago in Asia.

Thank you to the students of Mr. Fagg's 6th grade class for the three amazing newspapers articles they created. Keep searching for those accurate facts, kids!

My grandson Howi's favorite book is Dinotrux by Chris Gall. The book has so caught Howi's imagination, he searches for "dinotruxs" everywhere he goes!

My granddaughter Nalza loves to take care of her little sister, Alma Rose. Nazla is always up for some fun. It comes as no surprise to me that Nazla loves the Boxcar Children books, the classic series about four siblings who take wonderful care of one another while having some real adventures.

Reflections on Bali & Introducing Alma Rose

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 23:02:00 +0000

I've been thinking about my experiences on Bali, about why this little island attracts so many people. What makes it so special? Certainly, the amazing scenery, the sun and the surf are all factors. But I've come to believe that it's the Balinese people, and their palatable spiritual energy, that draws people to Bali. During my recent visit, I had a chance to explore their way of life. This is a bit of what I learned:

Most Balinese live with their family for their entire lives. Each walled family compound has enough small homes for each nuclear family, a centrally located, shared, open-air kitchen, areas for livestock and a garden and most notably, a temple that is strictly for their family’s use.

Home of a family's elders

Senior family members live in the compound’s nicest, and physically highest, home. Though females generally move to their husband’s home upon marriage, males stay in their parent’s compound for life. Family members eat together on special occasions but on regular days, each nuclear family eats by themselves.

Family members gather in their temple three times a day to pray. The Balinese firmly believe that their ancestor’s spirits reside in their family’s temple thus family temples are vitally important to the Balinese. And so, regardless of income level, family temples are remarkably elaborate. The Balinese believe that when someone prays in their temple, they are not only praying to their Gods, they are also beseeching their ancestors for guidance and care. This belief drives most Balinese to live with their family in their compound for their entire life, to destroy the family’s temple if they move, and to build a new temple at their new home. If a family member moves away for work or marriage, they return home regularly to visit their family and to pray.

Large numbers of Balinese gather regularly for weddings, funerals and spiritual festivals in village temples, community temples and public temples. Gedi Widianta, the wonderful driver who taught me about Bali’s form of Hinduism, estimated that there are more 1 million temples on the island of Bali. Though no one knows the exact number, temples are everywhere across Bali!

Balinese prayers do not stop at the temple gates. Every day, most Balinese make “offerings.” They make offerings by placing rice and flowers in a small, hand-made woven basket, which they reverently set on the street, the dash of a car, or in front of a statue or business. Some make offerings of beautiful arrangements of flower petals. From what I understand, it’s the act of offering that is important. So if the dog eats the rice two minutes after an offering has been made, no one worries; the offering has already been heard.

I read the phrase “All of life is your offering” painted in colorful letters on the side of a barn. Gedi explained that these words explain why the Balinese pray so much, as well as why they are always happy to help others - it’s their offering.

The fact that generations of family members choose to live together in the same location, and that neighbors, whole villages, have known one another, have helped one another, and have prayed together for generations is simply remarkable. I can’t help to think that these deep bonds change the way a person lives, how lives are played out. It’s fascinating to witness the ramification of so many long term friendships, such strong communities and of communities that pray together so often. The Balinese people might not have much in terms of wealth, but they are truly rich in spirit!

Jakarta Time and Introducing Alma Rose

From Bali, I headed to Jakarta, an absolutely massive, crowded, fascinating city. But it’s my second home, due to the fact that my oldest son, Jocean, his wife, Ayu and their two children, Nazla and Howi, live there. Their third child, Alma Rose Maharani, arrived on October 18^th, healthy as can be. I think Alma going to be a very kind girl; she must have known that I had to go home in early November so she came two weeks early so we could spend a bit more time together. I feel so blessed to have had extra time to spend with perfect little Alma. It was also special to watch her family interact with and to get to know this new, tiny person!

It’s fun to watch the enormous impact a tiny, 6 1/2 pound person can have on the people around them! Alma is 3 weeks old now. I thought you would enjoy my son’s recent report,

“…..Ms. Alma finally showed signs of sleeping at the proper hour last night. She is doing well, rounding out about the upper cheeks/temples, actually

considered naming her Alma-hungry-mungry, starting to smile and getting rather noisy. Still tiny, but growing quickly, avoided the flu that all the rest of us got, it seems. The combination of heavy antibacterial milk intake and her setting the rest schedule for herself in total disregard for all other family members seems to be treating her well...Oh! It appears she heard these complaints, time to grab her!"

Besides spending time admiring and tending to Alma and hanging out with with Howi and Nazla, I was able to celebrate Halloween with them, Jakarta-style. This means that we had a lot of fun dressing up and prowling about but not a lot of luck in the candy and trick-or-treating departments. The evening's highlight was having dinner in a mall restaurant. Folks thought our duck/dinosaur/p.j/old hippie clad crew were truly crazy Americans! Lots of stares...

I also had time to work with my son at his organic farm and soon-to-be-open farm stay, Lodges Ecologicia. I got to help arrange furniture in the main buildings, one of my favorite activities. They are creating quite a place there, a true refuge for those wishing to escape the Jakarta scene. I can’t wait until it’s open in earnest!

While in Jakarta, I spent time at two schools, Global Jaya International School and Jakarta Montessori School. I had a fabulous time at each school. I would like to thank Carol Engmann and Deborah Clohesy for inviting me to their schools. A few photos from those visits are below.

All hands up at Jakarta Montessori!

Miss Noni's preschoolers may be small, but they are good listeners!

Cute kids, especially the one to my left, who happens to be my grandson, Howi!

I had a wonderful day at Global Jaya International School, which has 700 students and is located in West Jakarta.

Whenever I spend time in schools, I tell students, "Find books that you love! Books can take you anywhere you want to go! Adventures of the Treasure Fleet takes you back 600 years to explore a fascinating piece of Asian history, Gecko's Complaint takes you to a Balinese rain forest that's packed with foolish animals, while fantasies take you to places that don't even exist! There are books on every topic, so no matter what you enjoy, what you are interested in, there's a book for you. Go to your library and find that special book because..... books can take you anywhere!"

Luckily, the students at Jakarta Montessori and Global Jaya International Schools have great libraries to utilize. I wish all Indonesian children were so lucky!

I had one last snuggle with Alma Rose before heading home.

Time with Bali's Children

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 04:59:00 +0000

I spent last week on Bali, Indonesia's famous vacation destination. Bali is known for its friendly, relaxed atmosphere, its stunning rain forest to rice field landscapes, challenging surfing and amazing dive locations. As you may have understood if you've read the book, Eat, Pray, Love, Bali is also known as a spiritual place, a place that seekers of many kinds flock to, especially when their chips are down. I have been to Bali many times, but this was the first time I traveled there alone. This visit gave me the opportunity to get a better read on what makes Bali so special. More on this topic soon.

All activities at Yayasan Anak Community Center, located in Bali's Guwang Village, begin with a prayer. The prayer before my story reading was devoutly lead by an eight year old boy.

I went to Bali to participate in one of its finest events: the Ubud Writer's and Reader's Festival. 135 authors from 27 nations presented at the festival which was attended by thousands. The festival offers so much- workshops on travel writing, writing for the media, editing and publishing, writing a memoir, a short story or a novel, as well as the opportunity to hear many fascinating authors speak. The festival has a decidedly adult focus, but there were numerous story readings for children. And that's where I came in.

Being one of the few children's writers that participated in the festival, I was kept quite busy! But I didn't mind at all. I spent time at two wonderful international schools, did storytellings at numerous community centers, places that are similar to America's Boy's and Girl's Clubs, and a reading at Periplus bookshop.

I always love reading my books with kids. But my readings in Balinese community centers were extra special for me. Why? All these readings were bilingual and bilingual readings are always a bit of an adventure. But that wasn't the main reason. It was the kids. They came from local Indonesian schools, schools that don't have much in the way of materials, books or guests speakers. I am sure these kids have never seen anything like me- a crazy American woman dramatically telling a story and asking them to play some kind of odd musical instrument! The children were transfixed! When the story reading was over, they just didn't want to go home. This was especially true of the older children, who came entirely of their own accord; they soaked up every word I said. Their eyes were so bright when I talked about the power that books can have in their lives. Those moments were so dear, they brought tears to my eyes. Below are pictures from all my readings on Bali. Enjoy!

A bit of fun in the Pondok Pekak Library, located in the arts community of Ubud.

Most Indonesian communities don't have libraries, something we take granited in America. Though anyone can read in Ubud's small library, one must pay a deposit to take books home. But the librian sadly informed me sadly, the deposit is too expensive for many Indonesian families.

The children of Guwang village were great listeners.

They probably thought I was a bit crazy, but the kids from Guwang seemed to enjoy every minute of the story readings.

Chunggu Community School students may have been dressed like their favorite storybook character, but that didn't stop them from participating in the story reading!

These are some of the eager kids who came to the Pondok Pekak Library in Ubud for my first ever bilingual reading of Adventures of the Treasure Fleet. Whenever I talk with children, I always encourage them to read. I tell them, "Read books that you enjoy because books can take you anywhere you want to go!" However seeing how eager Indonesian children are to learn while knowing that they have very limited access to books, made my readings on Bali especially poignant!

I enjoyed getting to know the fabulous interpreter, Alex Ryan, and her family. Thank you to Alex, Pauline, Gustra, Margareth, Caroline and all the festival volunteers who helped with my story readings! You were awesome!

Superman, Dorthy and other favorite book characters played the musical instruments during Gecko's Complaint readings at Changgu Community School.

The Ubud Writer's and Reader's Festival was begun in part to promote literacy throughout Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Many schools take advantage of the Festival by encouraging their students to attend story readings and by celebrating books in a variety of fun ways at their schools while the Festival is going on.

Fun was had by all at the the Pondok Pekak Library.

The kids enjoyed the songs.

The treats were greatly appreciated by youngsters who attended my Periplus bookstore reading.

The adults enjoyed the songs too, especially Margareth, who has quite a dramatic flare!

Margareth is a gifted interpreter. She flew in from Jakarta to take part in the Festival. Margareth's story is an interesting one; she is one of four sisters who developed a love books because of their mother who wouldn't allow them to watch TV or wander out in their village much. However, their mom loved books and learning and she shared her passion with her daughters.

Wonderful School Visits and a Lively Cultural Fair!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 21:55:00 +0000

The school year has started off with a bang. I've already visited a number of schools and have presented at the lively Chinese Cultural Faire held in Sacramento's historic Chinatown. Now I'm packing my bags as I will soon head to Indonesia. I'm presenting at and attending the Ubud Writer's Festival in Bali, doing school visits to Indonesian school and......(most importantly) spending time with my oldest son and his family and sharing in the arrival of their youngest child. Whew! What a month!

Below are pictures from my visit to the warm and friendly Dudley Elementary and from the lively cultural fair, as well some really sweet letters from the students of Dudley Elementary.

Thank you for the letters kids! I loved them all, even though I only posted a few!!!!! Remember, book can take you anywher.  If you send me an email about the kind of books you enjoy reading or what you are writing about and I'll promise to write you back. My email address is abowler@surewest.net.

Dear Ann Martin Bowler,
          Thank you for coming to our school today. I liked the story Adventures of the Treasure Fleet. My favorite part is when the animals got to China. The one instrument I likes was from Java. I liked how the Emperor told us to say, "Yes, your magesty!" I also likes it when they had a celebration.
                                                              your fan,
                                                               Bensen
Dear Ann Martin Bowler,
           Thank you for coming to our school toady. I thought your story was very good! You are righht, book can take you anywhere you want to go. My favorite part was when you had my teacher Ms. Wosax on the stage playing a character. That was super funny, but she did a good job, don't you think? I am very happy you came. I am typing a story on the computer now. I'm more inspired to do my story.                                                                                    Your fan, Seraiyah

Dear Annie, Thank you for coming to our school today. We really liked the story. Er liked the way you let us play with the instruments. And we all enjoyed the play you played. We want to hear that story again! Thank you for everything!

Sincerly, Tania

Come On Out to a Chinese Cultural Faire!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:24:00 +0000

I will be doing readings of Adventures of the Treasure Fleet this Sunday, Sept. 19th at 12:30 & 2:30pm during Sacramento's Chinese Cultural Fair. This fun, free cultural fair is from 11-4 in the historic Chinatown Mall, located between 3rd & 5th St. & I & J Streets in Sacramento. For more information go to:
http: //www.yeefow.com/culturefair/index.html

See you there!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:10:00 +0000

I'm heading to Bali in October to present at the Ubud Writer's Festival. I can't wait! It's considered one of the best book festivals in the world and I've dreamed of going to this festival for many years. I'll be doing school and bookstore readings as well. To top it off, I'll then head to Jakarta to be there when my new granddaughter is born. Life is good!

This bit just came in over the wire:
California-born author, Ann Martin Bowler, has written many books for children on multicultural or environmental topics. Ann’s book, Adventures of the Treasure Fleet, was awarded Taiwan’s highest children’s book award in 2009. An educator for many years before becoming a writer, Ann’s goal is to create books and story readings that are lively, interactive, fun and educational. Her website is www.annmartinbowler.net

If you want to learn more about the festival, follow this link! http://ubudwritersfestival.com/writer/anne-martin-bowler>

Two Asian Festivals & Some Food for Thought

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Wed, 26 May 2010 19:26:00 +0000

It's been a busy week! I camped in Yosemite for five days with my son Jacob's sixth grade class. At left are the hearty 12-year-olds who made it to the top of Yosemite falls. It was a tough hike but the view was absolutely amazing!
Yosemite is spectacular this spring! I could feel the ground shaking at night from all the water falling down the mountains. I can't wait to go back!

On Saturday, I participated in the Asian Pacific American Authors Celebration in Foster City. Young and old, it was a delightfully enthusiastic crowd. A special thanks to Sophie Wong, Mas Hongo and Philip Chin for their help with this fun reading!

I would like to acknowledge Florence and Mas Hongo for their tireless work encouraging multicultural understanding through literature. As the pair that created and has supported the Asian American Curriculum Project for more than thirty years, you are inspirations to me! Thanks to Leonard Chan, Martin Jung and all of the AACP's volunteers for your work as well!

Then on Sunday, I participated in Sacramento's Pacific Rim Festival. I was delighted to see so many folks in Old Town Sacramento enjoying Asian food and culture. I had many young readers fascinated by my books and musical instruments. I also enjoyed meeting Liz Wong, who recently traveled to the Treasure Fleet museum in Malacca: she was really excited to discover Adventures of the Treasure Fleet!

Now that I am home, I was really interested to read a post on bias and/or racism within children's literature. The post was by Tarie Sabido, a teacher, book reviewer and passionate advocate of Kid Lit. She currently lives in the Philippines, and she recently participated in an international Kid Lit event in Singapore. Her insights are definitely food for thought. More on this topic soon......

Adventures of the Treasure Fleet made "The 2009 Good Book List," Taiwan's Highest Children's Book Award!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Sat, 15 May 2010 17:11:00 +0000

Adventures of the Treasure Fleet recently received Taiwan's highest children's book award. The "Good Book List" is awarded each year by Taipei City Library for the year's most outstanding works of children's literature.
The committee stated, "the illustrator utilizes a soft, refined drawing style that results in elegantly detailed pictures, which in combination with the author’s concise, lively, and expressive writing deeply capture young readers' attention and stimulate their interest in learning history with pleasure."

Click here to buy a copy of Adventures of the Treasure Fleet.
Click here to buy a copy in Chinese.

I'll be doing a reading of Adventures of the Treasure Fleet on Saturday, May 22nd at the Foster City Library .
Thanks to Sophie Wong 徐思平, the story will also be told in Chinese for the first time. I will be just one of many authors presenting at the Asian Pacific American Heritage Authors Celebration. In fact, this festival will be Northern California's Largest Gathering of Authors of Asian and Pacific Islander Books. I hope you will come on out!
Saturday May 22, 10am - 6:30pm
My reading will be at 12:00.
Foster City Library, 1000 E. Hillsdale Blvd, Foster City, CA 94404

Here's the committee's full review of Adventures of the Treasure Fleet:

For generations, scribes from around the world have written about Zheng He’s great voyages, utilizing various story lines to present different points of view. In the “Adventures of the Treasure Fleet,” the tale is uniquely presented. The illustrator utilizes a soft, refined drawing style that results in elegantly detailed pictures, which in combination with the author’s concise, lively, and expressive writing deeply capture young readers' attention and stimulate their interest in learning history with pleasure. This book represents a new art forum displaying the historical grand Chinese expeditions through glamorous images.

In the early 15th Century, a Ming Dynasty eunuch, Zheng He, made seven trips down the western oceans. Over 300 enormous ships sailed off from China toward the South Sea, entering the Indian Ocean. Many times, the fleet even reached as far as the east coast of Africa. The images reflecting the magnificent expeditions undertaken during that time period are definitely breathtaking.

Looking at the voyage maps, it’s unthinkable that they managed to venture that far. During the long journey, they had contact with many different people with various lifestyles. They encountered all sorts of exotic animals and objects. While they carried home these foreign commodities, they also exported world-famous Chinese porcelain and silk. Such relationships helped to establish frequent trading in the southern seas.

Translated by Sophie H. Wong 徐思15世紀初，明朝太監鄭和七下西洋，三百多艘巨大船舶，從泉州出發航向南海，再進入印度洋，有好幾回，甚至抵達遙遠的非洲東海岸。光是遙想當年這等壯麗的航海行動，就教人動容。

從海圖上觀看，這般遙遠的里程，更是人類不可思議的成就，漫長的航海過程裡，他們接觸到了不同的族群的生活，邂逅了各種奇珍的異獸和器物，他們一方面利用船舶運回這些異國風物，同時輸出了中國著名的瓷器和絲綢，促進了南洋商業貿易的熱絡交流。

針對這一時代的航海壯舉，幾乎每個年代，都有古今中外的寫作者躍躍欲試，撰寫各種形式的故事，呈現嶄新的觀點。本書插圖畫家以細柔的筆法，此一淡輕的畫風，結合了潔淨而明朗的輕快文字，讓讀者輕鬆閱讀，進而對過去的歷史產生興趣。我們也看到一個新畫風，再次把那一個時代中國人航海的華麗，描繪出一個奇美瑰麗的想像。

Do You Have The Reading Bug?

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Thu, 06 May 2010 22:13:00 +0000

I visited a lovely children's bookstore in San Carlos recently. The Reading Bug is sparkling new with a helpful, enthusiastic staff. They offer a wide-range of children's books, including a fine selection of multicultural books.
I encourage you to stop by if you're in the south Bay area! http://www.thereadingbug.com/

Come on out for Kids Otter Read Day Around the Bay. It's this Saturday!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:54:00 +0000

On Saturday, May 1, 2010, the Northern California Children’s Bookseller’s Association (NCCBA) will hold its second annual Kids Otter Read Day Around the Bay, a celebration of the San Francisco Bay Area’s thriving children’s book community. Hosted by independent children’s booksellers, with appearances by more than 50 local children’s authors and illustrators, this is a not-to-be-missed event for readers of all ages. http://www.thereadingbug.com/event/author-visits-kids-otter-read-around-bay-day

I'll be at the Reading Bug in San Carlos with the following authors:

JENNIFER HOLM- The well known author of BabyMouse! Draw comics with her one-on-one!

CYNTHIA CHIN-LEE- Read and participate in a fun Q & A! Learn how to draw a self portrait!

CHRISTY HALE- make a collage in the style of her book, East West House!

ANN MARTIN BOWLER- Read Gecko's Complaint, play musical instruments from around the world and make an art project based on Geckos!

Get a chance to talk to each author in person one-on-one and participate in a fun reading and art activity with each author! Light refreshments will be served.

The Reading Bug is located at 785 Laurel Street in San Carlos, CA

Gecko's Complaint Receives Strong Review

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:04:00 +0000

The exquisite illustrations in Gecko’s Complaint bring colorful life to the retelling of a Balinese folktale. Its bilingual presentation in both English and Indonesian is a wonderful bonus. In her introduction, author Ann Martin Bowler also introduces the reader to some facts about Indonesia and, particularly, Bali. I guess everyone knows that over 18,000 islands comprise Indonesia. Everyone but me (but now I know! Isn’t reading terrific?)
Gecko’s Complaint is about a lovely, fat gecko that lives in a jungle so lush with life that he need barely move to get more than enough to eat. Gecko was not the most considerate neighbor, and often disturbed others with his late evening ramblings. Gecko wasn’t totally thrilled with his neighbors, either, for sometimes they did things that would disturb him. One night he’d taken more than he could stand from the fireflies and woke Raden the lion, complaining he couldn’t sleep. The lion answered, “Well, we seem to have the same problem. The fireflies disturb you, and you disturb me.”

Having promised Gecko that he would look into it, the next day Raden questioned the fireflies about their nocturnal activities. They responded by blaming another animal, who blamed another, who blamed another…well, you get the picture…until the water buffalo blamed the rain. Raden climbed a mountain intent on questioning the rain. However, he saw the beauty that surrounded him and, enjoying the rain and the wind, he realized both that the rain was not at fault and everyone should appreciate the rain. Raden returned to the jungle and proceeded to let all the animals know that he was tired of their complaining, they should be grateful for what they have.

What a wonderful story to share with a child! Books that offer opportunities to discuss issues and values can enrich our relationships, especially with our children. Gecko’s Complaint suggests topics such as complaining, gratitude, blaming, and cooperation. Gecko’s Complaint is recommended for pre-school to second grade and is at a nine- to twelve-year-old reading level. It is especially appropriate for adult readers to share with younger children who will enjoy the bright illustrations of various animals living in the jungle. Bottom Line: Would I buy Gecko’s Complaint? Yes, it’s a handsome volume for children.

Bob Etier, http://blogcritics.org/books

A Lunar New Year Festival, a Historical Presentation, a SCBWI Conference and School Visits... Part II.

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:54:00 +0000

In late Febuary, I attented Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators "Golden Gate Conference," which is held each year in Pacific Grove at the Asilomar retreat center. I been many times and it's proven to be a magical conference for me! I've made many good friends, sold some books, been inspired by some of today's best children's authors and organized my thoughts for new writing projects at Asilomar. This year was no exception! This year's conference was packed with fine speakers. Two of my favorites were: Gary Schmidt, the author of the Wednesday Wars and Ellen Klages , the author of the Green Glass Sea. Both authors were fascinating speakers and fine storytellers. It's no wonder their books are so captivating! Since I've been home, my son Jacob have enjoyed a number of their books.

"Read Across America" week is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss. Many schools celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday by having an author speak to their students. I've visited a number of schools over the last few weeks to help them celebrate Read Across America.

I had an awesome day at Roseville's Stoneridge School. The kids were so interested; they asked many great questions. I always tell kids, "Read books that you enjoy because, BOOKS CAN TAKE YOU ANYWHERE YOU WANT TO GO!" I tell students about my son, Francis, who mostly read sports books when he was in grade school. I worried about Francis; I wondered, "Would he ever read anything but sports biographies?" And I tell kids that now, as an adult, Francis reads all kinds of book. I believe Francis reads so much today because he really enjoyed those biographies as a kid. I hope

my talks and school visits inspire all kids but I especially hope to inspire kids who have had a difficult time learning to read or haven't enjoyed reading much up until this point! Many thanks to the staff of Stoneridge School for inviting me and promoting reading!

A Lunar New Year Festival, a History Presentation, a SCBWI Conference and School Visits!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:31:00 +0000

My life has been busy and full of variety lately! In late January, I traveled to Paso Robles and gave a talk for the Paso Robles Historical Society on the town's history and the history of the Paso Robles Inn. What a splendid night it was! The newly reopened, beautiful restored Carnagie Library, which is now a local history museum, was packed. What I loved most of all, though, was seeing so many people, young and not so young, who are interested in their town's history.

On Valentine's Day, I attended Foster City's Lunar New Year Festival. I told the amazing but true story of the Chinese Treasure Fleet voyages. It was a beautifully sunny winter day, especially since Foster City's Recreation Center is located right on the bay. A large crowd gathered to enjoy good food and entertainment and to bring in the "Year of the Tiger" in proper style.

The children who helped with the storytelling were wonderful but I especially enjoyed talking with aspiring authors and illustrators, as well as a teacher in training.

I'll be performing at a Chinese New Year Celebration this Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:47:00 +0000

Foster City will host a Chinese 2010 Lunar New Year celebration with vibrant performances, music and bustling activites on Sunday, January 14, 2010 from 11 AM to 3 PM at Lagoon Room of Foster City's Recreation Center. There is no cost to attend.

The celebration will spotlight a Chinese American re-creation of a traditional village street fair. With dazzling displays of luminous decorations serving as the backdrop, the event will feature exciting musical, acrobatic and lion dance performances, the traditional tea ceremony, the time-honored tradition of tea drinking and the ancient martial arts & performance, Calligraphy, brush painting, art exhibitions, animated storytelling in Chinese and English and Chinese-opera style face painting. I'll be telling the story of my book, the Adventure of the Treasure Fleet at 1:45.

Chinese New Year Celebration 2010 represents a departure from other cultural celebration events because the focus of the event will be on education alongside entertainment. The event's program has been designed to teach the visiting public about the history, traditions and customs of this historic Chinese holiday. Moreover, with support from the San Mateo/Foster City Unified School District, this event will reach a diverse audience of teachers and students. The Foster City Arts & Culture committee has planned the event to provide information related to the history and values of the holiday as well as providing fun arts and crafts activities for teachers to integrate into their classroom curriculum. Overall, the event will foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of America's diverse heritage by preserving and sharing the history, rich cultural legacy, and continuing contributions of Chinese Americans.

The event will be held at Foster City Recreation Center, 650 Shell Blvd. Foster City, CA 94404. Please come!

Interview just posted on "Multiculturalism Rocks!"

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:59:00 +0000

Nathalie Mvondo is the editor of the awesome blog, "Multiculturalism Rocks!" She just posted an interview with me, which can be found at http://nathaliemvondo.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/monday-interview-author-ann-martin-bowler/ Thank you, Nathalie, for your all your work promoting multicultural books!

Please come to Talk on the History of Paso Robles

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:28:00 +0000

The El Paso de Robles Area Historical Society invites you to a free lecture on the history of

Paso Robles and the Paso Robles Inn presented by author Ann Martin Bowler
February 4, 2010 from 7 - 8:30pm at the Carnegie Library in the Paso Robles City Park.
Read more at http://www.pasoroblesinntravellog.com/?p=137

My books are going Bilingual!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:25:00 +0000

I have some fun news: Two of my books, Gecko's Complaint and

Adventures of the Treasure Fleet,

have recently been published in

second languages. Gecko's Complaint, a Balinese Folktale is now available in a beautiful, bilingual format. The new edition's illustrations are absolutely vibrant!

I haven't seen a copy of the Chinese version of Adventures of the Treasure Fleet yet, but went of sale in China last week.

A Fine Day at North Country School!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:25:00 +0000

I spent a day recently at Antelope's North Country School. The school has a warm, friendly atmosphere. Reading is a major part of every student’s day at North Country. The staff accomplishes this by integrating reading into most other subject areas. The mural above is an good example of integration.

Mr. Farrel, the school's Vice Principal, read in both assemblies. He was a powerful Emperor in the Adventures of the Treasure Fleet assembly and was the wise king of the jungle in the Gecko’s Complaint reading. Mrs. Tricomo was an amazingly funny Admiral in the Adventures of the Treasure Fleet assembly! The students who played musical instruments during the readings did a fine job as well.

North Country's students asked great questions. All in all, a very fine day!

Visits to Schools, Bookstores and Fairy Tale Town!

noreply@blogger.com (Ann Martin Bowler) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:57:00 +0000

This fall, I've been busy with numerous school and bookstore visits.

The kids who helped with my reading of Gecko's Complaint at Barnes and Noble were adorable!

It was all smiles during my readings at Bridgeway Island Elementary School.

I especially enjoyed reading my new version of Gecko's Complaint to little ones at Sacramento's Fairy Tale Town!