Published: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 By James Breig
Last week, on her way home from Virginia, where she was doing research for her next book, Anita Sanchez pulled over to call Greenbush Life in order to chat about her upcoming program at the East Greenbush Community Library. “Digging Into History,” intended for children seven and up, will be presented July 11 at 2 p.m. Its aim, according to the library, is to “explore what it was like to live 200 years ago” through hands-on lessons. Sanchez, a retired educator who worked at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center in Delmar, now has a second career that developed late in her life: writing books.
“I always liked to write and kept journals as a child,” she said. “I got serious about it around 15 years ago. It takes a lot of practice to write well. I worked at it for a long time. I wrote three unpublished books and was fortunate to meet some writers.” They formed a critique group to analyze one another’s work. Her first published book, “The Teeth of the Lion: The Story of the Beloved and Despised Dandelion,” came out in 2006. Her second effort was a youth novel, “The Invasion of Sandy Bay.”
“It was historical fiction, and I researched it for many years,” Sanchez said. “I have to know what the past was like to write about it.” The novel takes place in Massachusetts during the American Revolution. To discover what it was like then and there, she went to the site. “I made foods that people ate by using a cookbook from that time,” she said. “I went out on the water on a cold night so I knew what that was like.” That commitment to learning is why she will be at the East Greenbush Library. Her program will teach the attendees about what it was like to live two centuries ago.
“I use all five senses to teach: what the past sounded like and looked like,” she explained. “I bring herbs from my garden for the children to smell, and I make iced tea for them to taste.” Her presentation also includes touch so kids can literally feel the past. “I go to garage sales, antique stores and junk shops to collect things,” the author noted. “I invite the children to guess what the tools are for, such as a candle-snuffer. I have a dollhouse made of wood, which most children have never seen. I make it as much fun as possible.”
The reason Sanchez visited Virginia was to research her next book. Having written about dandelions, she is working on a volume for older readers about poison ivy. Two famous Virginians are part of the plant’s story.
“Captain John Smith was the first person to write about getting a rash from it,” she said. “He described its symptoms. Thomas Jefferson grew poison ivy in his gardens at Monticello. He thought it was ornamental.”
Her appearance in East Greenbush “will not be a virtual experience,” she promised, while adding that poison ivy will definitely not be involved. The session, she added, “will be as hands-on as possible. It’s educational but associates reading and learning with fun.”
For more about Anita Sanchez, go to www.anitasanchez.com.
To register for the July 11 program, visit www.eastgreenbushlibrary.org and click on “Events & Classes.
“It was historical fiction, and I researched it for many years,” Sanchez said. “I have to know what the past was like to write about it.” The novel takes place in Massachusetts during the American Revolution. To discover what it was like then and there, she went to the site. “I made foods that people ate by using a cookbook from that time,” she said. “I went out on the water on a cold night so I knew what that was like.” That commitment to learning is why she will be at the East Greenbush Library. Her program will teach the attendees about what it was like to live two centuries ago.
“I use all five senses to teach: what the past sounded like and looked like,” she explained. “I bring herbs from my garden for the children to smell, and I make iced tea for them to taste.” Her presentation also includes touch so kids can literally feel the past. “I go to garage sales, antique stores and junk shops to collect things,” the author noted. “I invite the children to guess what the tools are for, such as a candle-snuffer. I have a dollhouse made of wood, which most children have never seen. I make it as much fun as possible.”
The reason Sanchez visited Virginia was to research her next book. Having written about dandelions, she is working on a volume for older readers about poison ivy. Two famous Virginians are part of the plant’s story.
“Captain John Smith was the first person to write about getting a rash from it,” she said. “He described its symptoms. Thomas Jefferson grew poison ivy in his gardens at Monticello. He thought it was ornamental.”
Her appearance in East Greenbush “will not be a virtual experience,” she promised, while adding that poison ivy will definitely not be involved. The session, she added, “will be as hands-on as possible. It’s educational but associates reading and learning with fun.”
For more about Anita Sanchez, go to www.anitasanchez.com.
To register for the July 11 program, visit www.eastgreenbushlibrary.org and click on “Events & Classes.
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