And on a more positive note

Taking deep yoga breaths all night calmed me down. A little.

Today is Make A Difference Day. Make It Better Day.

FIRST THING TO MAKE THE WORLD BETTER!

(photo from The NOLA Tree)

The NOLA Tree is a project run by some friends of mine. They take groups of teen volunteers to New Orleans to help families rebuild their homes after the Katrina disaster. Check out the photos! In addition, these teens do community service in their own neighborhoods. I am a huge supporter of this project. Ellen Hopkins is, too.

Pepsi has put The NOLA Tree in the running for $50,000 in grant money. The people running the project can squeeze more money out of a dollar than anyone I’ve ever seen, so that $50,000 will make a huge difference, if they win.

Please go to Pepsi Refresh Everything/ The NOLA Tree and vote for the project. Then tell your friends to do it, too. A few clicks and you can make the lives of Americans better.


SECOND THING TO MAKE THE WORLD BETTER!

Write to your local school board today. The AASL website has lots of statistics that prove that full-time, certified librarians make an enormous impact on the literacy rates and educational standards of their schools. Use the data. Be polite and firm. If a school can afford to run the lights at night football and soccer games, then they can afford school librarians.

(I’d love it if you would post the text of your school board letters in the comments below!)

There! Wasn’t that easy? Don’t you feel better? I do!