Bill's Letter

 

Hi friends,

Hope this finds you sitting in the shade with some lemonade, or something. Somehow, when I wasn't looking, we managed to plan a summer a little too busy, but I'm still hoping to play some softball, do some sailing, and read a couple of mystery novels. The highlight of our spring was a family trip to Yosemite in May. It is, really, the most beautiful place I've ever been, and I'm trying to figure out how to get back there. My son Noah and I hiked up Yosemite Falls and I'll never forget it.

 

Recordings    

One of the reasons I'm too busy is that I'm finishing up work on two recordings (I know - I recognize my sickness). The first is a compilation of song favorites from earlier recordings, One More Time. It will also include the story about the little monster (Alicia and the Little Monster) that I've been performing a lot in concert. The other, due out a little later, is mostly stories, including a new recording of "Joey, Chloe and the Swamp Monsters", the pirate poem “The Ballad of Dirty Joe”, and another performance favorite “The King of the Clams”. It's called appropriately, Blah, Blah, Blah and will be out in the fall. I know some of you are looking for “Barbie's Head is Missing” but that will just have to wait a little longer. Sorry!  
 
  Flyboy!  
 

This fall, the Maricopa County Library District (Phoenix, AZ) will publish my middle-grade novel “Flyboy” on their web page. Every two weeks a new chapter will appear on their website, beginning September 5 and running through May. In addition to materials for classrooms to use there will be informational links within the text. For example, if the word bicycle were underlined and differently colored it would take you to a page discussing the history of bicycles. And the best thing about it is that anyone with Internet access can read the story. For more information, you can check out the Maricopa County Library website: mcld.maricopa.gov

  
     
  What we've been reading:  
  I just finished reading The Brothers K by David James Duncan. It's about baseball, families, fathers, and the sixties. It's great. Also, in a somewhat similar vein, I read and enjoyed They Marched into Sunlight David Maraniss. After reading it, I was reminded of several things – 1) how great a book The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien is and 2) how war makes us all crazy. Hmmm. Right now I'm in the middle of reading a whole slew of kid's books for the upcoming season of Camel's Hump Radio. More on those later. I will tell you that I really enjoyed “I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade” by Diane Lee Wilson. One other book which really moved me is Obata's Yosemite – an art book about the Japanese-American's trip to Yosemite in 1927. The art is beautiful.  
     
  Debbie has recently read Dakota: A Spiritual Guide by Kathleen Norris, Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott and Loud and Clear by Anne Quindlen. Debbie is forever quilting and for those of you who also enjoy a good crafting project, she recommends Convergence Quilts: Mysterious, Magical, Easy and Fun by Ricky Tims and the Quilting Arts Magazine. (if you want a deep and powerful movie, she recommends “Hotel Rwanda”, but definitely not for kids)  
     
  Dylan has been reading The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey and is rereading BFG by Roald Dahl and highly recommends it for all.  
     
  To see some of the books Bill and his family, as well as one fans have recommended visit www.billharley.com/books.asp  
     
  Other releases:
 

Just in case you don't have enough of me in your house, car or classroom, this fall will see the release of two new books.

First, I have a new picture book, Dear Santa, which will be released by HarperCollins for the holiday season. It's the desperate story, told through a series of letters, about a boy trying to explain his behavior over the year to the guy in the red suit. It's illustrated, beautifully, by my friend R.W. Alley, who has done the covers on several of my recordings (The Town Around the Bend, Battle of the Mad Scientists). This book has been a long time in the making and I'm overjoyed that it's finally coming out. You'll be able to get it at your local bookstore, Amazon, or from us, come the fall.

 
 

Also, finally answering the requests of many of you, Hal Leonard will publish a book of my songs this fall, Do It Together which has many of the songs I've written over the years – most of them favorites requested by parents, teachers, and kids learning to play the guitar or piano. We'll let you know about ordering information when the time comes. Pshew.

  


 

 

From

the

Office:
Head of Security
  
Jr. Executive
 
Summer Sale
  

This summer we're offering a special on Bill Harley cassettes. The following titles are only $5, so you can replace those worn out copies of your favorite songs and stories! Click on the title to purchase:

  

Monsters in the Bathroom
  Calendar  
 

As usual, the late Summer and Fall brings with it lots of Storytelling Festivals across the country. This year Bill will be at The National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro, TN, Sierra Storytelling Festival in Nevada City, CA, Frisco Storytelling Festival in Frisco, TX, Cave Run Festival in Morehead, KY, and Four Corners Storytelling Festival in Farmington, NM. Visit Bill's online calendar to see all Bill's concerts and to find the dates for all these festivals.