Author Wood Brings 'Incorrigible Children' to Shore
Children's author Maryrose Wood, the creator of the popular series The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, led a writing workshop and reading for Shore's third, fourth, and fifth graders.
'Incorrigible' is Wood's first series for middle-grade readers. Book 1, The Mysterious Howling, was published in 2010 and received starred reviews in Booklist, Kirkus, SLJ, and Publishers Weekly, and was named a Best Children’s Book of 2010 by the Christian Science Monitor, Kirkus, and others. Book 5, The Unmapped Sea, was named a Best Children's Book of 2015 by NPR. Wood is currently at work on Book 6.
During her visit to Shore's Trustey Family Theatre, she led a lively, interactive discussion about her writing career, engaged audience members about creative challenges they face, and recruited several students for an improvisational storytelling exercise on stage.
In recounting her career path, Wood revealed that she had wanted to be an actress long before discovering writing. However, shortly after she won her first role in a Broadway musical, the show flopped, and she began to seek other work. She directed for the stage, and her work as a dramatic writer made her a three-time winner of the prestigious Richard Rodgers Award, administered by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Wood also talked about the importance of her experience in improvisational comedy: learning to say, "Yes, and..." in performing improv comedy with other actors was invaluable to her growth as a writer. "Saying yes," according to Wood, was the key to enabling her creative energy and turning her towards writing.
A half-dozen Shore students got to try their hand at the "Yes, and..." exercise when Wood called them up to stage and had them develop a story on the fly.
The visit concluded with a reading from Book 1, The Mysterious Howling. Wood narrated the opening section of the book, when Miss Penelope Lumley, a newly hired governess at the grand Ashton Place, first discovers that the children she will care for were raised by wolves, and frequently cry out "Ahwoooo!"
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'Incorrigible' is Wood's first series for middle-grade readers. Book 1, The Mysterious Howling, was published in 2010 and received starred reviews in Booklist, Kirkus, SLJ, and Publishers Weekly, and was named a Best Children’s Book of 2010 by the Christian Science Monitor, Kirkus, and others. Book 5, The Unmapped Sea, was named a Best Children's Book of 2015 by NPR. Wood is currently at work on Book 6.
During her visit to Shore's Trustey Family Theatre, she led a lively, interactive discussion about her writing career, engaged audience members about creative challenges they face, and recruited several students for an improvisational storytelling exercise on stage.
In recounting her career path, Wood revealed that she had wanted to be an actress long before discovering writing. However, shortly after she won her first role in a Broadway musical, the show flopped, and she began to seek other work. She directed for the stage, and her work as a dramatic writer made her a three-time winner of the prestigious Richard Rodgers Award, administered by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Wood also talked about the importance of her experience in improvisational comedy: learning to say, "Yes, and..." in performing improv comedy with other actors was invaluable to her growth as a writer. "Saying yes," according to Wood, was the key to enabling her creative energy and turning her towards writing.
A half-dozen Shore students got to try their hand at the "Yes, and..." exercise when Wood called them up to stage and had them develop a story on the fly.
The visit concluded with a reading from Book 1, The Mysterious Howling. Wood narrated the opening section of the book, when Miss Penelope Lumley, a newly hired governess at the grand Ashton Place, first discovers that the children she will care for were raised by wolves, and frequently cry out "Ahwoooo!"
As the sunlight flooded the dark interior, the howling abruptly stopped. Penelope looked around. The barn smelled strongly of leather and hay, but the stalls— at least, those she could see—were empty. The sudden silence was broken only by the panting of Mrs. Clarke, who stood silhouetted in the doorway, clutching her voluminous bosom.
“Hello?” Penelope said, in a soft, soothing tone. “Oh, you unfortunate creatures, are you all right?”
Slowly, noiselessly, something moved inside the barn. Three sets of eyes glinted from the dark corners of the rearmost stalls, where the sun did not reach.
“Come here.” Penelope wished she had thought to bring some scraps of meat with her to lure the poor frightened things. “Come out where I can see you.”
The creatures obeyed.
They were not dogs, or ponies, or any other kind of four-legged animal. They were three children, and they stared at Penelope with the shining, watchful eyes of wild things.
Slowly, noiselessly, something moved inside the barn. Three sets of eyes glinted from the dark corners of the rearmost stalls, where the sun did not reach.
“Come here.” Penelope wished she had thought to bring some scraps of meat with her to lure the poor frightened things. “Come out where I can see you.”
The creatures obeyed.
They were not dogs, or ponies, or any other kind of four-legged animal. They were three children, and they stared at Penelope with the shining, watchful eyes of wild things.
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Maryrose Wood
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Leading a howling vocal warm up
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An improv exercise
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Taking questions from the audience
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Signing books for young fans
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