Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, September 22, 1994                   TAG: 9409230102
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By CRYSTAL CHAPPELL STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

CHILDREN'S AUTHOR MEETS FISHBURN PARK FANS

Award-winning children's book author Betsy Byars had thought her daughter's bag was heavy that morning. But she hadn't thought to ask if there was a drill in it.

Having been put in different classes, the best friends thought they would drill a hole in the wall between their classes so they could pass secret notes to each other. "At the time, I was so distraught I didn't think it was funny," Byars told a room full of Fishburn Park elementary pupils and faculty members Wednesday in Roanoke.

But Byars later captured the event, like many other moments of her four children's childhoods, in one of her books. Other books include scenes based on her son spitting in class like his favorite frog character and her daughter's feelings of sibling rivalry documented in her diary. (Byars said she read the diary because she "needed a good laugh.")

It was a rare public appearance for the author of "The Summer of the Swans," winner of the American Library Association's Newbery Award for children's literature. She read from some of her stories, talked about writing and answered the children's questions.

"I thought it was a good speech, that she should get paid," said fourth-grader William Chittum, who has read a couple of her books. "Her books are real nice."

Kindergartners and first-graders returned to class at about 10 a.m., but Byars answered questions from second- to fifth-graders for another half-hour. About 20 pupils got up on their knees and waved their hands to vie for the final three questions.

"Writing is like anything; it's like baseball playing, piano playing," Byars said. "The more you play, the better you get at it."

Byars, who has written 42 books, said she "changes, changes and changes" her writing until it is simple and easy to read, as if she had not worked on it.

Byars recalled that, when she was in elementary school, she thought writers sat alone at home and typed - "and we do," she said.

After writing for almost 40 years, Byars said it was not "boring," because, when she writes, she experiences all kinds of emotions.

"Writing books is most wonderful," Byars said. "You are in your own world and you are the boss of your world."

Writing has meant a lot more to Byars than sitting in a room; she has traveled to England and Australia, where she has visited schools. She told pupils she can write anywhere. Once, she began a story on the back of an envelope.

Rejection, which writers face often, is one of the bad sides of writing, Byars told the pupils. Her first book was turned down by publishers 11 times.

At the age of 28, she began writing short magazine articles, then graduated into children's books with "Clementine." She just finished the second book of "Dark Stairs," a five-book mystery series for girls. Byars wants to write three more books, for a total of 50. She also illustrated two of her books, and her son Guy Byars did illustrations for "Computer Nut."

"Night Swimmers" won three awards, including the American Book Award, and five of Byars' other books are American Library Association Notable Books.

Taking time out of her vacation, Byars, who lives in Clemson, S.C., is in New Castle for a gliding tournament at the Blue Ride Soaring Society. She is a licensed glider pilot.

Event organizer Julie Raney is a PTA volunteer whose mother has known Byars for 25 years. Raney has two children at Fishburn Park, and they love Byars' books. Raney's third-grade son, Tom, stayed up until midnight reading one last week, Raney said.

Fifteen of Byars' books for kindergarten through middle school students were on the school's accelerated reading program list. After the presentation, a teacher asked for Byars' books for students in the library.

Students gave Byars a sterling silver emblem of the Mill Mountain Star and a school T-shirt in honor of school spirit day.

Crowding around Byars after the presentation, students waited to shake the author's hand.

"I got her to touch my hand," a pupil said, showing his hand to another pupil.