Your Questions Answered

Permission to read Cat Pack Series online

I am a second grade teacher in Maine. Every year I read the four Cat Pack series books to my kids and they are my students’ FAVORITE read aloud of the whole year. Older students come back to see me and still talk about Marco and Polo and Texas Jake! We unexpectedly closed school last week due to the pandemic, just as we were a few chapters from finishing The Grand Escape. I am writing to seek permission to read your books to my class virtually. I would not post them publicly at anytime of course. The kids are writing to me asking me what happened to Marco and Polo in the sewer! Thank you for your time and consideration, but also for giving me this gift that I share with my students every year. I love these books soooo much.
Many thanks,

I’ve checked with my editor, and am happy to give permission to post a virtual reading of my Cat Pack books as long as it is on a private channel and only used during this particular crisis.

Permission to read your books online?

I am a 3rd Grade Teacher in Hoven, South Dakota. Everyday I read for 15 minutes your Boy vs. Girls series and they absolutely love them. As you know some of our nations schools are on lockdown because of the corona virus. So we are going to e learning with our students. I want to continue reading to my students your books. I plan on video recording myself reading to them. Are you ok with this or do I have to have permission to do so. Please let me know. We will be starting this on Monday.
Thank you,

I’ve been getting these messages all afternoon and was able to reach my editor at home.  Here is the answer to educators wanting to read from my books online:  You may do so as long as the reading is put in on a private “channel,” accessible only to  your classroom or school (not youtube) and only for this particular crisis.  I hope this helps, as being read to aloud by my parents long after I learned to read myself, was perhaps my fondest memory of childhood.

Permission to record read aloud of Roxie

I’d like to record myself reading Roxie and the Holligans for my 3rd graders while our school is closed. Do I need special permission to do so?
Thank you!

You may read from my book online as long as the reading is put in on a private “channel,” (not youtube), accessible only to your classroom or school, and only for this particular crisis.   I’m glad to help.  Being read to aloud, long after I had learned to read myself, was one of my happiest memories of childhood.

Permission To Read to My Students

Hi Ms. Naylor. My name is Jamie Miles and I am a school principal in Ohio. All of our schools have been shut down because of COVID19. I’m writing you to seek permission to read your book, “The Grand Escape” online to continue to provide my students with exposure to great literature.

To you and teachers everywhere:  I give my permission to read aloud my books online during this crisis, and please give your students my best wishes.  Phyllis

about my cats

Mrs.Phyllis, I wanted to ask you how to get my cats to like me? I try but when I get near them or pet them they go away but they love my dad and little brother. I love the shiloh series it was awesome! I would love to read more of your books!!!!

Hmmm.  Maybe your dad and brother wear softer sweaters than you do, and like to snuggle down.  Every person has their own particular scent, and perhaps your dad and brother have a scent the cats prefer.  Try wearing your dad’s shirt sometime when you want to pet the cats.  Or perhaps buy some catnip and hide it inside your shirt.  I’m not a cat psychiatrist, though, so perhaps you’d better ask a vet.

Phyllis, I want to find you again.

Phyllis, I going through old papers I found a Christmas card from you, with a Gaitherburg MD address. You pop into my mind from time to time……and regrettably I haven’t followed through. I am still in Indianapolis. I would love to hear from you. I am in good health, and still even sing some!!! Love to you, Annette

My friend from high school!   How great to hear from you.  I have your email address, and will write….

Wondering

I am an interim principal at Franklin elementary School in Manitowoc Wisconsin. I have a third grade class who asked me to read your books. I just finished reading “The Boys Start the War.” The class has read the series and loved it. I was wondering if you ever Skype into classrooms. I think they would love to meet the author of their favorite book. Thanks for considering.

I’m sorry.  I’m not set up for Skype.

The Year of the Gopher

Hello, Ms. Naylor. I am about three decades overdue in thanking you for saving my life.

When I was 12, my life felt like one big punishment for all the bad behavior that I felt incapable of controlling, all the subpar report cards I brought home, all the parental lectures I couldn’t get through without rolling my eyes. Then one day a teacher pulled me aside for what I was sure was going to be yet another punishment or lecture about what a huge disappointment I was, and instead she gave me a book and said, “I think you should read this. You’d like it.” I was about 99% sure I was going to stuff the book in my locker, leave it there for a while, then give it back to her unread. But for some reason I brought it home with me and read it cover-to-cover that weekend.

The book was “The Year of the Gopher,” and it was this incredible revelation to me, both that I was reading a story about a young man who wasn’t exactly what his parents wanted him to be but wasn’t a bad person, and that a teacher at my school actually got me well enough to know I would connect with the main character. Your book taught me that I could live my life on my terms and succeed.

And I have. I’m 43 with a wonderful career and a great marriage, and I view reading “The Year of the Gopher” as a real turning point in becoming who I am. Thank you.

Incidentally, I’m sorry to see that “The Year of the Gopher” appears to be out of print. Tell your publisher that if they do another print run, I’ll buy 100 copies and donate them to schools and libraries.

I’ll forward this email to my editor and see what happens.  I doubt they will oblige, because it came out in 1987, but I’m so glad the book meant that much to you.  Especially because I still remember giving a talk in a junior high school during a book fair, and a student had purchased this book.  I was standing on one side of the gym talking with the principal when a woman marched up to me, so angry there were tears in her eyes, followed by her 13 year-old son whose face was beet red.  The mother said that her son had just purchased this book called “Year of the Gopher,” and when she scanned through it, there was the word, “Condom.”  “My son doesn’t know what a condom is, and I don’t want him to know,” she raged, and wanted the book removed from the school.  The principal replied that she could choose another book for her embarrassed son, but she said she was going to take it to the principal, the  school board and the  newspapers to show what was being taught in schools.   You’ll be glad to know  that the book stayed in  that school.  But I felt so sad for her son.   I really  appreciated your email.

When did you write the first book to boys vs. girls

When did you write your first book to the boys vs. girls series?

The first edition was published in 1993, which meant I probably wrote and submitted it in 1992, because it takes about a year–once a manuscript is submitted– for it to go through the editing and printing process.

how meny books have made

how meny books have you made

I’ve had around 148 books published.