Welcome to Melissa Studdard and her blog tour for her new book
Six Weeks to Yehidah.
About Six Weeks to Yehidah
Move over, C.S. Lewis; Melissa Studdard is here! Annalise of the Verdant Hills is one of the most delightful protagonists to skip through the pages of literature since Dorothy landed in Oz. Join Annalise and her two walking, talking wondersheep as they travel to ever more outlandish places and meet outrageous and enlightening folk on their journey to discover interconnectedness in a seemingly disconnected world. Discover with them how just one person can be the start of the change we all strive for. A book for all ages, for all time: wonderful, wacky, and bursting with truth!
About My Yehidah
Bursting at the seams with joy and truth, My Yehidah leads you through one of the most important adventures you can take--the journey to the center of your very own self.
Filled with writing and drawing prompts and beautiful illustrations to color, this book is the perfect jump start for meaningful, creative exploration for people of all ages.
My Yehidah can be done alone or along the novel Six Weeks to Yehidah.
Click here to read my review of these books
Today at Finding Your Gibbee, I have the honor of interviewing Annalise, the brave heroine of Six Weeks to Yehidah.
*SPOILER ALERT*
Annalise, I'm so happy you've come to talk with me today about this book. The first thing I want to ask you is why do you think Mabel and Mimi got to go with you on part of your journey? At what point were you most grateful that they were with you?
At first I wasn’t sure. Then I remembered how Bob called Mabel and Mimi my totem animals. I didn’t know what that meant, so I looked it up and found out that our totems travel with us on our life journeys to teach, guide, and protect us. I decided to research sheep too, and I discovered that sheep are spiritual helpers that stand for togetherness and peace. That sounds like Mabel and Mimi alright! I think that’s why I had two of them instead of one—because they really are about togetherness.
To answer the second part of your question, I felt most grateful to have them with me when Hagski came around because she was mean, and having my best friends there to help me stand up to her made all the difference. I would have been a lot more frightened if they hadn’t been there.
When did you realize that the girl in the hospital bed was really you? Were you scared when you realized this?
Even though I didn’t want to admit it to myself, I knew as soon as I saw my mom with her. I felt scared, but I also thought I was dreaming, so it didn’t feel real, and that made my emotions halfway between the kind you have when something happens to you and the kind you have when you read a story or hear about something that happened to somebody else.
Also, as you know, I’d been trying to find my mom, so I was happy to see her but sad about what was going on, all at the same time. It was a little confusing.
How did you feel when you realized who Bob really was? Do you wish you had known when you first met him?
Surprised! At first I wished I had known in the beginning, but then I realized I wouldn’t have been able to focus as much on the things I needed to learn on my journey. Instead I would have been trying to find out everything I could about him. I think that’s why he never told me. He’s smart like that.
Why did you choose to come back from Yehidah? Now that you are back, in what ways do you plan to serve and teach others?
As hard as it was, I knew it was the right thing. When I thought about the book my mom read me about the Bodhisattva and how she waited for her own peace until she brought peace to others, I realized that returning with the knowledge of Yehidah was my destiny, and I had been preparing for it all along. I knew that the reason I loved the Bodhisattva book so much was because I wanted my own life to be that way too.
Thank you for asking about my plans. I know my music will play a big role. I’ll use it to make others feel peaceful and happy and also to teach them the lessons I learned in Yehidah, but I’m still thinking and learning about how I can serve others. I’m sure there is much more to come.
Annalise, thank you again for visiting with us today. I know you have quite a bright future ahead of you, and I wish you all the best.
About Melissa Studdard
Melissa Studdard is the author of the bestselling novel Six Weeks to Yehidah, which also won the 2011 Forward National Literature Award for Middle Grade Chapter Books. She is also a professor, a book reviewer at-large for The National Poetry Review, a contributing editor for both Tiferet Journal and The Criterion, and the host of the radio interview program Tiferet Talk. As well, she is a member of many literary organizations, including the National Book Critics Circle and the Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators.
She loves anything related to writing and reading, whether it's sitting alone with a book and a cup of hot tea, or attending a large poetry reading or literary festival. She also loves travelling, meditating, going for walks, bicycling, practicing yoga, and spending time with family.
She currently resides in Texas with her wonderful daughter and their four sweet but mischievous cats.
