I spent my fifth and sixth-grade years on Guam. Those two years proved magical. Coconuts and hibiscus grew in our yard. We swam and snorkeled all year long. I attended fiestas, explored caves, experienced typhoons and earthquakes. Best of all I learned what it was like to live among people of a different culture because each weekday the school bus drove me to P.C. Lujan Elementary School where I attended classes with Chamorro and with other military kids.
In 2002 the Guam Council of the International Reading Association invited me back to visit schools. While I was there, I was inspired to write a book set on my island home.
