For Readers
You can leave a comment or question below and I will answer it as soon as I notice it, or you can scroll to the bottom of the "My Works/FAQ" page to check my answers to the questions I am most frequently asked:
Mrs. Swanson, I'm doing a school project and would like to know your favorite quotes from the book... And I must say, it was one of my favorites!!
I like lines 2-11 on p. 211, where Gram gives Leah a different way of thinking of "the void", and lines 15-20 on p. 209; both of these excerpts are ideas that really helped me, concepts I took comfort in when my own dad died. I like p. 174 through the top 5 lines of p. 176, because this describes a powerful afternoon I actually spent with my dad; sounds and images vividly imprinted in my memory. Lines 2-8 on p. 172. The middle 3 paragraphs on p. 170, where they discuss their feelings on euthanasia. The scene that starts on p. 98 and goes to the end of the chapter is one of my very favorites, again based on a real situation/conversation in which I felt very close to my dad and he helped me begin to accept his death, without fear. I like the scene at the beginning of Chapter 2, where they "go for the record" (ends halfway down p. 12. I also love when Gram kisses the dad after he's died, her boy, her Petey.
There are some sports-related lines I like, too, because they describe how I felt when I played and practiced basketball: p. 50, last 2 paragraphs; I like the scene from the middle of p. 44 through the 7th line of p. 45, too. I can't find the other place I'm thinking of, but it's a scene where she's running (or a couple of them?) and her feet go sump-sump in the leaves on the path and she loses herself in it. I have other sports ones but won't go on. ..Hopes this helps and isn't way more than you want!
Mrs. Swanson, In your FAQ about writing a sequel for Going for the Record, you asked what people wanted in the sequel. I would like to know if Leah continues to play soccer, what happens between Clay and Leah. And how she finds her peace with the loss of her father. I really enjoyed your book.It opened my eyes to how my life could be. It showed me that I really shouldn't take things for granted. I don't read a lot and i actually finished this in 2 days. I picked it up in my school library for ZYLAR(Zip Your Lisps And Read). I love the IWBTBWSPITW shirt. I hope you consider, again, writing a sequel for Going for the Record. Sincerely, Stephanie
Stephanie, thanks for your note. It's interesting to hear what you'd like to see in a sequel (I don't have it written, but I do have it...