People have asked me at a few of my signings 
why I didn’t weave Ethiopia into my Lanie books. Lanie’s dreams of following animals across the savannah (something I did as a girl and as an adult in real life) are maybe the most obvious nod to my childhood in Ethiopia. It’s great that a teacher or two has recognized the fun of connecting Lanie with Water Hole Waiting.
As Lanie says, she and her best friend might spend their lives tracking elephants as they rumble across the savannah.
Factoid: Elephants can laugh and cry, and their trunks have 100,000 muscle units.
Today, I’m working on another fun Ethiopia connection, though. Denver is the next city where an American Girl store will open. Very soon, kids in Denver can take their doll to tea or to visit the doll doctor, as in the store where I just visited in Atlanta.
In fact, when I was just in Denver, a few families I talked with were predicting that the opening–coming up this month–is going to be the event of the spring in that city…at least for certain fans!
The Ethiopia Reads office is also in Denver. So while, I was there, two volunteers decided to organize Lanie meet-the-author events in Denver and Boulder that will not only celebrate books (and plants and animals) in our own back yards but also raise money for literacy efforts in Ethiopia.
Anyone reading this blog who lives in or near Denver is invited to join in…or even help!
4 thoughts on “Denver = new doll city + Ethiopia Reads”
Dear Ms. Kurtz, when are you going to Denver? My mom who lives in Littleton (a Denver suburb) is trying to plan a service project for her church group sometime in early May, and I was hopking they somehow they could help Ethiopia Reads… We could use specific suggestions on how to turn it into an actual event. Not sure if we can make it happen but it is an idea. Would you pls email me
staci.hopkin24 (at) gmail.com
Sure! Those two volunteers who are working on American Girl-Ethiopia Reads events/fundraisers in Denver and Boulder are checking out dates for either early May or June, so this could fit in beautifully. Thanks…Jane
I have been involved in fundraising for Zimbabwe and would love to be a part of this event in some way. I live in Boulder and am also an AG fan and birdwatcher! Thanks so much.
YAY! You’re terrific. I’ll put you in touch with Mandy. The date is going to be May 1.