Acknowledgments

First of all, and most importantly, I want to thank my 4^th grade students past and present from P.S. 321. You helped me through drafts of the book in all its stages, made helpful suggestions and listened patiently as I talked on and on about it. (I told you I would mention you.)

I also want to thank the rest of the P.S. 321 community (teachers, staff, families and administration) for their moral support and cheerleading.

Thank you to my friends who read and re-read and made suggestions. I need to especially thank Joslyn Aubin and Tina Encarnacion for helping me retype the entire manuscript in one night when my disk was erased.

Thank you to my three best school writing teachers: Ms. Wuerer (7^th Grade), Mr. Kopacki (High School) and Perry Glasser (College).

Thank you to my two writing workshops, past and present for the countless patient hours of work. Thanks particularly to Jennifer Belle for being such an influential writing teacher in my adult life.

Thank you to the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. I got my earliest ideas for Cesi while at my first summer institute several years ago.

Thank you to my family for answering my questions while saving theirs until I was done with the book.

And thank you to Nadine for walking with me in a torrential down pour at 3:00am to a 24-hour copy shop in Times Square. Good times.