September 11 We thought we'd outdistanced history Told our children it was nowhere near; Even when history struck Columbine, It didn't happen here. We took down the maps in the classroom, And when they were safely furled, We told the young what they wanted to hear, That they were immune from a menacing world. But history isn't a folded-up map, Or an unread textbook tome; Now we know history's a fireman's child Waiting at home alone.
Richard PeckI caught a glimpse of happiness, and saw it was a bird on a branch, fixing to take wing.
Richard PeckThis is how you hold onto your family. You hold them with open hands so they are free to find futures of their own. It's just that simple.
Richard PeckMartin Wilson's What They Always Tell Us hears the voices of the young as they struggle toward adulthood.
Richard Peck