Sydney's Letter

Last night as we sat at our dinner table, we were looking at all the "Mistmantle" drawings Sydney created. We started talking about how Sydney should write a letter to Margaret McAllister, the author of the Mistmantle Chronicles.

Today, we looked up her contact information and found an email. This is what Sydney wrote....

Dear Mrs. McAllister,

My name is Sydney and I am 7 years old. I love the Mistmantle books, and I can't stop drawing pictures of the characters. My dad read all the books to me last year, and now I'm reading them all again myself. I got a hamster for Christmas and named him Juniper. Here is my favorite drawing of Needle. She is making a threading and another small hedgehog has gotten tangled in thread.

Sincerely,  

Sydney Foley

She then attached a photo of this drawing....

We sent if off and hoped Mrs. McAllister would get the note. 

After swimming lessons, Sydney asked if I thought she had written back to us. I was doubtful, but we checked the email in box and sure enough....there was a reply.

Dear Sydney 

It was such a joy to come home and find your e-mail waiting for me!  I'm delighted to know that you love Mistmantle.  Thank you very much indeed for telling me.  I'm impressed that you're already reading them yourself at the age of seven.  Your dad deserves a medal for reading them all to you!

I always feel greatly honoured and humbled at the same time when readers send me pictures, and I especially LOVE this one.  It is such fun and so original, with the picture of Needle's Threading, the little tangled up hedgehog, and all the bobbins flying about.  Well done, and thank you so much!

Very best wishes 

Margaret McAllister

How cool is that?

These are some of our favorite books and we HIGHLY recommend them. Kevin read them all to Sydney and I have read them all myself. They are so well written. After looking around her website, we discovered she has written a series about a hamster under the pen name Poppy Harris. Unfortunately our library doesn't have them. Still, we look forward to getting our hands on them and reading them.

I'll leave you with a few more of Sydney's Mistmantle drawings....

 tower squirrel combs Princess Catkin's tail

King Crispin